Speculate on Football

Football is undoubtedly the most popular spectator sport in China. Estimated average attendance for professional Football matches has been pegged at 22,193 spectators in 2015. Its popularity has continuously risen ever since it was introduced in the early 1900s.

China's national governing body for the sport is the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The CFA runs the Chinese Super League (CSL), currently known as the Wanda Plaza Chinese Super League, the highest tier of professional football in the county.

Back in 1994, the CSL was known as the "Jia A" (Jia means first or best). In 2002, the CFA made a decision to establish the CSL, which was launched in 2004.

The league originally had 12 teams. It expanded into 14 teams during the 2005 season, and to 16 teams during the 2009 season.

CSL clubs play a total of 30 games each per season - each club plays each of the other clubs twice, once at home and another away. A season starts in February or March (spring in China) and ends in November or December (early winter). The two lowest placed teams by the end of the season are relegated to the China League One and the top two teams from the League One are promoted, taking their places.

Types of Football Markets

There are three basic types of football markets:

• first is the money line for a team to win
• second is the money line for the draw
• third is the bet on the total score of the match

When betting on the money line, the bettor is betting that his chosen team will win straight-up, in order to win his bet. It does not matter when or how the chosen team wins, just that they are the official winner.

When betting on the Draw (also called Tie), the game must be declared a Draw for the bettor's wager to be a winner. If a game goes to Penalty shots, Golden Goals, or there is a disqualification, an official winner will be declared and all Draw bets would be considered losing bets.

Lastly, the Total listed on a football game represents the total number of goals scored. When betting on the total, the bettor must choose either OVER or UNDER. Regardless of the outcome, the combined score of the two teams will determine if he wins or loses his bet. Overtime will always count for the total of the game, but penalty shots will not.