Check fixture history
When you have found a fixture that ticks all of the current form boxes, the next part of the selection process is to check the recent results between the two sides involved. The previously mentioned fixture listing websites have a head-to-head tab that will list the scores between the two teams over the previous few years.
If the fixture history shows that the team you are considering selecting has won the most times, then it remains a strong candidate for selection.
Sometimes the lower-ranked side seems to have some psychological hold over the higher-ranked side and has a good record of past results against them. If you find such a situation, I would consider discarding the higher-ranked choice from your list of possible selections. Or perhaps consider a Win or Double Chance bet featuring the lower-ranked team. You will certainly get good odds for this. Only do this, though, if you are reasonably sure the lower-ranked team can pull off a victory.
If a potential selection has a lot of “D”s for a draw in the current form section for both sides and the fixture history is 100% or nearly 100% drawn games, then it may be worth considering a draw bet for this match. If the odds of a draw are less than 3.0, it indicates that the bookmakers think a draw is a strong possibility.
Check team news
There are factors concerning the two sides involved in a bet selection you are considering that can affect the form of either side and consequently the result.
Player availability is one such factor. Whether through injury or suspension, if a team is missing several of its regular first-choice players it is not likely to perform as well as it might otherwise. Or, the players coming in as replacements may have a point to prove and may actually boost their team’s performance. You will have to use your own judgement to decide which scenario applies.
Also worth considering is that it often happens that in the first game a poor-performing team plays after their head coach has been sacked, they will experience a big upturn in their performance resulting in a shock win for them. The first match under the newly-appointed head coach may also see an upsurge in a team’s performance as the players put in their best efforts to impress and stake their claim for the regular starting eleven.
Avoid friendly matches
Football clubs often use friendly matches to experiment with different personnel, new methods of play, and new tactics. The eleven players on each side that finish a friendly can be totally different from the eleven on each side that started the game which tends to disrupt any form of predictable play. It also lessens the influence of league status and current form to some extent.
As ever, there are some exceptions to this rule. Some “friendly” matches between rival clubs are never that friendly. Such games will be just as competitive as a regular league meeting between the clubs. Again, you will have to use your own judgement here.
TIP: Remember, if in doubt – don’t bet!