Have you been betting on football for a long time now and your results are simply not as great as you would like them to be? There may be a very good reason for that! While you may have a good understanding of the game of football in general, it is very possible that you are simply not betting on the right football leagues.

A great part of football betting comes down to which leagues you bet on. If you learn the tendencies of football teams in particular countries, you may very well have a way to beat the bookies on a regular basis. This kind of knowledge is essential for any football punter.

This article brings you a list of the best football leagues to bet on. You will find out:

• Which leagues offer the best odds
• What to bet on in each of the particular leagues and why
• How to make good value bets in particular football leagues

If you want to become a better football bettor and learn which leagues to bet on, keep reading and take our advice for immediate improvement in results.

1. UEFA Champions League (Europe)

Country: Europe
Total Teams: 32
Founded:  1955 (Rebranded in 1992)
Season: September until May

By far the most competitive international football competition, EUFA Champions League is the competition where the very best go head to head to decide who will be declared the champion of Europe. Champions League is the most prestigious event at club level and this makes it very interesting to bet on.

Online bookmakers offer countless special offers for Champions League games which makes them a great spot to look for some extra value. While it may be difficult to predict the results at such a competitive level, the extra value you can get on Champions League games can hardly be matched by other competitions.

• Many betting options and markets
• Popular and well known teams
• Great odds and many special promotions

2. English Premier League (England)

Country: England
Total Teams: 20
Founded: 1992
Season: August until May

The English Premier League is one of the oldest and most competitive leagues in the world. Easily one of the best football leagues out there, the Premier League is also interesting to punters because there are so many different markets offered for it. The bookies understand the vast interest that exists in the Premier League and they capitalize on it.

This gives the punters a chance to capitalize as well, as the huge number of markets and special offers can often lead to some fantastic bets. In addition, you get to support some of the world’s top clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal and placing a bet will make watching the games on the weekend all the more interesting.

• Top level of English football
• All information and statistics are readily available
• Competitive odds among the online bookies

3. UEFA Europa League (Europe)

Country: Europe
Total Teams: 48
Founded: 1971 (Rebranded in 2009)
Season: August until May

Another competition with international significance, Europa League is a relatively new competition that emerged from the UEFA Cup. Unlike the Champions League that brings together the elite teams and champions of different countries, Europa League is where teams that fell just short of the titles get to compete.

Since the teams in the Europa League are more balanced, the games tend to be tougher and even more unpredictable. This leads to great odds and some fantastic betting opportunities which savvy bettors can capitalize on. If you consider yourself to be a smart punter, Europa League is a competition you should not miss.

• Lots of less known teams from European countries
• A great selection of games on group matchdays
• Unpredictable results lead to great odds

4. Serie A (Italy)

Country: Italy
Total Teams: 20
Founded: 1898
Season: August until May

Italian Serie A is yet another one of those European football leagues where numerous European giants such as Juventus and Inter battle it out week in and week out. Somewhat less competitive than the Premier League, Serie A offers more tough matches in the middle of the table and a chance to capitalize on really knowing how each team performs in different conditions.

Serie A has been riddled with betting scandals over the decades, which makes it a league you should be careful when betting on. However, despite all the scandals and match fixing of the past, Serie A remains one of the best football leagues to bet on.

• Known as a top betting league
• Defensive football without many goals
• Chance to bet with many bookies

5. La Liga (Spain)

Country: Spain
Total Teams: 20
Founded: 1929
Season: August until May

Spanish La Liga could very well be the toughest of the European leagues with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Atletico Madrid and Valencia all competing for the title. With so many top level teams in one league, the number of derby matches is incredible and there is hardly a week without two top teams playing one another.

The polarized nature of the league also leaves a lot of place for minor teams to surprise the titans, which is where many punters look for their shot. Placing a bet at massive odds on the likes of Levante or Leganes to defeat Real Madrid in a busy week for the Madrid outfit can be a brilliant move under the right circumstances.

• Many of the world’s top players compete here
• Misbalanced league with few outstanding teams
• Many mid table derbies with fantastic odds

6. Ligue 1 (France)

Country: France
Total Teams: 20
Founded: 1932
Season: August until May

French football may be miles behind Spanish or English overall, but their premier division has been getting stronger by the day in recent years with the emergence of the likes of PSG as European titans. Barring the top few teams, most of the other teams are well balanced which makes betting on French games interesting, with solid odds offered across the spread.

If you are looking for leagues where you can get some solid odds on any bet you make, Ligue 1 is definitely a good choice as there are few extreme favorites and many teams that are evenly matched, while the bookies offer many markets for every game.

• High level of misbalance between top and other teams
• Numerous games with a great number of goals
• Betting on title favorites can be a great idea

7. Bundesliga (Germany)

Country: Germany
Total Teams: 18
Founded: 1963
Season: August until May

The German top flight is yet another league that many of the world’s top punters regularly bet on. Another league that produces European champion candidates on a regular basis, Bundesliga is surely one of the best football leagues in the world and a great one to bet on.

The league is not as star studded as some of the others we mentioned, but it enjoys a great level of respect in the football circles. Like Ligue 1, Bundesliga is crowded with teams that are fairly evenly matched, with many matches providing a great betting chance for those who know the ins and outs of the teams involved.

• A tough competition among German teams
• Several exceptional favorites
• Great number of data readily available

8. Allsvenskan (Sweden)

Country: Sweden
Total Teams: 16
Founded: 1924
Season: March until November

Moving away from the Europe’s best football leagues, we go all the way to the north and into Sweden. Swedish Allsvenskan is a league that is far less known to the general public, but one that many punters know a lot about.

The most value for betting in Allsvenskan comes from the fact that the league is quite evenly matched and many teams end the season with a goal difference close to 0. This means that bets on the both teams to score market are extremely profitable and seizing a chance to bet on this at decent odds can be a real gold mine.

• Not as popular as other European leagues
• Tons of goals on all sides with poor defences
• Both teams to score a very common bet

9. Veikkausliiga (Finland)

Country: Finland
Total Teams: 12
Founded: 1990
Season: April until October

To stay in Scandinavia a bit longer, we move over to Finland, whose Veikkausliiga is world famous for being one where high scoring games are simply not the tradition. On the contrary, the vast majority of games in this league finish with fewer than 3 goals scored, making it a great league to make under 2.5 goals bets in.

Going over some stats, we found that over 60% of all games ended with fewer than 3 goals and when you consider that some bookies are offering nearly even money on such bets, exploiting Veikkausliiga for this particular stat is well worth it.

• A defensively strong Scandinavian division
• Few games end with 3 or more goals
• Many games that are likely to end in draws

10. Scottish League 1 (Scotland)

Country: Scotland
Total Teams: 10
Founded: 2013
Season: August until May

The first one on our list that is not a top flight, Scottish League 1 is notorious for the extremely high number of goals scored. While you may very well not be familiar with any of the teams playing in the league, it is one of the best football leagues to use for sports betting as the over 2.5 goals market is pure gold.

The offensive style of teams in this league and the apparent lack of any defensive vigour makes Scottish League 1 a prime candidate to place a bet on. Do some digging yourself and you will quickly realize just how profitable betting on goals in this competition can be.

• Very open football is played
• All teams score many goals with little concern for defence
• Betting on over 2.5 goals is advised

11. English Championship (England)

Country: England
Total Teams: 24
Founded: 1892 (Rebranded in 1992 and 2004)
Season: August until May

The second flight of English football is well known as being as strong if not stronger than many of the Europe’s top flights. In fact, many of the teams in that league alternate between Championship and Premiership very often, making it a league on par with the EPL in many ways.

The fast pace and dynamic football that is generally played in England make Championship a great league for a whole host of markets. If you add the fact that the bookies offer a great number of markets and quite favourable odds for Championship matches, you realize why this is another league we had to include on our list.

• A great selection of games and markets
• Odds and special offers are easily available
• Many teams get involved in title chase

12. Eredivisie (Netherlands)

Country: Netherlands
Total Teams: 18
Founded: 1956
Season: August until April

Netherlands is well known for producing some legendary players such as Ruud Van Nistelrooy or Patrick Kluivert over the years and many of these players started their careers in the Eredivisie. The league is famous for extremely competitive and offensive football, as the Dutch really don’t focus on defence nearly as much.

If you are looking for a new league to bet on, getting familiar with the teams in Eredivisie is a good idea. The scores there tend to be extreme by other leagues’ standards, with most matches ending with more than 2.5 goals and with both teams scoring, making it another one of the best football leagues to predict.

• The original league of many football legends
• Highly competitive with many goals
• Over 2.5 goals is a common result in most games

13. Erste Divisie (Netherlands)

Country: Netherlands
Total Teams: 20
Founded: 1956
Season: August until April

If you thought the Dutch score many goals in their top flight, you will be shocked at their second league. The Erste Division is an absolute goal fest where 2.5 goals is almost the norm and the real bets you will be looking to make are over 3.5 goals and both teams to score in many games.

The matches are generally very attractive to watch as the Dutch second tier teams play super offensively, so you should make sure to look for games where two on form teams are playing and simply go all in on the number of goals.

• Defence is played at very poor levels
• Offensive football rules in Erste Division
• Betting on over 4 and over 5 goals can be lucrative

14. Serie B (Italy)

Country: Italy
Total Teams: 19
Founded: 1929
Season: August until June

Another European second flight that is worth looking at is the Italian Serie B, but for the exact opposite reasons to Erste Division. Where Dutch look to score many goals, Italians are happy to keep their net intact, making under 2.5 goals and draw at halftime some of the most attractive markets in Serie B.

If you looked over the tables of some of the past seasons of Serie B, you would quickly notice that very few teams scored many goals and that the general theme of this league is low scoring and dull games that can be quite boring to watch but quite profitable to bet on.

• Italian football is known for strong back lines
• Very few goals are scored in Serie B
• Surprise results are somewhat common

15. Jelen Superliga (Serbia)

Country: Serbia
Total Teams: 16
Founded: 2006
Season: July until May

Serbian top competition is dominated by two teams, Crvena Zvezda and Partizan, both from the capital. Simply following these two teams through the season while betting large should show a decent profit, but there are some other teams that can be pretty sure bets at times.

While Superliga is certainly not one of the best football leagues to watch, the bookies sometimes lay favourable odds in matches where the winner is pretty clear cup and taking advantage of this is certainly in your best interest.

• League dominated by two teams
• Betting on the favorites is a system that works
• Be careful when betting on smaller teams (fear of match fixing)

16. Super League (Greece)

Country: Greece
Total Teams: 16
Founded: 1959 (Rebranded in 2006)
Season: August until May

Greek Super League is another league that many solid punters bet on and the main reason is the predictability of the competition. Home teams tend to take away the vast majority of all points, especially when the stronger teams are playing on home pitch.

While this is the truth in most leagues, Super League is notorious for it, which is why many bettors simply place large bets on home teams and take away some easy pickings without much hassle. If you feel like getting reasonable odds on these pretty safe bets, give it a go.

• Home teams win the majority of games
• Betting heavily on the home team can win lots of money
• The odds on home wins are more favourable than they should be

17. A-League (Australia)

Country: Australia
Total Teams: 10
Founded: 2004
Season: October until April

A very competitive league, Australian A-League is another great competition to bet on. While it is not one of the best football leagues in the world in terms of quality, it is one of those that see a lot of goals scored on a regular basis, making it very interesting for betting.

The top bets that you can capitalize on in the A-League include over 2.5 goals and both teams to score, with other bet such as over 3.5 goals also good betting candidates in many matches. The time difference between Australia and Europe is what makes many bettors overlook this league, but you should at least give it a look if you are serious about sports betting.

• Medium quality and emerging league
• Many goals are scored on average
• Most teams don’t care much about defending

18. Jupiler League (Belgium)

Country: Belgium
Total Teams: 16
Founded: 1895
Season: July until May

Another high scoring competition and home to the likes of Genk and Club Brugge, Belgian Jupiler League comes just short of the best European football leagues. While their clubs cannot quite compete at the top level just yet, the league is very dynamic and full of high scoring matches with over 60% of all games ending with more 3 or more goals scored.

This is why betting on the over 2.5 goals in many matches is a great idea, especially in those games in which the heavy favorites are not playing. The bookies often lay 1.85 or better on this kind of a bet in Jupiler League and if you can track form and injuries well, you will surely be able to make a profit in Jupiler League.

• Several solid teams with rich history
• Many goals scored in most games
• Solid odds on very likely outcomes

19. Major League Soccer (USA)

Country: USA
Total Teams: 23
Founded: 1993
Season: March until October

Americans may not be so crazy about football, and they might even not call it football, but their top competition has been on the rise in recent years. The MLS is getting more and more competitive, with European superstars often choosing to end their career in the USA, which has made the league more interesting to the media and general public.

The one thing that American soccer is known for is quite poor defending, which makes it possible for teams to score many goals and create many opportunities. While it is not among the best football leagues in terms of team quality, there is plenty of profit to be made in it.

• European stars are making MLS competitive
• Very poor levels of defending
• Bet on more goals and home teams to win

20. S League (Singapore)

FACTS

Country: Singapore
Total Teams: 9
Founded: 1996
Season: March until October

Here is a league you may not have heard of or ever considered but that makes a lot of sense to bet on. Back in 2016, S League was the highest scoring top national competition in the world. Even inexperienced punters will understand why betting on the goal lines will make a lot of sense.

S League is not offered with every bookmaker out there, but if you are betting online, you should not have too much trouble finding some solid odds to bet. The league also has matches starting at awkward times by European standards, but if you don’t mind waiting a while for your bets to land, you should have a blast with S League.

• One of the highest scoring competition
• A great number of profitable goal line bets
• Somewhat unknown and hard to get info on

21. Serie A (Brazil)

Country: Brazil
Total Teams: 20
Founded: 1959
Season: May until December

Brazilian Serie A is one of the best football leagues in the world in many ways. While we may not be as familiar with Brazilian teams as we are with the top European teams, there is no doubt that this competition offers some true quality. In fact, many of the world’s top stars such as Neymar or Willian came to Europe from Serie A.

If you want to bet on Serie A, accumulator betting may be a good idea, as there are many games which are not too hard to predict that come at mediocre odds. Combining a few such matches may give you great odds with a good chance of landing a winner.

• The league that gave birth to many Brazilian superstars
• Good for accumulator betting
• Not too many surprises in the cards

22. Premiera Division (Argentina)

Country: Argentina
Total Teams: 26
Founded: 1891
Season: August until May

It may not offer the highest quality of football in the world, but Argentinian Premiera Division is one of the best football leagues in terms of competition and flare among the players and fans alike. People in Argentina live for football and matches between the likes of Boca Juniors and Independiente are always proper spectacles.

The games in Premier Division are not exactly easy to predict, but bookies tend to offer very good betting odds. That way, you can often capitalize on doing good research and making some not easy to make predictions yourself.

• Some great derby matches on the calendar
• Somewhat difficult to predict
• Good research can lead to winning at top odds

23. Ligue 2 (France)

Country: France
Total Teams: 20
Founded: 1933
Season: August until May

The French second division is notoriously difficult to predict, especially because many games end in draws. Competition for promotion to Ligue 1 can be really stiff, but this gives plenty of chances to betting experts as well.

Some of the most popular bets punters like to make in Ligue 2 include both teams to score, half time/full time at great odds and simply draw. With so many games ending in draws, doing some Martingale betting on draws can be a good idea if you are not too risk averse and even just straight betting on draws for bigger stakes can be quite profitable.

• Stiff competition and many solid teams
• Draws are quite common
• Martingale betting can make some sense

24. League One (England)

Country: England
Total Teams: 24
Founded: 1920 (Rebranded in 1958, 1992 and 2004)
Season: August until May

The third rank of competition in England is as competitive and high quality as many of Europe’s and world’s top divisions. With so many former Premiership clubs involved every year, League One remains of one of the best football leagues in Europe despite being only the third rank in England.

Just like all other English leagues, League One offers a number of special promotions, free bets and other opportunities that online bookmakers give to their customers. Taking advantage of these is always a good idea and if you don’t know enough about League One to start betting just yet, we recommend you jump in and start doing some research.

• As competitive as the higher ranks of competition
• Many promotions and special offers
• The information can be gathered from UK sports sites

25. League Two (England)

Country: England
Total Teams: 24
Founded: 1958 (Rebranded in 1992 and 2004)
Season: August until May

League Two is the last rank of top competition in England and is still filled with clubs that used to be in the Premiership and Championship within the last decade. The stiff competition in England has many top clubs reach as low as League Two at times, not for the lack of quality but for the incredibly difficult competition all round.

There are many markets that one may choose to bet on in League Two, with promotion and relegation spots being some of the most popular markets. If you are looking to make some good value bets, we recommend researching the history of League Two as well as all the current teams so as to get a better understanding of what it is you are betting on.

• The best fourth rank league in the world
• Many ex Premier League teams play in League Two
• Promotion bets are very popular

26. Nations League (Europe)

Country: Europe
Total Teams: 155
Founded: 2018
Season: September until June

The Nations League is a brand new competition that was created by UEFA to extend the international friendly weekends to something a bit more competitive. In addition to adding more competition, the Nations League actually allows countries to win a place in the Euro and now finally guarantees that at least one team from the weakest group will also qualify for the competition.

The added competition of Nations League makes it a competition that is interesting for betting. While all European countries are represented, not all take this competition as seriously, which means many upsets are in the cards. If you are someone who likes to capitalize on upsets and are looking for good odds that may very well land, Nations League is a competition worth betting on.

• Interesting new international competition
• Many teams play with mixed squads
• Players look out for injuries and fatigue

27. FA Cup (England)

Country: England
Total Teams: 737
Founded: 1871
Season:

The FA Cup is one of the oldest and most important competitions in all of Europe. The English cherish the FA Cup above all other competitions, which makes it extremely competitive and makes the FA Cup matches very interesting to watch and to bet on.

While betting on particular FA Cup games can be profitable, most punters choose to go for outright markets, choosing the finalists and the winner of the competition early in the season. Keep in mind that the FA Cup winner is not always the best team in England and that many different teams take a very serious approach to this competition, especially those that don’t stand much of a chance of winning the title in other competitions.

• Extremely competitive and prestigious in the UK
• Often won by non-favorites
• Many top teams bust out to lesser outfits

28. WC Qualifiers (World)

Country: World
Total Teams: 210
Founded: 1934
Season: Summer Every 4 Years

The World Cup Qualifiers are another extremely interesting betting competition as you can bet on teams from all over the planet as they face off against one another in their respective divisions. If you know international football inside and out, the WC Qualifiers can be super profitable as there is simply so much going on all the time.

Punters need to consider injuries, players who may not play due to club obligations, local events in the respective countries and so many other factors when making their decisions. Bookies sometimes overlook some of these things, making WC Qualifiers betting, especially outside of Europe quite an interesting proposition.

• Played by international teams around the world
• Many flawed odds can be found
• Detailed research is crucial to making good bets

29. Super League (China)

Country: China
Total Teams: 16
Founded: 2004
Season: March until December

Football is truly an international phenomenon, and the recent development of the game in China just proves it. With the market opening up and significant investments being made, Chinese football is truly growing and you can now see many world famous names playing on the pitches in China.

The development of the competition has made Super League one of the best football leagues to bet on as well, with more markets being introduced all the time. Savvy punters can make a profit by making smart observations while watching the games and doing some proper analysis as the fast growing and changing league always has something new to offer.

• Massive investments are driving the league
• Still quite unknown to general public
• Research yet to be done and plenty of place for profitable betting

30. J League (Japan)

Country: Japan
Total Teams: 18
Founded: 1992
Season: February until December

Japan is not a country that pops to mind when you first mention football, but it is yet another Asian market where the game is quickly growing and becoming a phenomenon. Betting on J League may not be as easy as betting on some of the best football leagues in Europe as the bookies don’t offer as many different odds and markets.

That said, the markets that are open in J League can be quite profitable for real experts on Japanese football, as the bookies don’t yet have such a strong grasp on this competition. If you are looking to capitalize on your football knowledge, getting involved with J League and really studying the teams there is a great idea.

• Obscure league not followed abroad
• Betting odds are not very sophisticated
• Experts can make money by exploiting the flaws

31. Copa America (South America)

Country: South America
Total Teams: 116
Founded: 1916
Season: Varies

Copa America is a competition held every several years in South America. The international tournament brings together some of the most attractive international football teams such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay and pits them against one another.

The competition is highly competitive as the famous South American temper tends to flare up during it. Despite there being some clear favorites, the competition is often won by other teams, with Chile winning the last two tournaments. With that in mind, the outright winner market can have a lot of value, with some great odds offered for teams like Chile, Uruguay of Colombia.

• High tempered games are the norm
• Top level international teams in competition
• Numerous countries do whatever it takes to win the title

32. EURO (Europe)

Country: Europe
Total Teams: 24 (As of 2020)
Founded: 1960
Season: Summer Every 4 Years

No list of top football competitions to bet on would be complete without the EURO. The tournament that brings together the best European international teams every four years has offered some of the most legendary matches of all times and many world famous players have made their names on this tournament.

Knowing European football is very important if you are going to bet on football and we all know that punters simply can’t rest during such a major competition. While EURO matches can be difficult to predict, some of the outright markets such as winner, finalists and top scorer can often offer great odds that are surely worth taking a risk on.

• Highly competitive but not with too many goals
• Well known teams competing
• New format set to make the competition even better to bet on

Place Your Football Bets

We have covered 32 of the best football leagues and competitions you can bet on in this article. The tips and ideas we brought you here are general and we advise that you take them and expand on them in order to start making smarter and more profitable bets for yourself.

All the competitions we mentioned here have a tempo and a style of their own and it is crucial that you understand why you are betting on each one of them. Remember to always bet for value and look for something extra in the odds that the bookies are offering.

Above all else, always remember to make full use of all the special promotions, free bets and the best odds possible when you are making your bets. These little things can quickly add up and if you are betting on the best football leagues out there, every little bit will help you make a profit in the long run.

We hope you have enjoyed our rundown of the top football competitions and we hope you will find a competition you can bet on and make a lot of profit with.