Lay The Draw Tips
Lay the draw seems to be the first trading strategy that people learn when they get into Betfair Trading. It is a strategy that has been around since the birth of Betfair and still holds a lot of appeal even in 2024.
So what is the lay the draw strategy?
The strategy involves laying the draw at the start of the game then waiting for a goal to be scored and backing the draw at higher odds for a profit.
As time has gone on this strategy has become less popular and less profitable as the Betfair markets have matured. The odds on the draw don’t move as much as they did 6-7 years ago.
So the big question is?
Is lay the draw still profitable?
Yes lay the draw is still a profitable trading and betting strategy even in 2024.
There are multiple people using lay the draw to still profit from the markets.
It is a strategy that you can take multiple approaches with.
A favorite approach of mine when it comes to laying the draw is entering in second half. By laying the draw in the second half we get lower odds and a higher profit margin from one goal is scored. Obviously this means that you have to find a game that meets the conditions but it is a good low risk higher reward approach for laying the draw.
Lay The Draw Tips
These are the conditions that are favourable when you are looking to lay the draw in football.
Favourite needs the win
- The favourite to be really pushing for the goal and leaving space to be countered.
- A team that is chasing the title, European qualification, needs a goal to progress in the cup. You want pressure on that to team to score in front of home crowd.
Underdog can counter
- You don’t want to lay the draw if the underdog is just sitting back and holding out for a draw. I would back the favourite instead if it was one way traffic.
- The underdog should look like they can score, have a pacy forward running after long balls or wingers that break on the counter.
Form and stats
- Teams that have a tendency to score at home.
- Teams that score/concede more goals in the second half
Resources For Lay The Draw
There are some very good resources if you are looking to find historical data on teams for a pre match lay the draw strategy. Also you can look at optimal goal times scored if you are looking to employ an in-play lay the draw approach.
Below we have listed some of our favourite resources.