The Conference League is still in its infancy compared to the Champions League and Europa League. Still, it’s proved to be popular with football fans and football betting fans alike, eager to see both big-name and lesser-known European teams in action have their moment in the sun and add excitement to UEFA Conference League betting.
UEFA Conference League at a Glance
From the 2024-25 season onwards, the Conference League will have a new format.
The first key difference is that there won’t be any teams in it that dropped down from the Europa League Group Stages, which happened in previous editions.
There will, however, be 12 teams in it who tried qualifying to the Europa League Group Stages in the Europa League final Play-Off round but didn’t make it. These 12 qualify automatically for the Conference League Group Stages.
The remaining 24 teams will come from winners of the Conference League final play-off round, made up of teams that:
- were eliminated in the first three Europa League qualifying rounds.
- were eliminated in the Champions League First Qualifying Round.
- qualified to the Conference League qualifying stages through performances in the domestic league and cup competitions.
But before contesting the final play-off round, all these teams will have needed to progress from one or more earlier qualifying rounds. These 24 final play-off winners will join the 12 that didn’t make it at the final hurdle of the Europa League qualifying.
These 36 teams are divided into six pots of six. Each team gets six opponents and plays three matches at home and three away.
At the end of the Group Stage, the top eight ranked teams will automatically progress to the Round of 16.
The teams that finished between 9th and 24th will contest the knockout phase play-offs, played over two legs, with the teams ranked from 9th to 16th seeded for the draw. Winners of the Knockout Phase Play-Offs also progress to the Last 16.
Teams ranked from 25th to 36th are automatically eliminated from the Conference League.
In the Round of 16, Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals, it’s normal European knockout football, which means:
- two legs (home and away)
- no ‘away goals rule’
- extra time and penalties if needed.
- The final is a one-off match.
Why Bet on UEFA Conference League
Let’s consider some of the pros of Europa Conference League betting.
If you can gain insight into under-the-radar teams through research, watching their matches or talking to experts, you may know more than the Conference League bookmakers do, so you can beat the bookies when it comes to UEFA Conference League betting.
Most matches are broadcast on TV or available via live streaming, including at UEFA Conference betting sites, so you can watch the matches, which is especially useful when betting in-play.
Football betting sites often boost UEFA Conference League betting odds and give out free bets to use on it, so you may well pick up plenty of Conference League-related bonuses.
As a major football competition, all the main betting markets are available for its matches, including the uber-popular Bet Builders, so you’ll have plenty of choices. You can keep track of the matches from your bet on our Live Scores page.
How We Evaluate the Best Conference League Betting Sites
By now, you know the Conference League is a great sports competition to bet on, but how do we decide which are the best UEFA conference betting sites so that we can let you know about them? This is what we look for.
Licence and Security
Ideally, it holds the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence, which is a guarantee that the site is safe when it comes to you, your money and data being protected and that winnings are paid out accordingly, while withdrawal requests aren’t deliberately stalled. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licence is the next best.
Payment Methods
The more varied the payment options, the better. It’s nice to see a mix of debit cards, e-wallets, old-school bank transfers and even cryptocurrencies for those who like them. Deposits should be near-instant, while withdrawals for anything other than bank transfers should ideally be processed within a couple of hours or 48 hours at the most.
Promotions & Free Bets
Conference League betting sites should have a strong welcome offer waiting for new customers, which comes as a deposit match bonus or free bet(s). There should be more good value promos down the line, including regular Odds Boosts, more free bets, deposit bonuses, Best Odds Guaranteed for horseracing, and Acca insurance.
Competitive Odds
Sometimes, the odds they offer across their markets are more important than any special features. After all, they are what determine your payouts when you win. So, at the very least, the site needs to be in line with the industry average in terms of its odds, but ideally, it should go higher on occasion. Regular Odds Boosts are a good way for punters to take advantage of better-than-usual Uefa conference league betting odds.
Most Popular Conference League Bet Types
These are some of the most popular betting markets when it comes to wagering on the Conference League.
Match Outcome
The most popular betting market of all is on whether the game will be won by the home side, the away side or whether it will end as a draw. Alternatively, punters can cover two of those options at the same time by playing the Double Chance market. For example, you can cover the home win and the draw in the same selection.
Over/Under
This type of bet can be applied to such markets as over/under 1.5/2.5/3.5 goals, over/under 2.5/3.5/4.5 cards in the match or the equivalent for corners. It’s one of the simplest markets to play because there are only two options and one of them will always be a winner and the other a loser.
Handicap Betting
Handicap markets can be used for the match as a whole, with the underdog being given a head start of one or more goals or fractions of a goal, with the final score then being used to work out whether the team you backed overcame the handicap or stayed within it, depending on who you bet on. The handicap system can also be used for corners and cards betting.
Outright Winner
If you’d rather your Conference League betting was done on a more long-term basis, you can play the Outright Winner market at any stage of the competition at ever-changing odds.
The change to this year’s format means you know exactly which teams can win it from the start, in contrast to previous years, where new teams joined it at a later stage after being knocked out of the Europa League.
Conference League Betting Bonuses
Conference League bookmakers give out regular and varied bonuses to reward customer loyalty and keep them engaged. Here are some to look out for:
- Free Bets: These are often given out as a reward for making a deposit or placing a qualifying bet that gives you the right to claim a free bet. Other times, a free bet (for a small amount) is given out to all customers at a Conference League betting site to promote a big event.
- Odds Boosts: You may find that rather than Chelsea being their normal price of 2.0 to beat Gent in the 2024-25 edition, they’re boosted to 2.2 to attract more business. Higher odds are always worth taking advantage of in the long run, assuming it’s a selection you like to begin with.
- Acca Insurance: If only one selection lets you down on an acca with a minimum of 4-5 legs, you can get your stake refunded
- Loyalty Programs: It’s very much in a betting site’s interest that you are an active customer placing bets regularly. But it can also be in your own interest, in the sense that the more you bet (remembering to bet responsibly within that), the more free bets, other bonuses and cash awards you’re given as a reward for your loyalty.
Best Tips for Conference League Betting
And let’s round things off with some UEFA Conference League betting tips to put you on the right track.
It means more to some than others: For some teams, this competition is their main priority for the season, with decent prize money up for grabs and the chance to showcase their star players, with a view to some money-spinning future transfers. For others, like Chelsea, it’s more of a hindrance as they feel they have bigger fish to fry, meaning their motivational levels aren’t so high.
Home conditions make a difference: Not all matches in this competition will be played on pristine pitches, with some sides having slightly sub-standard fields of play, making it tough for the more technical sides to adapt. These matches provide good opportunities for underdogs to get something from the game at generous Uefa conference odds.
Some opponents in the Group Stage can mean better chances of winning outright: When betting on the outright market, remember that the Top 8 teams from the Group Stage go straight to the Last 16, rather than having to play the knock-out phase playoffs beforehand. By working out which teams have the easier groups and can finish in the Top 8, you may have found an edge.
