There are various factors that need to be mulled over before you put a football bet on. Read on for our 13 Top Tips on how to improve your ability to predict a football result.

1. Home and Away Records

In general terms, home teams have a better chance of winning than away ones. Although there are exceptions to this rule so try and spot them for great deals.

2. Referees

Can the referee be swayed by the crowd? Well that is where the saying 'home referee' comes from so it must be true. Young referees more so in particular.

3. Home Crowds

The bigger the crowd, the more likely the referee and opposition will be intimidated. But remember some smaller crowds can be intimidating as well.

4. New Stadiums

If a team has a new stadium, their results are often patchy in the first season.

5. Derbies

Form can go out of the window when there is a derby. A lot of gamblers avoid trying to predict a derby because they are so notoriously hard to fathom out. Our advice is it's best to stay clear of them.

6. Weather

If a team likes to pass the ball rather than punt it, then wet weather may affect their chances. There may also be more goals if your predicting the score.

7. Form

Obviously a team that has won 5 in a row has a pretty good chance of beating a team that has lost 5 in a row. This is a key factor. 

8. Injuries

Are key players injured? If they are, or just tired (see 10 also) they may be out of the line-up which can have a large bearing on the result.

9. Managers

Does one of the team's have a new manager or a caretaker one? This can improve their form. But uncertainty over a manager's position can have the opposite affect.

10. Fatigue

Has one team played midweek, or had the week off? This is especially important with the top five or six teams as they like to rotate regularly following cup or international breaks.  

11. Previous History

What does the form book say about previous encounters between the two? Does one team always win even though it's classed as inferior? Every team has a bogey team and the form book will make this obvious. 

12. Playing Style

Are the teams built for flair or a fight? A bit of both is best, but when you look at teams playing each other check this out. It's one of the reasons why bogey teams exist, such as Bolton under Sam Allardyce against Arsenal.

13. Goal Difference

How many goals do the teams score and concede? If one averages three, and the other 1, then the one that averages 3 is probably more likely to score. And vice versa with conceding, with more watertight defences likely to stop a team that averages 1 or two goals than they are a team that averages 3 or 4.