HT-FT meaning and predictions: Full guide

With football and the gambling markets constantly evolving the traditional match result market remains ever-popular with punters. Sometimes, though, bookies just offer prices that don't represent value for money in a straight win-draw-win scenario.

Thankfully, more complex markets exist, presenting us punters with opportunities to maximise our potential returns. Familiarising yourself with the HT-FT market and understanding the true HT-FT meaning is one of the best ways to do this; we have you covered with everything you need to know about HT-FT betting.

Latest HT-FT predictions

Nantes vs Brest: Draw/Draw @ 4/1 (5.00)

• Nantes have played in scoreless games twice in a row in Ligue 1.
• Two of the last five meetings between these teams have ended without any goals.
• Brest are the better team on paper and they are 17 points ahead of Nantes in the standings, but they've lost three games in a row heading into this match.

Hellas Verona vs AC Milan: Draw/AC Milan @ 7/2 (4.50)

• AC Milan have beaten Verona after being tied at half-time twice in their last three meetings.
• Hellas Verona have lost four games in a row, but three of those games were tied at half-times.
• Verona have drawn at half-time in nine of 15 home games this season, while AC Milan were tied at half-time in 10 of their 16 away games.

Aston Villa vs Sunderland: Aston Villa/Aston Villa @ 9/5 (2.80)

• Aston Villa have won two of their last three meetings with Sunderland and they've led at half-time in both.
• The Villans have won 10 of their 16 home matches in the Premier League this season.
• Sunderland have struggled away from home this season and that is true for half-times as well.

HT-FT Meaning: What is it?

Without prior knowledge, the HT-FT meaning isn't that obvious. Thankfully, it's really easy to explain.

Most commonly, you are predicting what the result of a match will be at half-time (HT) and at full-time (FT), with the term ‘result' meaning what the outcome will be, i.e. home team winning, draw, or away team winning, rather than backing a specific scoreline.

In order for your bet to be successful, you have to get both parts of the bet correct.

Potential HT-FT selections

• Home-Home = Home team winning at half-time and full-time
• Draw-Home = Drawing at half-time and home team winning at full-time
• Home-Draw = Home team winning at half-time and drawing at full-time
• Home-Away = Home team winning at half-time and away team winning at full-time
• Draw-Draw = Drawing at half-time and full-time
• Away-Away = Away team winning at half-time and full-time
• Draw-Away = Drawing at half-time and away team winning at full-time
• Away-Draw = Away team winning at half-time and drawing at full-time
• Away-Home = Away team winning at half-time and home team winning at full-time

How to win a HT-FT betting pick

We've covered the bulk of the HT-FT meaning but just have a couple of points to clarify.

Firstly, we cannot stress enough that HT-FT bets are different from the ‘both halves' markets you see. For example, in a ‘home-home' bet in the HT-FT market, a home team that takes a 3-0 lead into the interval but then loses the second half 2-0 would still be a winning bet because the home team won the game at full time. In a ‘both halves' bet the same home-home selection would lose because the away team won the second period.

It is also worth noting that the HT-FT market can also be extended to focus on correct score, total goals and both teams to score bets, but these are not commonly used.

Important: 90-minute rules apply

The final piece to specify on the HT-FT meaning is that bets are settled at the full-time whistle; this means all injury time counts towards your picks in both the first and second half, and there will be no rollover of your bet into extra time.

How to place a HT-FT bet

So, you've now got an understanding of the HT-FT meaning, but you might still need a bit of guidance on actually placing the bet.

The first thing you need to understand is that any bookmaker worth their salt will offer a HT-FT market, particularly the bigger players in the world of online sports betting, such as:

• Bet365
• William Hill
• Ladbrokes

Your process for placing a HT-FT bet is as follows:

• Sign up with your preferred bookmaker (we'd recommend using one of our links above for the option of a new customer bonus)
• Navigate to the football/soccer market using the quick pick options or menu tiles
• Click into a fixture of your choosing
• Find the HT-FT option (this might display as “half-time/full-time”)
• Pick the combination you wish to bet on
• Set your stake & place your bet

Advantages of the HT-FT market

The HT-FT market is more complex to understand and bet on than other markets but there are significant upsides to it.

You'll get bigger odds vs traditional markets

A HT-FT bet will always carry stronger odds than that of the traditional match result market. In effect, you've got to get two predictions correct to win a HT-FT bet as opposed to one in the win draw win market and, as such, you get rewarded with a longer price.

You can back heavy favourites

If you've ever found yourself looking through a match result market, you've probably been frustrated by the better teams having pathetic odds offered against them. Well, the HT-FT bet allows you to bet on favourites whilst getting reasonable odds. This is because you can incorporate differing views of how you think the game will unfold rather than just the result itself.

Cash out when you want

Yes, despite the HT-FT market being more advanced than that of simple match result bets, you are still able to cash out of your bets with most bookies. This means you can look to secure an element of your potential returns before the final whistle goes, which might be particularly useful if you've already nailed your first half pick, for example.

Disadvantages of the HT-FT market

Unfortunately, gambling is called gambling for a reason, and HT-FT bets carry a risk with them – as do all markets.

Research is paramount

If you want to exploit proper value out of the HT-FT predictions you make, then conducting research is critical. With the added complexity of knowing how teams perform at different points in the match, it is imperative that you spend more time digging into the stats for these bets. You could, of course, also come back to this page for your well-researched picks!

You'll only receive a full payout at the final whistle

Any match result bet you place will need the game to finish before you can claim your winnings; the same is true in HT-FT betting. This isn't the end of the world, but it is a downside to consider when comparing to markets that settle more quickly – such as both teams to score and “over” goals picks.

HT-FT meaning: FAQ

What is the meaning of HT-FT in football betting?

HT-FT betting is where you predict what the result of a game will be at half-time and full-time.

Is HT-FT betting only for the match result?

No, the HT-FT market can be utilised for other types of bets but the most common, by some distance, is result betting.

Can HT-FT bets be placed ‘in-play'?

Yes, HT-FT bets can be wagered after a game has begun, providing the action is still in the first half.