Both Teams to Score, commonly shortened to BTTS, is a football betting market where you predict whether both teams will score at least one goal during the relevant match period.
There are normally two selections:
BTTS Yes — both teams must score at least once.
BTTS No — at least one of the two teams must fail to score.
The winner of the football match does not matter.
For example, 1-1, 2-1, 3-2 and 4-1 are all BTTS Yes results because both teams scored.
A result such as 1-0, 2-0 or 0-0 is BTTS No because at least one team did not score.
What Does Both Teams to Score Mean?
Both Teams to Score means exactly what the name suggests: will both teams score at least one goal?
You do not need to predict:
- which team wins;
- the correct score;
- how many total goals are scored;
- which team scores first.
Only whether both sides score.
Consider a match between Arsenal and Chelsea.
If the final score is:
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
both teams scored, so:
BTTS Yes wins.
If Arsenal wins:
2-0
Chelsea did not score, so:
BTTS No wins.
What Does BTTS Yes Mean?
BTTS Yes means that both the home team and away team must score at least one goal.
Examples of winning BTTS Yes scores include:
| Score | BTTS Result |
|---|---|
| 1-1 | Yes |
| 2-1 | Yes |
| 1-2 | Yes |
| 2-2 | Yes |
| 3-1 | Yes |
| 1-3 | Yes |
| 3-2 | Yes |
| 4-1 | Yes |
The number of goals does not otherwise matter.
A 1-1 match and a 5-4 match are both BTTS Yes.
What Does BTTS No Mean?
BTTS No means that one or both teams fail to score.
Examples include:
| Score | BTTS Result |
|---|---|
| 0-0 | No |
| 1-0 | No |
| 0-1 | No |
| 2-0 | No |
| 0-2 | No |
| 3-0 | No |
| 0-4 | No |
It is not necessary for the match to finish 0-0.
If Manchester City beats another team 5-0, BTTS No still wins because only one side scored.
Is 0-0 Both Teams to Score?
No.
A 0-0 result is BTTS No because neither team scored.
BTTS Yes requires at least one goal from each side.
Is 1-0 Both Teams to Score?
No.
A 1-0 result means only one team scored, so the correct BTTS result is No.
The same applies to:
2-0
3-0
0-1
0-2
0-3
Is 1-1 Both Teams to Score?
Yes.
Both teams scored exactly one goal, so 1-1 is BTTS Yes.
The match does not need to contain more than two goals for BTTS Yes to win.
Is 2-1 Both Teams to Score?
Yes.
One team scored twice and the other scored once, meaning both teams found the net.
Therefore 2-1 is BTTS Yes.
The same is true for 1-2.
Does the Match Winner Matter in BTTS Betting?
No.
This is one of the main differences between BTTS and the standard 1X2 market.
If Liverpool beats Tottenham 4-1, Liverpool won the match but BTTS Yes also wins because Tottenham scored once.
If Liverpool wins 4-0, Liverpool still wins the match but BTTS No is the successful selection.
This means you can analyse the BTTS market independently from predicting who will win the match.
Both Teams to Score vs Over 2.5 Goals
BTTS and Over 2.5 Goals are related goal markets, but they are not the same bet.
BTTS asks whether both teams will score.
Over 2.5 asks whether there will be at least three total goals.
Consider these examples:
| Score | BTTS Yes | Over 2.5 |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Yes | No |
| 2-1 | Yes | Yes |
| 3-0 | No | Yes |
| 2-2 | Yes | Yes |
| 0-0 | No | No |
This shows why one market cannot be used as a substitute for the other.
A match can have plenty of goals without both teams scoring.
For example, 4-0 is comfortably Over 2.5 but remains BTTS No.
Equally, a 1-1 draw is BTTS Yes while finishing Under 2.5.
Both Teams to Score and Win
Some sportsbooks offer combination markets such as:
Home Win & BTTS Yes
or:
Away Win & BTTS Yes
Both conditions must be satisfied.
For example:
Arsenal to Win & BTTS Yes
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea → Win
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea → Win
Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea → Loss
Arsenal 2-2 Chelsea → Loss
The first two results satisfy both conditions: Arsenal wins and Chelsea also scores.
The 1-0 result fails because BTTS is No.
The 2-2 result fails because Arsenal did not win.
Draw and Both Teams to Score
The same principle can be applied to a draw.
For example:
Draw & BTTS Yes
would win on scores such as:
1-1
2-2
3-3
A 0-0 draw would normally not qualify because the BTTS part of the selection is No.
Both Teams to Score in the First Half
Some sportsbooks offer BTTS for individual match periods.
For a First Half BTTS Yes bet, both teams must score during the first half.
If the half-time score is:
1-1 → BTTS Yes
2-1 → BTTS Yes
1-0 → BTTS No
0-0 → BTTS No
Goals scored later in the second half do not change the settlement of a first-half-only market.
Sportsbooks may also offer separate second-half BTTS markets.
Both Teams to Score in Both Halves
A more specific market sometimes offered by bookmakers asks whether both teams will score in both halves.
This requires:
- the home team to score in the first half;
- the away team to score in the first half;
- the home team to score in the second half;
- the away team to score in the second half.
It therefore has much stricter requirements than normal match BTTS.
Always check the exact wording because different BTTS variations can have very different settlement conditions.
Does Extra Time Count for Both Teams to Score?
For standard football betting markets, you should check the specific sportsbook’s settlement rules.
Many standard match markets use regulation time, including stoppage time, unless extra time is expressly included.
This becomes particularly important in knockout competitions.
A goal scored during extra time should not automatically be assumed to count toward a standard 90-minute BTTS market.
Check the market description before placing the wager.
What Happens if a Match Is Abandoned?
Settlement rules for abandoned matches depend on the sportsbook.
In some cases, a market whose outcome has already been determined may still be settled.
For example, once both teams have scored, a standard BTTS Yes outcome can no longer become No during the same match.
Other situations may result in the wager being void.
Because rules vary between operators, always consult the sportsbook’s football settlement rules when a match is postponed or abandoned.
What Statistics Are Relevant to BTTS?
Historical data can help describe how teams have performed, but it cannot guarantee future outcomes.
Potentially relevant information includes:
- how frequently each team scores;
- how frequently each team concedes;
- home and away scoring records;
- expected goals and shot quality;
- attacking and defensive performance;
- injuries and suspensions;
- tactical approach;
- strength of opposition.
However, simply seeing that a team has produced BTTS in five consecutive matches does not mean the sixth match will do the same.
Each fixture has its own circumstances.
Is Head-to-Head Data Useful for BTTS?
Head-to-head results can provide context, but they should not be treated as decisive evidence.
A meeting from several seasons ago may involve different:
- managers;
- players;
- tactics;
- competitive circumstances.
Recent team performance and the current composition of both squads may therefore be more relevant than a long historical sequence.
BTTS Odds Explained
BTTS odds represent the sportsbook’s price for the two possible market selections:
Yes
and
No
Lower odds generally indicate that the bookmaker considers that outcome more likely relative to the alternative, but the quoted prices also contain the sportsbook’s margin.
This means two outcomes forming a binary market do not automatically provide a fair 50/50 betting proposition.
The odds should therefore not be interpreted as a guarantee of the actual probability.
BTTS vs Clean Sheet Betting
BTTS No is related to clean-sheet markets, but the bets are not identical.
For BTTS No to win, at least one team must fail to score.
That includes:
0-0
1-0
0-1
2-0
0-3
A clean-sheet bet, however, is normally attached to one particular team.
For example:
Arsenal Clean Sheet — Yes
requires Arsenal specifically to concede zero goals.
A 0-1 Arsenal defeat would therefore satisfy BTTS No but would not give Arsenal a clean sheet.
Common BTTS Betting Mistakes
One common mistake is assuming that a high-scoring game automatically means BTTS Yes.
It does not.
A 4-0 result has four goals but is still BTTS No.
Another mistake is assuming that a low-scoring game must mean BTTS No.
A 1-1 draw contains only two goals but qualifies as BTTS Yes.
It is also important not to confuse:
BTTS Yes
with:
Both Teams to Score & Match Result
The latter is a combination market requiring two conditions instead of one.
Finally, past BTTS streaks do not guarantee future results, and increasing stakes after a losing wager does not change the probability of the next match.
Final Takeaway
Both Teams to Score is one of the simplest football markets once the settlement rule is clear.
For BTTS Yes, both teams need at least one goal.
For BTTS No, one or both teams must fail to score.
The final winner and exact number of goals are irrelevant unless you are betting on a separate combination market such as Match Result & BTTS.
Always check the exact sportsbook rules for match duration, abandoned fixtures and specialised BTTS markets.
Betting involves financial risk. Historical results, statistics and betting systems cannot guarantee future outcomes.
