Half-time/full-time
The half-time/full-time bet (HT/FT) means predicting both the result at the break and the final result, among 9 combinations (1/1, X/1, 2/2…). « X/1 » means: level at half-time, then a home win at the final whistle.
The 9 combinations are 1/1, 1/X, 1/2, X/1, X/X, X/2, 2/1, 2/X and 2/2: the first sign is the result at the break, the second the result at the end of normal time. Extra time and penalties don’t count. It is a more demanding market than 1X2, because you have to judge two moments of the match.
The timing of goals is the key. In the major leagues, a little under half of all goals come before the break (around 44%), the rest in the second half, when fatigue sets in and teams take more risks. As a result, half-time is often level. With 2.6 expected goals in the match, only about 1.1 are expected in the first half, and a Poisson model then expects nearly a third of matches to be goalless at the break.
That is why combinations starting with « X » (X/1, X/X, X/2) carry a lot of weight, while full turnarounds (1/2 or 2/1) are rare and therefore priced high. A winning favourite hasn’t necessarily led at the break: « 1/1 » and « X/1 » share most of its wins. Each combination remains unlikely; this kind of bet loses far more often than it wins.
Example
With 1.5 expected goals for the home side and 1.1 for the visitors (44% of goals in the first half), a Poisson model gives about 28% for « 1/1 », 16% for « X/1 » and 16% for « X/X ». A match that is 0-0 at the break and ends 2-1 settles « X/1 ».
How Elofoot uses it
Elofoot's AI analysis splits the expected goals by half (about 44% in the first half, 56% in the second) with a Poisson distribution and suggests a half-time score. It does not publish probabilities for the 9 half-time/full-time combinations.
Betting involves risks: losing money, debt, addiction. Betting is for adults only. Never stake more than you can afford to lose. Elofoot is a data analysis tool: it takes no bets and no prediction is guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
- What does X/1 mean in a half-time/full-time bet?
- X/1 means level at half-time, then a home win at the end of normal time. A 0-0 or 1-1 at the break followed by a 2-1 final score settles it.
- How many half-time/full-time combinations are there?
- Nine: 1/1, 1/X, 1/2, X/1, X/X, X/2, 2/1, 2/X and 2/2. Three possible outcomes at the break multiplied by three at full time.
- What share of goals is scored in the first half?
- About 44% in the major leagues. The second half therefore produces slightly more than half of the goals, which makes level half-times common.
See also
Go further
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