How Does Tournament Event Location Impact Football Betting?

There are numerous factors which impact the outcomes of football matches, but one which is often overlooked is the location of a tournament game.  Where a game like the European Championship or World Cup is held can give an edge to one team and take it away from another.  Sometimes it may strengthen a team which is already strong, or it may actually lend an edge to the underdog.  When you are handicapping a game, you need to think how the tournament location is going to come into play.

Here are a few considerations:

• Familiarity.  A team which is playing a home game is obviously going to be more comfortable on their own turf than their opponents.  That familiarity is always going to lend an edge to the home team, both form a technical and psychological vantage point. 

• Stress from travel.  Travelling can be quite an ordeal, especially if a team has been travelling a lot lately.  It can be physically and psychologically exhausting.  The further a team has to travel to a match, the higher the toll is going to be on their performance.  Sometimes logistics even force a team to go on the road the day before a match.  Think how you feel right after spending hours at a time in a bus or on a flight.  Imagine now how they must feel!

• Impact of fans.  A team playing at home has the advantage of a huge crowd turning out which is on their side.  While this may be distracting, it is also very encouraging.  A team which only has to travel a certain distance to a match may still enjoy a strong turnout.  The impact of fans isn’t always positive either.  Sometimes geopolitical tensions can seep into the football world.  A team that travels to a country where there is tension toward their own may encounter hostility from local fans.  This hostility can be quite distressing, and again may distract (and detract) from performance.

• Changes in climate conditions.  A team that is not used to playing in cold weather or at a high elevation may have a very hard time adjusting to playing on certain fields.  Imagine if you were used to life at low altitude, and suddenly had to play at a high altitude.  The altitude would be physically taxing, and you would exhaust much more quickly than your opponents, who are already used to the high altitude.  Some players may even struggle with altitude sickness, which presents flu-like symptoms. 

Just one of these location factors can have a serious impact on a match.  If several of these factors are aligning in favour or against a given team, the edge is going to be significant.  Understanding these factors can help you to identify which team is most likely to win, and can also help you to recognise whether you are being offered good betting odds or not while you are shopping for the best value.