As Europe’s top football leagues approach the final stages of the 2021-22 campaign, let’s check out the best options for betting during the off-season!
Betting on obscure leagues and tournaments is nothing new to professional football bettors. However, the majority of betting enthusiasts still consider Europe’s top-five leagues as their go-to markets.
Fortunately, there are several other leagues to bet on during the summer off-season.
Here are the best football leagues to check out for betting opportunities during the 2022 summer.
5. Eliteserien 🇩🇰
The Norwegian top-flight is played during the summer, mostly due to weather concerns. However, the odd timing has drawn interest to the league as one of the few European competitions that are active during the summer.
The Eliteserien teams will be at the beginning of their 2022 campaign when major European leagues start their summer holidays.
By the time of writing, Viking is leading the Norwegian league table with 19 points from their eight games. Lillestrom and Molde are closely following the leaders, having collected 17 and 13 points, respectively.
4. League of Ireland Premier Division 🇮🇪
Ireland’s Premier Division changed its normal autumn-winter schedule in 2003, mainly due to marketing reasons.
The Irish top-flight gains more marketing revenues when the fierce competition from other leagues in the region slows down during summers.
The switch has also proved to be beneficial for the Irish teams in terms of their performance in international competitions.
Last season, Shamrock Rovers claimed back to back titles by collecting 78 points from their 36 matches.
The Irish champions have also found a solid start to their 2022 season, leading the table after the first 16 matchdays of the campaign.
3. Allsvenskan 🇸🇪
The Swedish FA decided to switch to a summer schedule in 1959. Similar to the Norwegian league, Allsvenskan was moved due to the friendly weather condition in the summers.
Swedish sides have failed to impress in European competitions in recent seasons. However, that doesn’t mean the Swedish top-flight has lost its competitive edge.
AIK, who lost the title race due to a lower goal difference last season, are currently leading the Allsvenskan table.
Just like the Eliteserien, the Swedish top-flight has just begun its new campaign. So, you can be sure there will be enough games to bet on during the summer.
2. J1 League 🇯🇵
One of the best football leagues in Asia, J1 League is one of the best competitions to consider for off-season betting.
Japanese sides have enjoyed great success in the AFC Champions League in recent years, thanks to their domestic league’s impressive quality.
Kawasaki defeated Yokohama and Vissel Kobe in the league’s title race last year. Thirteen games into the current season, the Japanese champions are leading the table.
Let’s see if the strong competition from Kashima Antlers can prevent Kawasaki from claiming the title for the third consecutive season.
1. Major League Soccer 🇺🇸 🇨🇦
We have already started our betting coverage of the MLS, even before the finish of Europe’s top-five leagues. The reason is simple: The North American top-flight is on its way to becoming one of the best football competitions in the world.
In addition to signing some of the best CONCACAF and South American players, MLS have tried to add more European stars lately. The arrival of Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne to Toronto FC will see the league’s top-earner start his MLS journey this season.
Twelve weeks into the 2022 campaign, Philadelphia Union are leading the Eastern Conference table while Austin FC top the Western Conference standings.
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