Source: Pixabay

Three Teams You Should Keep an Eye On Every Time You Place an Accumulator

Sports betting can be a tricky business at times. Sure, backing short-priced favourites in a single bet is the way to go if you want to increase your chances of taking home a win. But if you’re simply looking for a bit of fun, then there's no better way than rolling up an accumulator on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

When it comes to such bets, punters pick out numerous different teams on the same slip, all of whom must win if one is to secure a winning bet. But when it comes to placing an acca, picking the right teams can mean the difference between disappointment and a potential success. Sure, you might want to rely on the big guns like Manchester City or Bayern Munich, but such sides have extremely short odds most weeks, meaning that there isn't much point in having them in your bet, especially if the stake is low.

Fear not though. There are plenty of teams across the planet that provide a steady base for an accumulator, regularly securing positive results and usually at a half-decent price. Let's take a look at some of them.

Atletico Madrid

When it comes to trust in accumulators, Atletico Madrid is a name you cannot ignore. Over the last 14 years, Diego Simeone has turned the Spanish giants into a disciplined outfit. They have twice won La Liga under El Cholo, as well as reaching two UEFA Champions League finals in as many years back in 2014 and again a couple of years later.

This season, online sports betting sites fancy them for domestic honours once again. The latest odds from the popular Bovada sports betting site currently make the side from the Spanish capital a live +350 thirds favourite for the La Liga title this season. They are just behind cross-city rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in the current betting market, and on current form, they perhaps should be even shorter.

Atleti’s recent form across both domestic and continental competitions has been solid. While they may not be as flashy as their closest rivals, they’ve become known for their consistency, something crucial for accumulators. Their exploits have led them to second place in the La Liga table - just one point off the lead - as well as through to the last 16 of the Champions League as well.

With French attacker Antoine Griezmann firing on all cylinders, Los Rojiblancos are usually a great bet to beat pretty much every team in the league - outside of Real and Barca - both home and away. They are prone to the occasional slip-up, especially away from home as we saw in their recent trip to lowly Leganes. But their home form at the Wanda Metropolitano is imperious, and anything at odds of -200 or above should be gobbled right up.

Their away form is good against loftier sides. They have already beaten both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain away from home and they were huge underdogs in both contests, with some outlets pricing them as long as +800 for their trip to Catalonia. Feel free to add them to an acca in such contests, but take them with a goal handicap to err on the side of caution.

Braga

Portuguese outfit Braga find themselves in a strange old position, but a perfect one if you're a punter. They are currently nowhere near the top three sides in their country - namely FC Porto, Sporting CP, and Benfica. However, they're a million miles better than the rest of the teams in the league. As such then, the strategy is simple; back Braga against anyone other than the top three, both home and away.

The Archbishops have made waves in recent years, regularly qualifying for European competition. They reached the Europa League final back in 2011 before being downed by compatriots Porto, but they love to spring a shock on the continental stage. In recent campaigns, they have defeated the likes of Monaco en route to a couple of quarterfinals, and backing them with a handicap against more illustrious teams could prove to be lucrative.

While we wouldn't advise picking them to win against Portugal's top three, Braga did recently stun Benfica, away from home no less. They raced into a 2-0 first-half lead against Angel Di Maria and Co. in Lisbon, a lead that they wouldn't surrender. On their day, they're a match for any team, but we suggest avoiding them against the Liga NOS heavyweights.

Al Ittihad

The Saudi Pro League has been the talk of the football world over the last two years or so. When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr on a free transfer after his acrimonious departure from Manchester United, a whole host of big names followed him to the Arabian Gulf. Two such players were Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante, both of whom ended up with Al Ittihad.

But despite the two French icons heading to the team, most of the spotlight remains on Ronaldo's Al Nassr and Aleksandr Mitrovic's Al Hilal. This allows Al Ittihad to fly under the radar somewhat, with bookies offering increased odds despite the quality of the team being on par with or better than their more illustrious rivals. They pipped CR7's team to the title in 2023, and while Al Hilal did claim the crown last season, Benz and Co. are on top once more this term.

With these, feel free to back them to your heart's content. Of course, they will slip up now and then, but they will be underdogs against Nassr and Hilal, and that could provide a huge betting opportunity. Keep an eye on their form and the form of their opposition every week, but you could do worse things than adding Al Ittihad to your acca.