Bandy betting guide

Everything seems to be bigger in bandy, with the exception of sticks which are shorter than those used in ice hockey. As in football, the game consists of two 45 minute halves. Bandy is not as brutal as ice hockey since there is usually little contact between players and there are no boards to slam the opponents into. Bandy originated in England by the end of the 19th century.

What is interesting is that the word "bandy," which is Welsh in origin, denotes "a curved stick." Initially, bandy was played mainly on frozen ponds and there were no real rules. Soon, Englishmen made the game popular in Continental Europe.

Despite the initial enthusiasm for the game, it lost much of its popularity at the cost of ice hockey and football. Ice hockey moved indoors, while bandy was to bulky to follow. Overall, the sport is today practiced in about twenty five countries. It is estimated that 7 million people across the world play bandy professionally. Bandy retained its considerable popularity in Sweden, Norway, Russia, Finland, Kazakhstan and has recently been successfully introduced in Hungary, Italy, India, Mongolia and the United States.

In Sweden, for instance, bandy is a national sport and 30,000 or more spectators attend the annual championship game. Today bandy's biggest enemy is...global warming. It is increasingly difficult to hold outdoor games in Sweden and less so in Russia. That is why there is a pressing need to build indoor bandy venues.

The two most important International competitions include:

• Bandy World Championships. Most important tournament for national teams. Organised by the Federation of International Bandy. Format: annual. Since 1957.
• Bandy World Cup. Most important tournament for clubs. Format: annual, in Ljusdal in Sweden. Since: 1974.

As far as domestic competitions are concerned, the most popular leagues to bet on covered by major bookmakers include:

• Russian Vysshaya Liga
• Swedisg Elitserien and also Allsvenskan Norra, Allsvenskan Sodra

• Outright - predict which team will win the league or any other competition or tournament.
• Over/under - Predict whether the number of goals scored by both sides in the match will be over or under the value set by the odd-makers. For instance, 'Over 13,5' and 'Under 13,5.'
• Winner - predict which team will win the match.
• Handicap - the team which is considered to be an underdog in the game is given an advantage in the form of goals so that the chances of both sides winning the match are equal. Half-goal added eliminates the draw outcome. For instance, 1.85 Odds – Favourite Team A (-7,5 goals), 1.85 Odds – Favourite team B (7,5 goals).