With the World Cup approaching, many participants in prediction markets are eager to get involved. But many don’t fully understand the basic rules, and end up losing money without knowing why. This post breaks down the most common betting types simply and clearly. Win/Draw/Loss: Based on the result after 90 minutes plus stoppage time—home win, draw, or away win. In knockout matches, note that many platforms exclude extra time and penalties. Handicap: Consider the score after subtracting the handicap. For example, if France is giving 1 goal and wins 1-0, the adjusted score is 0-0; if France wins 2-0, the adjusted score is 1-0. Always check the exact handicap before placing your bet. Total Goals: Count the combined goals scored by both teams. Over 2.5 goals means 3 or more goals wins; under 2.5 goals means 2 or fewer goals wins. Scores like 2-1 or 3-0 are “over”; 1-0 or 1-1 are “under.” Exact Score: Directly predict the final score, such as 1-0, 2-1, or 0-0. This is difficult—getting just one goal wrong means losing. Both Teams to Score: Check whether both teams score at least one goal. Results like 1-1, 2-1, or 3-2 count; 1-0, 2-0, or 0-0 do not. Advancement: Common in knockout stages—predict which team advances. If the match is tied after 90 minutes and decided by penalties, the win/draw/loss market may still count as a draw, but the advancement market counts the winner. Champion and Group Stage Qualification: These are straightforward—predict the tournament champion or which teams advance from their group. Player Markets: Bet on whether a specific player will score, who will win the Golden Boot, who scores first, number of shots, etc. Corners: Predict the total number of corners in the match. Roughly speaking, corners occur when shots are blocked by the goalkeeper and go out of bounds. For example, over 8.5 corners means 9 or more count as a win. Matches with frequent wide attacks, crosses, and shots cleared off the line tend to have more corners. Yellow/Red Cards: Bet on total cards, cards for a specific team, or whether a red card is shown. This depends heavily on referee discretion. Penalties: Predict whether a penalty will be awarded during regular play. Note that many platforms treat penalties awarded during regular time and penalty shootouts separately. The excitement around the World Cup is growing daily—understanding these key betting types will give you a solid foundation. Risk Disclaimer: Prediction markets carry risk; settlement rules may vary across platforms. Always verify the specific rules of each platform before participating. This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.