Sportsbooks offer many different ways to bet matches, ranging from player props to in-play markets. Another example of the broad options is the spread on a match. When you wager on the margin of loss or victory for a side, you may encounter what is known to experienced bettors as a backdoor cover.
A backdoor cover isn’t so much something you actually bet to take place as it is a term for what happens when you bet on a spread and the match plays out a certain way. An example makes it clear.
Refers to event occurring late in a sporting contest
Backdoor cover affects your bet, not the overall result
Great for live betting
Applicable to all major sports like football, cricket, tennis etc
A big part of spread betting
An Example of a Backdoor Cover
Suppose Liverpool is playing Everton and the pre-match spread was Liverpool -2.5. Further assume you took Everton to cover, meaning you would need Everton to either win the match or lose by no more than two goals to win your bet.
As the match plays out, Liverpool proves the superior side, taking a 3-0 lead into stoppage time at the end of the second half. The match is effectively over. However, in the last minute of stoppage time, Everton gets a goal to make the final score 3-1.
While that Everton goal did not affect the outcome of the match, Liverpool still won comfortably, it did make all the difference for your bet on the spread. This is a perfect example of a backdoor cover because it has all the essential elements.
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
New bettors. Select bonus at signup or use code SPORT. Wager deposit & bonus 8x. Max qualifying bet = bonus. Valid 60 days. Odds, bet & payment limits apply.
T&Cs apply. 18+.
The Essential Elements of a Backdoor Cover
While backdoor covers are subjective to a degree, there are three aspects that comprise a typical backdoor cover. Those are:
The underdog covers the spread
The score that cover the spread does not affect the outcome of the match
The score that covers the spread comes late in the match
If a favorite scores late in a match to cover the spread in their favor while not affecting the outcome of the match, that is known as a frontdoor cover. Going back to the example, if Liverpool scored late to go up 3-0, that would be a classic frontdoor cover.
Similarly, if an underdog scores early in a match to pull within the spread, it is usually not considered a backdoor cover. In our original example, if Everton scored to make it 3-1 in the 13th minute, that would not usually be considered a backdoor cover. This is because there is enough time left in the match remaining as to potentially allow the underdog to win the match outright.
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
New bettors. Select bonus at signup or use code SPORT. Wager deposit & bonus 8x. Max qualifying bet = bonus. Valid 60 days. Odds, bet & payment limits apply.
T&Cs apply. 18+.
Additionally, this would not qualify as a backdoor cover because the time left gives the favorite ample opportunity to push the spread back towards its side, too.
An underdog scoring enough to actually win the match, even if that score comes late in the match, is not a backdoor cover because that score is not meaningless to the outcome of the match.
Backdoor covers are rare but can be exciting when your money is on the underdog on the spread. Even when a club is losing, it can still help you win.
Suggested meta title: How Backdoor Covers Work In Sports Betting
Suggested meta description: Backdoor covers are a rare occasion that bettors need to understand as they can make or break a sports bet.
Conclusion
By having it explained, you hopefully won’t have to ask ‘What is a backdoor cover?’ anymore. You’ll see that backdoor cover is something that happens late in a sporting encounter that can affect your bets, but not the overall result. There’s little way that you can actually predict when a backdoor cover will take place, but it’s a term that can describe what happens when you win or lose your sports bet late on in the game. So that by having backdoor cover explained, you’ll know that this can be an important event that determines the success of your bets on your favourite sport.
Try these betting guides and strategies
So if you understand the answer to the question of ‘What is a backdoor cover?’, it could be worthwhile taking a look at some alternative betting types and strategies. You may not think that you need to have
rising method explained, but it’s essential to learn all you can about sports betting if you want sustained success.
From having a
halftime bet explained
for football to having a
head to head bet explained
for rugby, it can all help you avoid making daft mistakes. Plus with the ability to have a
value bet explained
to spot truly remarkable odds, to having
bad beat explained
to avoid those shocking defeats, you’ll be well-placed for the next time that you want to bet on sport.
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
#AD | Welcome bonus for new players only | Min. deposit is £10 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | T&C's apply |Free bet: Min odds: 2.0 - Free bet value will be deducted from free bet winnings | 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Gambling is addictive, please gamble responsibly!
1st deposit only | min deposit £10 | max bet £2 | max bonus £100 | max cashout x 3 the bonus | max cashout from bonus spin winnings £100 | x40 wagering on bonus and bonus spin winnings | 30-day bonus expiry | 24-hour bonus spins expiry | bonus is valid for selected games only
*New customers only. Place a min £10 bet at min odds of 2.0 to award £40 worth of Free Bet Tokens. Tokens awarded are 4 x £10 each with betting restrictions. 7-day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full Terms apply
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
#AD | Welcome bonus for new players only | Min. deposit is £10 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | T&C's apply |Free bet: Min odds: 2.0 - Free bet value will be deducted from free bet winnings | 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Gambling is addictive, please gamble responsibly!
1st deposit only | min deposit £10 | max bet £2 | max bonus £100 | max cashout x 3 the bonus | max cashout from bonus spin winnings £100 | x40 wagering on bonus and bonus spin winnings | 30-day bonus expiry | 24-hour bonus spins expiry | bonus is valid for selected games only
*New customers only. Place a min £10 bet at min odds of 2.0 to award £40 worth of Free Bet Tokens. Tokens awarded are 4 x £10 each with betting restrictions. 7-day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full Terms apply
By providing my e-mail address, I declare that I agree that Betting.co.uk will regularly send me information by e-mail: I can revoke my consent at any time.
Users must be 18+. If you are having trouble with gambling then help and advice can be found at begambleaware.org. Please Play Responsibly.
This site is using
Cloudflare
and adheres to the
Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted
Google's Privacy Guidelines
to keep your data safe at all times.
Close
Place Your Bets! Discover Premium Bonuses at Our Trusted Partners.
BetMGM UK Bonus
Bet £10 Get £40
18+. T&Cs apply.
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
Bonus Code:
Go to BetMGM UK
Get Bonus
The Pools Bonus
Bet £10, get £20 in free bets
T&Cs apply, 21+
18+, UK only, Full T&Cs apply
Bonus Code:
Go to The Pools
Get Bonus
10bet Bonus
100% up to £50
T&Cs apply, 21+
New bettors. Select bonus at signup or use code SPORT. Wager deposit & bonus 8x. Max qualifying bet = bonus. Valid 60 days. Odds, bet & payment limits apply.
T&Cs apply. 18+.
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
