Santa smiled kindly on sports spread betting punters in the final weeks of the year – but what were the top 10 bets of December 2020?

10. Crystal Palace v Liverpool, Premier League
Date: 19.12.20
Market: Total Goal Minutes
Make-up: 367
Initial spread: 148-158
Potential profit: 209 x initial stake
In a statement of intent by the league leaders and defending champions – if a statement they failed to match in the rest of the month – Liverpool thrashed Crystal Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park.

The key for spread betters for a late brace for Mo Salah – that helped push the Total Goal Minutes makeup to 367, not far off double what it would’ve been without the Egyptian’s intervention. Buy at 148-158, and you were rewarded with 209 times your initial stake.

9. Leeds v Newcastle, Premier League
Date: 16.12.20
Market: Headed SMMs (2nd headed goal minutes doubled, 3rd headed goal minutes tripled)
Make-up: 429
Initial spread: 45-52
Potential profit: 377 x initial stake
A quartet of headers featured in Leeds’ 5-2 thumping of Newcastle in the middle of the month. Patrick Bamford opened things up in the 35th minute, with Rodrigo in the 61st minute, Ciaran Clark in the 65th minute and Stuart Dallas at the 77th also all using their noggins.

That produced a Headed SMMs makeup of 429, against a starting spread of 45-52 – in other words, 377 times your initial stake.

8. Sevilla v Chelsea, UEFA Champions League
Date: 02.12.20
Market: Olivier Giroud SMM (2nd goal minutes doubled, 3rd goal minutes tripled)
Make-up: 420
Initial spread: 23-28
Potential profit: 392 x initial stake
Olivier Giroud continued to prove his worth for Chelsea despite being up there in age, scoring all 4 goals in the Blues’ 4-0 victory in Seville.

With goals in the 7th, 54th, 74th and 83rd minutes, his SMM makeup shot to 420. Buy at just 23-28, and you came away with 392 times your initial stake.

7. Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach, Bundesliga
Date: 15.12.20
Market: Lars Stindl SMM (2nd goal minutes doubled, 3rd goal minutes tripled)
Make-up: 464
Initial spread: 32-38
Potential profit: 426 x initial stake
Borussia Monchengladbach stole a point at the last against Eintracht Frankfurt, coming back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3.

That was thanks to Lars Stindl completing his hat-trick in the dying moments of the game, first with a 90th minute penalty, and then with an injury time equaliser. Sending his SMM makeup to 464, anyone who bought the 32-year old won 426 times their initial stake from a starting spread of 32-38.

6. Dirk van Duijvenbode v Glen Durrant, PDC World Championship
Date: 30.12.20
Market: Highest Checkout x Total 180s
Make-up: 2,550
Initial spread: 1,628-1,738
Potential profit: 812 x initial stake
The unseeded Dirk van Duijvenbode fought back from 3-1 down to beat no. 12 seed Glen Durrant 4-3 in their PDC World Championship 4th round clash at the end of December.

A 170 checkout from the Dutchman was joined by 15 180s for the pair (9 of which were claimed by the Titan). Multiply those numbers together and you get a Highest Checkout x Total 180s makeup of 2,550. Buy at 1,628-1,738, and you nabbed yourself 812 times your initial stake.

5. Bristol Bears v Clermont, European Champions Cup
Date: 12.12.20
Market: Match Multi-Points (1st Half Points x 2nd Half Points)
Make-up: 1,978
Initial spread: 600-648
Potential profit: 1,330 x initial stake
In their European Rugby Champions Cup opener, the Bristol Bears lost a thrilling game 51-38 to visitors Clermont Auvergne.

The fixture saw 43 points in the 1st half, and 46 points in the 2nd half, resulting in a Match Multi-Points makeup of 1,978. Buy at 600-648, and you ended up with 1,330 times your initial stake.

4. Mark Selby v Ronnie O’Sullivan, Scottish Open Final
Date: 13.12.20
Market: Frame 5 Multi Points (Player A Frame Points x Player B Frame Points)
Make-up: 4,712
Initial spread: 1,588-1,738
Potential profit: 2,974 x initial stake
In a very one-sided final, Mark Selby beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-3 to win the 2020 Scottish Open.

However, for spread betters, it was the Rocket’s 76-62 victory in the 5th frame that was most profitable. That result led to a Frame 5 Multi Points makeup of 4,712 – back that market at 1,588-1,738 and you won 2,974 times your initial stake.

3. Bayer Leverkusen v 1899 Hoffenheim, Bundesliga
Date: 13.12.20
Market: Goals x Corners x Bookings (Total Goals x Total Corners x Total Bookings Points)
Make-up: 6,600
Initial spread: 1,400-1,575
Potential profit: 5,025 x initial stake
In another entry from Germany, Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-1 win over 1899 Hoffenheim saw those 5 goals joined by 11 corners and a chunky 120 booking points, thanks to red cards for Florian Grillitsch and Stefan Posch.

Times those 3 numbers together, and you end up with a Goals x Corners x Bookings makeup of 6,600. Buy at 1,400-1,575 and you bagged a hefty 5,025 times your initial stake.

2. Dundalk v Arsenal, UEFA Europa League
Date: 10.12.20
Market: Shirts x Bookings (Total Shirt Numbers x Total Bookings Points)
Make-up: 9,170
Initial spread: 2,050-2,350
Potential profit: 6,820 x initial stake
The only bright spot before their turnaround at the end of the month, Arsenal made it 6 wins in 6 in the Europa League as they beat Dundalk 4-2.

The Irish side were instrumental for football spread betting fans, however. They produced 5 of the 7 yellow cards, pushing the Bookings makeup to 70. Meanwhile a young Arsenal side helped the Shirt Numbers makeup swell to 131. That got you a Shirts x Bookings makeup of 9,170 against an opening spread of 2,050-2,350, winning you 6,820 times your initial stake.

1. Premier League Sunday TV Group
Date: 20.12.20
Market: Corners Bonanza (Total Corners per game, multiplied together)
Make-up: 24,576
Initial spread: 12,300-13,800
Potential profit: 10,776 x initial stake
The Premier League’s Sunday fixtures on 20th December were most notable for Man United’s 6-2 riot against Leeds, a game that produced a massive 24 corners.

Elsewhere there were 16 corners between Brighton and Sheffield, and 8 apiece in Tottenham v Leicester and West Brom v Aston villa. Multiply all those numbers together, and you get a Corners Bonanza makeup of 24,576.

Buy at a starting price of 12,300-13,800, and you won a colossal 10,776 times your initial stake.