Betting Explainer: How To Win Big On The VAR Market

The introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has changed football forever – and now, it has created brand new betting markets too.

For Champions League fixtures, you can now place bets on whether VAR will be used in a match, when it will intervene, or even whether it will disallow a goal.

With big odds on offer, and the frequency of VAR incidents across European football, this market is becoming increasingly popular for punters.

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What VAR Markets Are Available

For Champions League matches, there are these main VAR markets:

• VAR in the Match (any VAR intervention at any point)
• VAR HT (something happens in the first half)
• VAR 2HT (something in the second half)
• Disallowed Goal from VAR

Tonight’s Odds for VAR Markets

Here are the odds for tonight’s UCL games:

Fixture	VAR	VAR HT	VAR 2HT	Disallowed Goal
Slavia Prague vs Bodo/Glimt	2.35	4.35	3.37	3.65
Olympiakos vs Pafos	2.35	4.35	3.37	3.65
PSG vs Atalanta	2.50	4.50	3.50	3.70
Bayern vs Chelsea	2.50	4.50	3.50	3.70
Ajax vs Inter	2.40	4.40	3.43	3.70
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid	2.50	4.50	3.50	3.75

These odds reflect how likely bookmakers believe VAR is to affect these games in various ways. As you can see, there is big value to be found in something that is such a regular occurrence in modern football.

How Common Is VAR Intervention in the Champions League?

VAR is used in all Champions League matches – it’s part of the standard protocol in match-changing situations (goals, penalty area incidents, red cards, mistaken identity). 

UEFA have expanded VAR usage across more matches over recent seasons, and games with tight calls (offside, penalty, red cards) tend to have at least one VAR intervention. Disallowed goals happen often enough, especially in Europe where offside and handball reviews are strict.

What Affects the Odds & How to Pick Better

If you’re thinking of placing a VAR bet, consider:

• The referee: Some referees allow many VAR reviews and are strict on offside/handball.
• Teams’ style: If a match is expected to be very tight, with many offside lines drawn or frequent attacks into the box, more VAR chances.
• Match importance: Big knockout-style pressures or games where goal margin matters – VAR tends to be more scrutinised.
• First half vs second half: First half VAR events are less common; the second half or later stoppage time sees more events.
• Historical data: Has either team had goals disallowed or VAR reviews in recent matches?

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Example Picks

Here are a few sample bets based on tonight’s matches:

• Bet on VAR in Match in Bayern vs Chelsea – given both teams’ attacking styles and history of tight calls.
• If you expect a back-and-forth match with tight marking and offside traps, go for Disallowed Goal from VAR (higher return).
• For safer, moderate-risk bets: VAR 2HT in big games like Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid or PSG vs Atalanta, since many reviews happen in second half as tensions rise.

Final Thought & CTA

VAR isn’t just about drama- for bettors it’s an opportunity. With odds like these, some markets offer strong returns relative to risk. Do your homework on referees, match context, teams’ styles, and you might find good value.

Want to turn match reviews into winnings? Bet on VAR markets across UCL action tonight at Bet9ja.