This guide explains the ‘four-fold’ football accumulator, which is the smallest Acca you can do. Essentially, you’ll be predicting the outcome of four matches. Decide if each game will be a home win, away win or a draw.

You can pick any football match your bookmaker is quoting odds on. However, the most popular games with fans are Premier League or top European fixtures. Nevertheless, you’re not restricted to those leagues, good value can be found in the lower divisions too. Stick to leagues where you have a good knowledge of the teams and their abilities.

Most punters select games which are due to be played within a few hours of each other. Nothing is stopping you choosing games that take place weeks or months apart, just be aware that your money will be tied up longer.

Now the difficult part – making your selections! It’s worth studying trends and form before making your selections. To help you do this I’ve listed websites that you will find useful: SoccerStats is a free collection of footballing stats which covers all the important data. Football365 is another site with a huge amount of information on trends & stats. Many bookies websites also offer head-to-head stats on individual games. Fixtures can be found on the bookmakers’ sites, but if you want a list of games which will be shown live on TV then try this Live Football on TV Guide.

Remember to bet with your head and not your heart, stay objective. We know you love your team, but if they’re bottom of the table with no fit strikers, are they really likely to win away at Man City?

Don’t discount home advantage. In the Premier League last season, the home team won 45% of the time. Away teams triumphed in 31% of matches and 24% of games ended in a draw.

One of the biggest mistakes I see new punters making is overestimating top teams away form. Winning on the road is still difficult, even for the best teams. Don’t worry though, there are options for accumulator insurance which can reduce the risk of one team letting you down.