Double Chance bet: What is it?
The most common bet type in football is where you wager on the match result. The double chance bet is not a million miles away from that but comes with two key differences. Here we explain it all as we address exactly what a double chance bet is.
What we’ll cover
Yeah, before we dive into what a double chance bet is, we thought it would be wise to give you a rundown of what we intend to look at. We will begin with a brief explanation of what the bet type is along with an example of how they work. From there we’ll look at scenarios of when and why they’re used before pressing on with some examples and, finally, with an overview of how their odds differ to the traditional match result bets.
So, what is a double chance bet?
In any game of football there are three potential outcomes; a home win, an away win or a draw. The double chance bet allows you to cover two of those three possible outcomes.
In order to win your bet, the match result can be either of the two selections you have backed; the only way you’ll lose is if the game ends with the one outcome you haven’t covered.
For instance, you might back Team A to either beat or draw with Team B. The only way you’d lose your stake is if Team B win the match. If the game ends with Team A victorious or in a tie then you will win back your stake plus profit based on the odds at the time of betting. In essence, if a game was spilt evenly across the three possible matches outcomes, then you’d have a 66% chance of winning; with a match result bet your chances are just 33%.
A double chance bet example
So, how does that explanation translate into the real world? Let’s have a look:
Aston Villa hosted Manchester United on Saturday evening (15/01/2022). The double chance betting were as follows:
1: Aston Villa or Draw (1X) @ 3/5 (1.60)
2: Aston Villa or Man United (12) @ 8/25 (1.32)
3: Draw or Man United (X2) @ 21/50 (1.42)
*The betting odds stated are as per STSBet and are accurate at the time of writing. You can sign up with STSBet using our affiliated link below:
If Aston Villa win that game then betting options one and two would have paid out because both back Aston Villa to win the game in some form. Bet option three would be the loser.
If, however, Man United had won the game then betting options two and three would have paid out; both of them have Man United to win covered within them. Bet option one would be the loser.
Finally, if the match ended level then betting options one and three would have both won. Bet option two, which backs either team to win would be the loser.
When would a punter use the double chance bet?
With bookmakers in the business of making money, it probably won’t come as a shock to you that when you place a double chance bet your odds shorten i.e. reduce. This is in direction relation to the fact that your chances of winning are increased as you cover more possible outcomes. This raises the question as to why would a punter want to use the double chance bet?
Where we’re talking generally there are two instances of why the double chance bet is used. In really simple terms, serious or professional gamblers, would still be looking for where they can find value on the odds. Most punters though, who bet for a bit of fun and the opportunity to make money, will simply see it as a betting option that is more likely to win in comparison to the match result. Although the odds are less attractive, they can be highly effective in accumulator bets or for use as part of a daily rolling accumulator.
A real world example or two
If you’re looking for a real life scenario of when you’d look to use the double chance bet then that too is easily explained. You’d use it in a game that is tough to call or where you’re backing an underdog.
Take an example like earlier in the season when Man City visited Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea. Most people fancied Man City to win the game.but if you put all your eggs in that one basket there was always the risk that Chelsea, who had a solid defence at the time, would frustrate them for a draw; this would be a good opportunity to utilise the double chance bet.
How are the betting odds impacted?
We’ve already touched on the fact that your betting odds are weaker in the double chance bet compared to a match result bet; here we look at just how much they change. We’ll look at a couple of different scenarios.
Liverpool vs Brentford example:
This game is an example of where there is one side that is a heavy favourite.
The match result bet for Liverpool is priced at 13/50 (1.26) with a double chance of Liverpool or draw the odds shorten dramatically to 1/20 (1.05); that means that for each £10 staked you’d return £2.10 less if you opted for the double chance. For clarity, that’s a percentage decrease of over 80%.
Brentford are priced at 45/4 (12.30) in a straight ‘to win’ bet. If you take a double chance on the visitors to win or draw the odds are 31/10 (4.10); that means that for each £10 staked you’d return £81.50 less if you opted for the double chance. In percentage change terms, that’s a drop of 72%.
Everton vs Aston Villa example :
We’ve just looked at an example where we had a heavy favourite and now we assess a match where things are more evenly balanced.
The match result bet for Everton is priced at 7/4 (2.75) with a double chance of Everton or draw the odds shorten to 1/2 (1.50); that means that for each £10 staked you’d return £12.50 less if you opted for the double chance. That is a percentage decrease of over 71%.
Aston Villa are priced at 8/5 (2.60) in a straight ‘to win’ bet. If you take a double chance on Villa to win or draw the odds are 9/20 (1.45); that means that for each £10 staked you’d return £11.50 less if you opted for the double chance. In percentage change terms, that’s a drop of 72%.
*The betting odds stated are as per STSBet and are accurate at the time of writing. You can sign up with STSBet using our affiliated link below:
The final word
If you’ve stayed with us this far you should now be well versed in what a double chance bet is along with knowing when and why you might use it whilst you’ve also just had your eyes opened as to how big of an impact it can have on the betting odds. What does it all mean? Well, for one thing, it’s a really useful betting option to use. The other thing to remember is that you probably don’t want to use it all the time because you risk leaving a lot of value on the table.
A quick FAQ
What does double chance mean in betting? The phrase double chance in betting means that you are backing two of the possible three match outcomes.
What does 1X mean in double chance betting? In double chance betting 1X means you are backing the home team (1) or a draw (X).
What does 2X mean in double chance betting? If you see 2X or X2 in double chance betting markets it means you are backing a draw (X) or the away team (2).
What is double chance 12 in betting? If you were to bet on the 12 listed in a double chance betting market it means you are backing the home (1) or away team (2) to win.
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