Double chance in soccer betting allows you to place two bets in one – either for the home team to win or draw (1X), the away team to win or draw (2X), or either teams to win the match.
There are certain strategies that can help improve your double chance betting, and we’ll take you through the ins and outs, providing pointers and listing some pros and cons.
What is a Double Chance Bet in Soccer?
As the U.S. sports betting market continues to rise, there are now more betting markets available, including double chance. So, what does double chance mean in soccer betting?
One of the reasons to get involved with a double chance soccer bet is its simplicity. A double chance bet in soccer is betting on two out of three possible results in a match, which are as follows:
- Home team to win the match or draw
- Away team to win the match or draw
- Home or away team to win
The easiest way to think of a soccer double chance bet, also known as a three-way bet, is a two-in-one bet with it a bigger chance of winning. With a bigger chance, the risk of losing is reduced to 1/3 and makes this type of betting especially popular with amateur bettors as the decision making is easier.
Examples of a Double Chance Soccer Bet
In this example a match is about to take place between Arsenal and Manchester United, with Arsenal being the home team and Manchester United being the away team. Below, we have detailed how a double chance soccer bet would work in this situation based on the three options:
- 1X: Arsenal wins or it’s a draw – This bet would win if Arsenal win or draw against Man United. If Man Utd win, this bet would lose.
- X2: Man United wins or it’s a draw – This bet would win if Man United win or the match ends in a draw. The bet would lose if Arsenal won.
- 12: Arsenal or Man United win – This bet would win if either Arsenal or Man United win the match. It would lose if it was a draw.
The example below shows how this is displayed.
Different Types of Double Chance Soccer Bets
Now that you know exactly what a double chance bet is, we will take you through the three different types of double chance bets which are based on a match’s three potential results:
Soccer Double Chance 1X
A soccer double chance 1X bet is a prediction that the home team wins or draw, with the ‘1’ standing for a home win and the ‘X’ standing for a draw. This would be a good choice if, for example, one team has a good track record of winning on home ground, though don’t forget you’d be covered if the score was a draw too. Find out more about BTTS betting via our free guide.
Soccer Double Chance X2
A X2 wager is the opposite of a X1 bet. With a X2 bet, you are wagering for the away team to win (2) or for the match to be a draw (X). Remember, the away team are always at a slight disadvantage as they are not on home turf, so this is a good bet for teams that are more evenly matched.
In contrast to a 1X bet, a X2 bet is a wager for the away team to win or draw, with the ‘X’ representing a draw and the ‘2’ representing an away win.
Soccer Double Chance 12
Finally, a soccer double chance 12 bet is to bet on either of the teams winning and the match not ending up as a draw. This is usually a good choice if one of the teams is much more likely to win than the other one, therefore reducing the likelihood of a draw.
To help you with this, there is a Double Chance 12 strategy to take note of that covers your back, which you can see below:
- Place a double chance 12 bet after the kick-off and the first goal.
- Then, wait for the draw factor to increase and bet on the draw.
Note that in this situation, you will win no matter how either of the bets play out. However, it’s important to calculate the potential profit from each bet so that the loss from the losing bet is covered.
For example, if you potentially bet $200 and placed a $160 double chance wager on the 12 bet with odds of 1.34. If one team was to score and the X odds rise to, say, 5.6, you then bet $40 on the X bet so that all possible results are covered.
Therefore, if one of the teams were to win, you would win $214.40 ($160 x 1.34)
If the result of the match is a draw, you would win $224.00 ($40 x 5.6)
The result is that with a budget of $200, a profit is guaranteed. Just be aware that this comes down to calculating the odds correctly.
How to Calculate a Double Chance Soccer Bet
Remember, the chance of winning a three-way bet is around 66.6% in comparison to a single bet at 33.3%, but it’s always a good idea to check how much you stand to win on your double chance soccer bet. Thankfully, the sharpest sportsbooks will always provide you with the odds before confirming your wager, so you can concentrate on your double chance predictions. In terms of calculating, double chance bets are easy to work out and we will show you how to do it below.
Say, for example, that Liverpool and Chelsea were playing, consider the following odds for the three outcomes of a match between the two teams:
- Liverpool wins or draws (1X): 1.70
- Chelsea wins or draws (X2): 1.75
- Liverpool or Chelsea wins (12): 1.40
To calculate how much a potential bet would pay out, simply times the odds and your stake together.
In relation to our example, consider you bet $100 on any of the three options, the payout would be as follows:
- Liverpool wins or draw: 1.70 X $100 = $170
- Chelsea wins or draw: 1.75 X $100 = $175
- Liverpool or Chelsea wins: 1.4 X $100 – $140
As you can see, the sums are relatively easy to work out in your head. However, if you do come across more complex ones, you can always use an online calculator to work it out for you.
What is a Good Strategy for Double Chance Betting?
Making double chance predictions is never easy and it is therefore crucial to have a solid double chance betting strategy in place. Fortunately, we’ve come up with some pointers to help you which you can check out below:
- Do Your Research – By researching things like the players on each team, playing locations, head-to-head results, and league positions you will be in a much better position to predict the outcome of the match you are betting on.
- Choose Your Sportsbook Carefully – You want to make sure the site you choose is pleasant to use and offers things like competitive odds, regular promotions, a range of banking methods, plenty of markets, and has appropriate security measures in place. To make things even easier, you can check out our list of the best offshore sportsbooks which boast all of these features.
- Take Advantage of Bonus Offers – It is likely that you will come across an array of different offers while looking to place a double chance soccer bet and this ranges from welcome bonuses for new customers to odd boosters and a free bet for existing ones. It’s wise to take advantage of all of these and to continually monitor what is on offer. After all, who doesn’t like a bankroll boost? You can find out more opinions via the sportsbooks on Reddit.
- Keep A Close Eye on Your Bankroll – First, start off by setting yourself a healthy budget, whether this is a weekly or monthly budget is up to you. Second, try and avoid risky bets, don’t be tempted by big odds, and make sure to research the teams you bet on.
- Try Out an Accumulator Bet – The answer to shorter odds is the accumulator, which simply multiple bets in one which can drastically increase the odds and, therefore, the payout. However, keep in mind the more bets you add to the accumulator increases the risk of losing. See our free guide for more information on accumulator bets and round robin betting.
Pros and Cons of Double Chance Betting in Soccer
We have covered plenty so far on double chance betting, and the good news is there are more advantages to this way of betting than meets the eye.
Pros:
- Higher Chance of Winning – When it comes to betting on the possibility of three outcomes, the chance of it winning sits around 66.6% in contrast to a single bet at around 33.3%.
- Ease – Double chance betting is very easy to understand, making it a great choice for an new bettor struggling to pick a bet – being able to choose two possible outcomes instead of one is much easier.
- Best Way to Back the Underdogs – Betting on the underdogs in any double chance market is risky. However, the rewards can be great if the bet pays off and with a double chance bet, you have the insurance of being able to back the underdogs as well as a draw.
- Great for Amateur Bettors – If you’re new to betting or just lack the confidence, soccer double chance betting is a fantastic place to start as it takes away a significant amount of risk and doesn’t require as much knowledge as a singular bet would.
Cons:
- Lower Odds – When compared to a single bet, you will generally find that double chance betting brings about lower odds. However, it’s important to remember that the risk of losing the bet is significantly lower too, which evens things out.
FAQs
What does double chance 12 mean in soccer betting?
A double chance 12 bet in soccer betting is when you bet on either one of the two teams to win. Therefore, the bet would lose if it was a draw
Is double chance betting profitable in soccer?
Absolutely. While the odds are lower when placing a double chance bet in comparison to a single bet, the chance of the bet being successful increases to around 66.6%.
Can I combine a double chance bet with another soccer match bet?
While the exact rules of betting on each sportsbook differs, in most cases it is entirely possible to combine a double chance bet with another bet and there are advantages to doing so. For example, by placing an accumulator bet, you will increase your odds and potential payout.
Is double chance the same as moneyline?
While they do share many similarities, double chance betting is not the same as a moneyline. Double chance betting includes betting options such as win-win and win-draw combinations while moneyline betting is limited to which team wins.
Does a double chance bet include extra-time?
No. It’s important to note that double chance soccer bets do not include any extra time or penalty shoot outs and that the bet is limited to the 90 minutes.
Charlie Rhodes
Charlie is an accomplished journalist specialising in football, but with extensive interest across every and all sports, and their intersection with the betting industry. Bearing a keen eye for detail, and considerable experience encompassing news, long-form content and betting, he has previously been published on leading brands such as 90min.com and FootyAccumulators. He also worked alongside former Goldman Sachs executives on a peer-to-peer fintech trading start-up (SportsStack).Charlie is an accomplished journalist specialising in football, but with extensive interest across every and all sports, and their intersection with the betting industry. Bearing a keen eye for detail, and considerable experience encompassing news, long-form content and betting, he has previously been published on leading brands such as 90min.com and FootyAccumulators. He also worked alongside former Goldman Sachs executives on a peer-to-peer fintech trading start-up (SportsStack).View All Posts By Charlie Rhodes