A double chance is a bet where punters combine two possible results into a single wager. The double chance market gives you more opportunity to win from one event, but will carry lower odds compared to a betting on a team to win in the standard WDW markets. In most sports, including football, it covers two of the possible three results in one bet.
Double Chance Explained
The double chance market is popular among football bettors. However, the market also features in other sports where a draw is one of the outcomes in their respective contests. Back to football, there’re three possible outcomes in any game. The away side might win, it may be a tie or the home team could emerge the winner.
Therefore, double chance means bettors have two options to win on their wagers. It means two outcomes are possible in a match with the wager still winning. In most cases, a double chance market commonly features in evenly-matched sides. In such a game, the bettor has a backup when the outcome is a tied score or one of the sides wins.
The possibilities are:
- Home team win or draw (lose if away team wins)
- Away team win or draw (lose if home team wins)
- Home team or away team win (lose if it is a draw)
Sports That Offer The Double Chance Market
You can only find the double chance market on any sport or game that has three possible outcomes (1×2). The betting market is common in low scoring games. As mentioned earlier, football is the most popular sport regarding double chance bets.
Basketball also allows you to wager on a double chance of the final score or different sets. Also, you can wager on a double chance at hockey games. The sports that do not support the double chance market are volleyball and tennis, where there’s only a winner.
Double Chance Markets
There are three double chance bet types. The difference is the selection of teams you expect to pair with a draw or win. This allows you to pair up options that have the greatest likelihood of winning the wager.
1X Bet
The 1x wager denotes wagering on a win of the home team and a draw. You’ll only lose your bet if the away side wins the match. This type of double chance market works when the home team has a big home advantage, but the visiting team is also in good form. If you’re convinced that the home side will carry the day or the game will end in a tie in the worst-case situation, a 1X Bet is an ideal option.
X2 Bet
When you’re confident that the away team will not lose, you can easily bet on X2, which means a win for the visiting team and a tie. A win for a visiting team or draw will give earn a return. You’ll only lose your stake if the home side wins. This is a perfect choice where the visiting team is in excellent form, but you aren’t sure about its away performance.
12 Bet
A 12 bet means a win for one of the competing teams. As a gambler, your deal will only be dead if a tied score is the outcome. This option is a perfect match when placing bets on high-scoring teams. In games where high scores are expected, the chances of a draw outcome are minimal, making it an excellent prospect for a 12 wager.
Double Chance Practical Examples
As an example, let’s look at a football match. In football, it’s possible to wager on the required three possible results of a given game. A football team can draw (X), lose (2) or win (1) against its competitor. If you feel that the away team (underdog) can draw with the home team (favourite) or even defeat it, you could bet a draw (X) or away team to win (2).
Let’s say Manchester City is playing Aston Villa in the EPL. On betting platforms, Manchester City is a favourite, but you feel that Aston Villa could be able to get a point out of the fixture; in this case, you can place an X2-wager to increase your chances of a return.
Double Chance vs Asian Handicap 0
New sports bettors usually confuse double chance with the Asian Handicap 0 market. These two types of betting markets share some features, given that both involve two out of three possible outcomes. Return options and odds are what make these markets different. When betting on a double chance, a return is possible in two out of three results.
On the other hand, handicaps would only succeed if the selection wins, you would get your stake back if it is a draw. The betting odds for the double chance outcome would be lower than for Asian Handicap 0. An Asian Handicap market is better in terms of odds, but the double chance gives you more chance of a return on your stake. Here is a simple example to help you figure out the double chance wager and an Asian Handicap 0 in sports betting.
Looking at a European Champions League semi-final game between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. The odds for Asian Handicap 0 for Manchester City winning are 1.60 when the win for Paris Saint-Germain reaches 1.36. If Manchester City wins the game, each bet will provide a profit, but with the Asian Handicap 0 bet, the return would be higher. If the game is a draw, however, the double chance wager would succeed, and Asian Handicap 0 would get voided with your stake given back. It is always advisable to go with a double chance because it is safer.
Double Chance vs Draw No Bet
The draw no bet market works the same way as the Asian Handicap 0 described above. Placing a bet on a team to win in the draw no bet market will pay out if the team you back wins but will return the stake in the event of a draw.
As a result the odds are higher for draw no bet compared to double chance but you will only get a return on your stake for one outcome in the draw no bet market but you will get a return on your stake for two outcomes in the double chance market.
Double Chance Bet Accumulator
A double chance accumulator bet refers to a type of wagering, usually on football games, in which the regular results offered on a match; draw, win and lose are reduced to two outcomes, and a wager is placed on both. Many sportsbooks allow their customers to add multiple double chance bets on their bet slips to boost their odds.
Double chance accumulators may become appealing toward the end of the season, especially in football, when teams have already established their forms and many games have great deal riding on the outcomes.
For instance, two sides battling relegation are more likely to be keen to avoid a tie, while the teams at the top are fighting to pick either a win or draw to increase their points. Double chance accumulators placed on these types of games can turn low odds into more impressive final payouts as long as the punters make the right selections.