Double chance football betting combines two possible match results into one selection: home win or draw, away win or draw, or either team to win. You win if either covered result happens and lose if the excluded result happens; the extra coverage usually means a smaller payout than backing one result alone.
Our football betting guide explains the wider range of match markets. Here, the important distinction is that two covered outcomes do not mean twice the chance of winning: home wins, draws and away wins need not be equally likely.
How does double chance betting work?
A double chance selection is one bet covering two results, rather than two separately staked bets. Betting.net’s explanation describes this core mechanism as covering two of the three possible outcomes.
The codes use 1 for the home team, X for the draw and 2 for the away team:
| Selection | Results that win | Result that loses |
|---|---|---|
| 1X | Home win or draw | Away win |
| X2 | Draw or away win | Home win |
| 12 | Home win or away win | Draw |
For example, suppose you select the away team or draw. An away victory wins your bet, and a level score also wins it. A home victory loses it, regardless of the winning margin.
You receive the same agreed payout for either covered result. A draw does not produce a smaller payment than an away victory on an X2 selection.
Before confirming a bet, check:
- Which team the platform lists as home and which as away.
- Whether the market covers the full match or a specified period.
- Whether its settlement terms include extra time.
- What happens if the match is abandoned or postponed.
How are double chance odds and payouts calculated?
The payout follows the same calculation as any other fixed-odds bet. With decimal odds, multiply your stake by the odds to find the total return, then subtract the stake to find the profit.
For an OddsGuru hypothetical example, take a $10 stake at 1.40:
| Settlement | Total returned | Net result |
|---|---|---|
| Either covered outcome happens | $14 | $4 profit |
| Excluded outcome happens | $0 | $10 loss |
OddsGuru calculation using an illustrative $10 stake and decimal multiplier of 1.40. These are not current match prices.
The winning calculation is $10 × 1.40 = $14, including your original stake. It is $4 profit, not $14 profit.
Covering an additional possible result increases the chance of winning compared with backing just one of those results. That does not make the payment larger: the broader selection normally carries shorter odds.
The price also tells you the win rate needed to break even:
Break-even probability = 1 ÷ decimal odds.
In this example, 1 ÷ 1.40 is approximately 71.4%, before any applicable fees or taxes. Across repeated bets at that price, a lower win rate would lose money overall.
Two common payout mistakes are:
- Treating the total return as profit.
- Assuming a frequent winner must be profitable without comparing wins with the amount lost on unsuccessful bets.
When does double chance betting offer value?
Double chance offers potential value when the chance of a covered result is higher than the break-even probability implied by the offered price. Choosing a likely result alone is not enough.
Consider another OddsGuru hypothetical calculation. Suppose your estimates for a match are:
- Home win: 50%.
- Draw: 30%.
- Away win: 20%.
At 1.40, the hypothetical 80% estimate for 1X exceeds the 71.4% break-even threshold. That would suggest value if the estimate is sound. The calculation cannot establish that your prediction is accurate.
Different approaches can be reasonable. One bettor may prefer a home-win selection because its larger payout compensates for losing on a draw. Another may prefer 1X because their assessment gives the draw substantial probability. Neither market is automatically more profitable.
It also helps to compare equivalent coverage. Under matching settlement rules, backing a team with a +0.5 Asian handicap covers its win or draw. Our Asian handicap explanation shows how those lines work.
A useful comparison therefore checks the covered results, settlement period and available payout together. A familiar market name is not a reason to accept a worse price.
What is 12 in double chance betting?
The 12 selection wins when either team wins and loses when the relevant period ends in a draw. It does not cover a 1–2 scoreline, and it does not protect against a draw.
Using the hypothetical probabilities above, its chance is 50% + 20% = 70%. Equivalently, subtract the 30% draw estimate from 100%. The identity is useful: assessing 12 means assessing how likely the draw is to be avoided.
Common mistakes include:
- Reading “either team to win” as including eventual qualification without checking the settlement period.
- Treating two covered results as an automatic 66.7% probability.
- Increasing stakes simply because a selection looks likely to win.
Our football value and bankroll guide discusses stake sizing. For the illustrative $10 bet above, one $10 loss outweighs two $4 wins: the net result is a $2 loss despite winning two of three bets.
Compare current football odds across betting platforms
For the alternative that refunds your stake on a draw, see our draw no bet guide.