Double Chance: Football Betting Markets Explained

Football matches have three possible outcomes: home win, draw or away win. A standard 1X2 bet asks you to pick one. Double Chance lets you cover two of the three in a single bet, which is where the name comes from.

It's one of the more straightforward markets in sports betting, and a useful one to understand whether you're new to betting or just looking to get to grips with what's available. Here's how it works.

What is Double Chance?

A Double Chance bet combines two of the three possible match outcomes into one wager. If either of your two covered outcomes lands, the bet wins. If the one outcome you haven't covered is the result, it loses.

There are three versions of the market, each covering a different combination.

1X — Home or Draw

Your bet wins if the home team wins or if the match ends in a draw. The only result that loses is an away win. This is typically the most popular Double Chance option when a home side is expected to at least avoid defeat.

X2 — Draw or Away

Your bet wins if the away team wins or if the match ends level. The only result that loses is a home win. A useful option when an away side is thought capable of getting something from the game without being a clear favourite to win it outright.

12 — Home or Away

Your bet wins if either team wins — it covers every result except a draw. This is the riskiest of the three Double Chance options, since draws account for a meaningful proportion of football matches. It tends to make more sense in matches where both teams are strongly motivated to win and a draw is considered unlikely.

All Double Chance markets are settled on the result at the end of 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalty shootouts are not included, regardless of the competition.

How the odds work: an example

Double Chance odds are shorter than those on a standard match result market because you're covering two outcomes rather than one. The more likely your two covered outcomes are to occur, the shorter the odds will be.

Example: Team A (strong home side) vs. Team B (away underdog)

Example standard 1X2 odds might look like:

• Team A win – 1.50

• Draw – 4.10

• Team B win – 7.00

Double Chance odds for the same match:

• 1X (home win or draw) – 1.08

• X2 (draw or away win) – 2.55

• 12 (home win or away win) – 1.22

The 1X option is shortest because covering the favourite to win plus the draw leaves very little room for the bet to lose. The X2 is longest because covering the draw and the away underdog is a less likely combination overall. The 12 sits between the two, with the draw - which would be the losing outcome - priced at 4.10 in the standard market, suggesting it's the least likely of the three results.

Odds on any market shift in response to team news, injuries, suspensions and how money is moving across the market, so the numbers above are illustrative rather than fixed. It's always worth checking current prices before placing a bet.

Pre-match vs. in-play Double Chance betting

Double Chance is available both before a match kicks off and, for many fixtures, in-play once the game is underway. The market behaves differently depending on when you're looking at it.

Pre-match, the odds reflect everything known before a ball is kicked. That’s form, team news, head-to-head records, the significance of the match. It's the version most straightforward to assess because the picture is relatively settled.

In-play, the odds respond to what's actually happening on the pitch. A goalless first half in a match where both teams look cautious might make the 1X or X2 markets more considerable. If one side scores early and the other needs to push forward, however, the game can open up, and the 12 market may shorten as a draw becomes less likely.

The market adjusts in real time, which means in-play Double Chance requires a read on how the game is developing rather than just what was expected before kick-off.

One practical difference worth knowing: in-play markets can move quickly, and the Double Chance option may not always be available on every live fixture. Pre-match availability tends to be broader across competitions and leagues.

Pros and cons

The case for Double Chance

The obvious appeal is the reduced risk. Covering two of three outcomes gives you more ways for the bet to land, which makes it particularly useful in closely contested matches where a single outcome is hard to call. It can also suit situations where you have a broad view - an away side is unlikely to lose, for instance - without wanting to commit to a specific result. The 12 option works well when a draw feels genuinely unlikely and you simply want the match to produce a winner.

The trade-off

Lower risk means lower odds. If you're looking at a match where the 1X2 home win price is already short, the 1X Double Chance odds will be shorter still. It's worth comparing the Double Chance price against the individual outcome prices to make sure the combination makes sense for that specific match.

Choosing between the three

The 12 option carries the most variance of the three since a draw - something that happens in roughly a quarter to a third of football matches depending on the competition - is the one outcome that loses it. As such, it's worth being clear on why a draw feels unlikely before selecting it.

The 1X and X2 options include the draw as a covered outcome, which generally makes them the more conservative of the three choices.

Double Chance betting at the 2026 World Cup

The group stage of the 2026 World Cup is where Double Chance tends to be most relevant. With 48 teams from different confederations - many of whom rarely meet and some of whom will be less familiar quantities than established European and South American sides - predicting the exact result of any given group game can be genuinely difficult. A Double Chance wager covers that uncertainty more comfortably than a straight match result bet.

The expanded format also means there are more group games than in previous editions, with matches across three host nations producing a wide range of fixtures at varying levels of competitiveness. In games involving nations with less documented recent form, the Double Chance market can be a more considered entry point than committing to a single outcome.

It's worth noting that once the tournament reaches the knockout rounds, Double Chance works differently. Since those matches must produce a winner, the draw outcome in a 1X or X2 bet would refer to the 90-minute result only, with extra time and penalties outside the scope of the market. For knockout stage matches, Draw No Bet is often the more relevant comparison, which we cover below.

Double Chance vs. Draw No Bet

Draw No Bet removes the draw from a three-way market entirely. Rather than covering two outcomes in one bet, it means that if the match ends level your stake is returned rather than lost. It's not the same as Double Chance - it's closer to a refund on the draw outcome - but it addresses a similar concern: reducing exposure in matches where a draw is possible, but you want to back one side to win.

The key difference is in how odds are structured. Draw No Bet tends to offer better odds than Double Chance on the equivalent outcome, because it's a conditional market rather than a two-outcome cover.

If the draw is the result you're most trying to protect against, Draw No Bet can be an efficient option. If you want the draw to actually count as a winning outcome, Double Chance (1X or X2) is the relevant market.

Alternative markets to consider

Double Chance is one way to manage risk around a match result, but it isn't the only option. A few alternatives worth knowing about at Bally Bet:

Early cash-out

If you've placed a pre-match bet and the game is going in a direction that makes your selection look less likely to land, early cash-out lets you settle the bet before the final whistle for a return based on current in-play odds.

It won't always be available on every market or at every stage of a match, but it can be a useful option if you want to act on how a game is developing rather than waiting for the result.

2UP

Available on eligible pre-match Full Time Result markets, 2UP pays out your bet early if the team you've backed goes two goals ahead at any point during the match. If your selection takes a two-goal lead and you've already been paid out, the final result doesn't affect your return.

It's a different kind of protection to Double Chance, focused on turning a strong position into a guaranteed outcome rather than covering multiple results from the start.

Over/under markets

If you're less focused on who wins and more interested in how the game plays out, total goals markets let you bet on the number of goals scored rather than the result. A useful alternative in matches where both teams are capable of scoring, but the winner is hard to call.

Other sports where Double Chance can make an appearance

The Double Chance market is most commonly associated with football because of the frequency of draws in the sport, but the market appears across other sports where three outcomes are possible.

Hockey, where draws can occur in regular time, is one example. Some cricket formats and handball fixtures can also carry the market depending on the competition and how the event is structured. Availability varies by sport and by operator, and football remains the most consistent home for Double Chance across sportsbooks.

Betting should always be enjoyable. Set a budget before you start, use the spend limit tools in your Bally Bet account to stay in control and never bet more than you're comfortable losing. If you need support, more help is available through the Responsible Gaming section of the site.

Double Chance FAQs

Does Double Chance include extra time?

No. Double Chance bets are settled on the result at 90 minutes plus stoppage time only. Extra time and penalty shootouts are not included, regardless of the competition or stage of the tournament.

What’s the difference between Double Chance and Draw No Bet?

Double Chance covers two of the three possible match outcomes in one bet; for example, home win or draw (1X). Draw No Bet removes the draw from the market altogether: if the match ends level, your stake is returned.

Can Double Chance bets be included in an accumulator?

Yes. Double Chance selections can be combined with other bets in an accumulator in the same way as standard match result picks. As with any acca, all selections need to land for the bet to pay out.

Come read some more sports content like this at the Bally Bet blog. You'll find a range of betting explainers, how-to guides and event previews, alongside the latest insights from the online casino world.

All offers mentioned correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change.