A double chance bet covers two of the three possible outcomes in a match with a single wager. In soccer, every game ends in a home win, away win, or draw. A double chance picks any two of those three – you only lose if the one outcome you didn’t back happens.

Double Chance Bet Meaning

The standard soccer moneyline has three options: home win (1), draw (X), away win (2). A double chance collapses two of those into one bet. Three combinations are available:

• 1X – Home or Draw: wins if the home team wins or the match ends level. Loses only if the away team wins.
• X2 – Away or Draw: wins if the away team wins or the match ends level. Loses only if the home team wins.
• 12 – Home or Away: wins if either team wins outright. Loses only if the match ends in a draw.

Covering two outcomes costs you on the odds. A team priced at +150 to win outright might sit around -250 on the double chance. The safety net is real – but the payout shrinks to reflect it. Nothing in betting is free, and double chance is no exception.

How Double Chance Betting Works

It’s a single bet, settled on the final result after 90 minutes plus injury time. Extra time and penalties don’t count unless the sportsbook specifies otherwise – always check the market rules.

Double chance is almost exclusively a soccer market. Soccer draws happen roughly 25-30% of the time depending on the league – that frequency is what makes covering the draw a meaningful piece of insurance. In basketball, baseball, or tennis there’s no draw to protect against, so the market doesn’t exist. Hockey can offer it for regulation time before overtime, but it’s rare.

The implied probability on a double chance option is roughly the sum of two individual outcomes from the three-way moneyline. If the home win implies 50% and the draw implies 25%, the 1X double chance implies around 75% – and the odds price accordingly, usually around -300.

Double Chance Bet Example

Premier League match: Arsenal (home) vs. Wolves (away).

The 1X at -500 is expensive – Arsenal are already heavy favorites and adding the draw protection makes this an near-certainty that the bookmaker prices accordingly. The X2 at +175 is more interesting: backing Wolves to avoid losing at a reasonable price, useful if you think Arsenal might struggle but don’t want to stake on a Wolves outright win at +450.

The 12 option at -250 eliminates the draw entirely – you win as long as someone wins. Think of it as the inverse of a draw no bet: instead of getting your money back on a draw, you simply lose.

Double Chance Bet Calculator

Double chance settles as a single bet – the math is straightforward. American odds work the same as any other market:

Negative odds: divide 100 by the odds (without the minus) and multiply by your stake. Positive odds: multiply odds by stake and divide by 100. Same formula as any other bet type – double chance doesn’t change the math, only the coverage.

Double Chance vs. Draw No Bet

These two markets are often confused. They’re related but work differently:

Draw no bet returns your stake on a draw – you don’t win anything. Double chance pays out on a draw as a full winning outcome. Double chance odds are therefore shorter than draw no bet on the same selection, because you’re buying a positive result on the draw rather than just insurance.

Neither is better than the other – they serve different purposes. If the draw is genuinely likely and you want to profit from it, double chance. If the draw is just an unlikely risk you want to neutralize without paying for it as a winning outcome, draw no bet.

When Double Chance Makes Sense

Double chance suits specific situations. It’s not a blanket improvement over the standard moneyline – the reduced odds mean you’re always paying for the coverage.

• Backing an underdog to avoid losing – X2 on a team you think can hang with the favorite but might not win outright. You get paid if they draw, not just if they win.
• Eliminating draw risk on a narrow favorite – 1X on a team you expect to win but in a match where a draw is realistic. Better odds than draw no bet in markets where the draw has genuine probability.
• Building accumulators with reduced variance – double chance legs in a parlay lower the odds per leg but increase the probability each one lands. Common tactic in longer multiples to offset the compounding risk of a straight win accumulator.
• Evenly matched games – when both the 12 and X options feel plausible and you want exposure to either team winning without caring about the draw.

It’s less useful on heavy favorites where 1X is already priced at -600 or shorter – at that point you’re paying significant juice for protection against a draw that had maybe a 10% chance anyway. Check the line movement on the three-way market first – if draw odds are shortening before kickoff, covering it gets more expensive in real time.

FAQ

What is a double chance bet?

A single bet that covers two of the three possible outcomes in a soccer match – home win, draw, or away win. You pick any two, and only lose if the third outcome happens. Three options exist: home or draw (1X), away or draw (X2), or either team wins (12).

Does double chance include extra time?

No – double chance settles on the result after 90 minutes plus injury time only. If a knockout match goes to extra time after a draw, the double chance has already settled on the draw. Check individual market rules at your sportsbook, as policies can vary.

Is double chance the same as draw no bet?

No. Draw no bet returns your stake if the match draws – you don’t win, you just don’t lose. Double chance pays out a full win on a draw. Double chance odds are shorter because you’re buying the draw as a winning outcome, not just as a refund.

Can you add double chance to a parlay?

Yes. Double chance legs work in parlays the same as any other bet. Odds multiply across legs. The lower per-leg odds reduce the overall parlay payout compared to win-only legs, but each leg has a higher probability of landing. Whether the trade-off makes sense depends on the specific odds and how many legs you’re combining.

What is double chance 12 in betting?

The 12 double chance covers both teams winning – home win or away win. The only losing outcome is a draw. It’s the opposite of betting the draw directly, and useful when you’re confident the match will produce a winner but aren’t sure which team it’ll be.