Sports betting can be rewarding if you focus on some smart strategies. Choosing lower-risk markets like the Draw No Bet is a great way to increase your chances of success.

This bet type suits those with moderate confidence in a team’s win. But what does Draw No Bet mean? Our guide answers this question while also explaining all details of this bet type.

What is Draw No Bet?

Also referred to as DNB, the concept behind the Draw No Bet option is self-explanatory. With this choice, your bets become void if the match ends in a tie. When that happens, you get your original stake back. Simply put, when your selected team wins, you receive payouts. When they draw, you get your full bet amount back. Only a loss leads to lost bets.

Unlike the 1x2 bet option, a draw outcome is unavailable within the Draw No Bet market. Therefore, when using this type of wager, you have to back one of the two competing teams to win the match.

Compared to the 1X2 bet option, DNB comes with fewer risks. However, there is a catch; this betting option has lower odds, which leads to smaller payouts for your winning bets.

This betting option is available in sports where draw outcomes are very likely. It is popular in football, Test Cricket, Hockey, and Rugby. Given its popularity, most bookies offer pre-match and live betting DNB odds for numerous football events.

How Does the Draw No Bet Market Work?

Understanding an unfamiliar term can be challenging without concrete examples. Let's reveal how this market works, now we have the Draw No Bet meaning out of the way. We will illustrate using a practical scenario and a table for reference, so you will understand how Draw no bet in football works.

Example: For a Brasileiro Serie A match between SC Recife vs EC Bahia, both teams have been assigned Draw No Bet Football odds of 2.11 and 1.70, respectively. Here are the likely outcomes depending on the team you select within the DNB market or if a draw occurs:

Match Result

DNB Recife

DNB Bahia

Recife Wins

Win 2.11x your stake

Lose your stake

Draw

Stake refunded

Stake refunded

Bahia wins

Lose your stake

Win 1.70x your stake

Here are the main things you should keep in mind when placing the bet:

  • Choose the team you believe has the stronger chance of winning. If they win, you receive the payout.

  • If the match ends in a draw, your original stake is returned.

  • Losses for your selected team lead to lost bets.

Pros and Cons

As with any betting option, this betting market has benefits and drawbacks.

However, DNB offers more positives than negatives. Let’s check them out.

Pros

Here are the advantages of using Draw No Bet as your betting market:

  • Lower Risk: Draw No Bet offers you more protection than many other betting options. This option makes you more likely to get your funds back or secure wins.

  • Easy to Understand: This betting option is simple to grasp. There are no charts or special calculations like those in the more complicated handicap markets.

  • Great for Backing Strong Underdogs: It is a fine bet selection for backing underdogs in a strong position to secure a win or draw. If you’re okay with just getting your stake back in case of a draw.

  • Suitable For Evenly-Matched Teams: DNB is a good market for backing one of two strong teams in a contest. Under this context, it provides a safer option than the 1x2 bet option.

Cons

You should also be aware of the following negatives before using DNB:

  • Lower odds: Compared to the 1x2 betting odds, DNB odds are usually lower. As a result, you will get fewer payouts from winning bets.

  • Unsuitable for Draw Outcomes: While this market offers more protection, it is unfit for leagues or competitions with too many draw outcomes. Such outcomes will leave you without wins for long periods. If you’re looking for a safer bet that also includes the draw option, the Double Chance bet is worth checking out.

  • Unsuitable for Dominant Teams: Due to its lower odds, DNB is unsuitable for teams that are more likely to win their games.

When To Use Draw No Bet

Understanding how this bet option works is one thing; identifying appropriate situations to apply it is another. We have got you covered on that front as well. Here we explain ideal situations for picking this betting market.

You can apply the Draw No Bet strategy in the following scenarios:

Derby Matches Or Close-Fought Fixtures

Games between city rivals are usually full of tension. On many occasions, one team usually seems like the outright favourites. However, given the emotional nature of such games, you can not completely rule out the opposing team.

Matches between two strong sides also fall into this category. Selecting one side for an outright win can be risky if both teams have winning streaks heading into the clash.

Backing Away Teams With A Good Chance Of Victory

Thanks to their playing style and the strength of their squad, some teams are more likely to perform well in away matches. When these teams are in good form, they can often be solid picks for an away win.

However, when they face stronger opponents and the outcome is less certain, choosing the Draw No Bet option instead of the standard 1x2 market offers a safer alternative.

Low-Scoring Teams Likely To Win

This option is also suitable for teams known for their strong defense, but limited offense. Such teams often manage to build winning streaks through disciplined defending. In some matches, they can be a reasonable choice to win.

However, given their tendency to score few goals, there’s always the chance their opponents manage to equalise, leading to a draw. Rather than opting for a straight win or a draw, the Draw No Bet market offers more value in these cases.

Tips for Placing DNB Bets

In this section, we list some tips that are crucial to helping you make the best Draw No Bet selections.

Check Team Form

A key part of your research process should involve checking the team’s current form. Look at past results to get an idea of their performance. Only select teams that have a good win record. If their wins are not convincing or scrappy, that may be a sign that they are not a good choice for DNB.

Also, check how many goals they have conceded in their recent matches. Teams that concede a high number of goals are likely going to lose or draw lots of games. These outcomes are not ideal if you are looking to get payouts with this betting option. So, avoid such teams or use other appropriate betting markets for them.

It also helps to understand how well your selected team has performed against their next opponents in recent meetings. So check their head-to-head records. Also, check their injury record to make sure that the team is at full strength for the game.

Consider Home Advantage

Home teams with solid records are often safer bets in DNB markets. Their advantage usually increases when facing opponents who struggle on the road. For such teams, this option might be your best bet.

Use DNB For Hedging in Volatile Games

If you love hedging your bets, the DNB option is perfect for you. For potentially volatile games where you have a favourite, betting on the teams with Draw No Bet will help you secure a win or get some of your funds back.

Include Draw No Bet In Your Combo or Accumulator Bets

Due to their lower odds, this betting option is great for accumulator bets. Since draw outcomes are not considered losses, a Draw No Bet parley doesn't ruin your acca bets.

Instead of ruining the whole accumulator, a draw outcome simply voids that individual bet selection, so you can still win part of your winnings.

Tip: Have a look at our Accumulator predictions to find picks for the perfect combination bet.

Avoid DNB on Heavy Favourites

Generally, 1x2 odds for big favourites are usually too low. For the DNB option, they are even lower. So, do not use this betting market for very dominant teams. For such teams, bet on the outright win or handicap option for the highest returns.

Do Not Ignore Draw Statistics

The whole point of betting is to win, so selecting a team more likely to draw with the DNB option defeats that purpose.

Make sure you check each team's draw statistics as much as you’re looking at their win and loss statistics. If they are drawing too many games, then use another bet selection.

Conclusion

The Draw No Bet option presents solid value if you are aiming to reduce risk while betting. It’s straightforward to grasp and works well when backing strong underdogs or teams with little separating them.

While the odds are typically lower than in other markets, the opportunity to recover your stake in the event of a draw helps balance out that trade-off.