The betting space is filled with tons of popular betting types and the Double chance is part of the list. It's an excellent strategy for betting on equal teams and works for both new and professional sports bettors.

If you want to increase your bet's winning chances, the double chance bet is a safer option than single betting. The double chance bet reduces the number of betting outcomes and enhances the betting probabilities.

What is a Double Chance Bet?

Double chance betting is generally used to give bettors a bigger winning opportunity from a single match. In football, this betting type can cover two of the three possible outcomes within a bet. It combines win or draw for both teams and eliminates the draw outcome. The double chance bet is usually applied to evenly matched teams as the bettor will have a backup in case the score ends in a draw or one team wins.

Double chance bet is one of the most popular betting markets in football. Its popularity is in tier with other famous propositions like Over/Under totals, match-winner market and handicaps. All football bookies offer double chance betting without exception. Therefore, making it an easy market for bettors to find. Even though the double chance is reserved for football betting, you can also place the dual chance on other sports like hockey and basketball without the extra time.

The double chance bet falls into three different outcomes:

1X bet

The 1X bet implies betting on a win for a home team and a tie. We win when any of the given outcomes pay off. We lose the bet when the visiting team wins.

X2 bet

When you think that the away team has a big advantage and won't lose, the X2 is the best option where you win the bet if the away team wins or ends in a draw. However, you lose the bet when the home team wins.

12 Bet

The 12 bet is the option when you think one of the teams will win. You will lose the bet when the match ends in a draw.

Calculating Double Chance Bets

You shouldn't have any difficulties when calculating the 1x2 market. It's the same case for calculating single bets. Let's look at the three potential outcomes in the example of a Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City with the default bet of $100.

Example for 1X Bet

The odds for the 1X bet are 1.77. This gives us the two possible outcomes:

  • You win the bet when Liverpool wins, or the match ends in a tie. You'll receive the return amount of $177 with $77 as profit.
  • You lose the bet when Man City wins.

Example for X2 Bet

The odds for the X2 bet are 1.30, giving us these possible outcomes:

  • Liverpool wins – you lose the bet.
  • You win the bet when Manchester City wins, or the match ends in a draw. You will receive a $130 profit with a $30 net profit.

Example for 12 Bet

The last example is the 12 bet – the win for one of the teams. The odds for this outcome are 1.45, giving us the following scenarios:

  • The bet pays off when Liverpool or Man City wins. The return amount is $145 with $45 net profit.
  •  If the match ends in a draw, you lose the bet.

How to Bet on a Double Chance? Our Tip for Beginners

Betting on dual possibility bets has many benefits, especially for new bettors. Here are our winning tips to succeed on your first-time betting on double chance.

Pick the Teams that are Slight Favourites

It's best to pick slight favourites to win a game and back them to win or draw. But don't go in heavily on these favourites as they'll come with minuscule odds in the double chance market.

Get Advice from the Pros

Listening to professional betting advice is an excellent way to find a slight favourite for a good value double chance bet. Look for expert bettors' tips and predictions and ensure they're legit.

Pay Attention to the Underdogs

You don't only want to focus on the strong teams as you can also bet on the underdogs. This is ideal if you think that the weaker team will spring a surprise. In situations like these, you can place your bet on the unlikely winner to win or draw, lowering the risk of specific bets.

Double Chance Bets don't Work on All Sports

Only bet on sports where double chance makes sense. These sports include football and hockey. If you like to bet on other sports like American football or basketball, you're better off sticking to handicap betting for the best value.

Bet with Larger Stakes

As double chance bets usually come with low odds. You need to back them with bigger stakes to receive decent winnings.

Double Chance Betting for Professionals

Any betting strategy that works well with probabilities will work well when betting on double chance outcomes. This is because this strategy is relatively safe and may come to fruition. If you cover two out of three outcomes, you're already close to getting the winning bet. As these bets have a significantly high probability of success, it makes sense to back them with bigger stakes.

You wouldn't want to bet $1 when you know it's a winning bet.

The best way to bet on a double chance is by following a strategy that allows you to place bigger stakes. For example, you can bet successfully with a fixed betting approach if the percentage you bet represents a big portion of your bankroll. You can bet on matches with low double chance odds and back them with, for instance, 10% of a $10,000 betting budget.

In this case, single double chance bets are the best choice to get right. If you want to play it safe, you can choose a team you think will likely win, safeguard this bet with a double chance bet, and put a large stake on it. This has decent winning potential and is just as safe as putting your money in the bank.

Benefits of Double Chance

As we've explained in the previous section, the benefits of a double chance bet include:

Two Outcomes in One Bet

you need to predict two of the three outcomes to win the bet, significantly reducing the risk.

Increases Your Winning Chance

when the risk declines, the chances of a bet being paid off increases. Double chance betting increases your winning probabilities from 33% to 66%.

The Downside of Double Chance

There are always flaws when it comes to any football betting strategy. Here are the three cons of double chance:

Low Odds

The prices on double chance bets are much lower than the odds for a single outcome.

It Involves Complex Analytics

To achieve good results, you'll need to do some detailed reviews. It's usually hard to identify an outsider that can take points away from a favourite.

Lack of Highly Profitable Bets

The bookies usually remove these outcomes from the line, so bettors won't get the winning edge.

The Differences between Double Chance and Handicap 0

Newer sports bettors usually confuse double chance with H(0), known as zero handicaps. Both markets share the same fundamentals, offering two out of three outcomes. What differentiates them is the odds and return options.

When betting on double chance, there are no return options available and you can only win when two of the three outcomes are in your favour. On the other hand, handicaps can only succeed if the chosen team wins, and the odds for the 2-way outcome are significantly lower than Draw no Bet. Therefore, a handicap is a better option in terms of odds, but the double chance should offer more consistent winnings.

Let's look at an example to figure out the different outcomes of the double chance bet and zero handicap bets. We'll look at a match between the Champions League Team Chelsea and Man United.

The handicap 0 odds for Man United are 1.64 when Chelsea's win reaches the odds of 1.35. If Man United wins, every bet will bring you profit, but with H(0), you would have a more substantial gain. The double chance will succeed when the match ends in a draw, but the Draw no Bet would become a void.

When making a bet, you should consider the bet type, odds, and potential outcome. Going for a double chance is always better and safer, but sometimes taking a shot on the handicap can get you that decent win you're hoping for. It all depends on the situation.

Conclusion

Betting on two results in a 3-way market is an excellent way to lower your risk and increase the winning chances of your bet. Indeed, betting on two outcomes out of three always comes with lower odds, but it's worth taking it. You can increase the success rate of your bet by using the right strategy and advice. Any strategy that lets you place bigger stakes should come with lower odds. The last thing to remember is that every betting type has a risk. Even though the double chance seems like a promising market, it doesn't offer guarantees for a safe return.