What Is a Double Chance Bet?
Double chance betting is one of the safest markets in football betting. Instead of picking one of the three possible results — home win, draw or away win — a double chance bet covers TWO of the three outcomes at once, so you win if either of your two outcomes happens. This guide explains double chance betting step by step, with worked examples in naira, so you know exactly when it is worth using and when it is not.
If you are new to betting markets, start with our guide to Draw No Bet and our Over/Under 2.5 goals explainer before adding double chance to your bet slips.
The Three Double Chance Options
Every football match has three possible results, and double chance gives you one bet for each pair of them:
| Option | What it means | You win if… | You lose if… |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1X (Home or Draw) | Home win or draw | The home team wins or the game ends level | The away team wins |
| 12 (Home or Away) | Either team wins | Either side wins the game | The game ends in a draw |
| X2 (Draw or Away) | Draw or away win | The game ends level or the away team wins | The home team wins |
On Nigerian bookmakers such as SportyBet and Bet9ja you will find this market listed as “Double Chance” or “1X2 Double Chance”, usually right under the match result market. The three options are always shown as 1X, 12 and X2.
How Double Chance Odds Work
Because a double chance bet covers two outcomes instead of one, its odds are always LOWER than the odds of a single outcome. The bookmaker is giving you two chances to win, so it pays you less.
Example: Arsenal vs Chelsea
- Arsenal win (1) — odds 1.70
- Draw (X) — odds 3.80
- Chelsea win (2) — odds 5.00
- Double chance 1X (Arsenal win or draw) — odds 1.25
- Double chance X2 (draw or Chelsea win) — odds 2.40
- Double chance 12 (either team wins) — odds 1.30
Backing Arsenal to win alone pays 1.70; backing them not to lose (1X) pays only 1.25, because the draw now wins for you as well. That is the trade-off at the heart of double chance betting: more safety, less payout.
You can also think in probabilities. Implied probability = 1 ÷ odds. So 1X at 1.25 implies an 80% chance of winning (1 ÷ 1.25 = 0.80), while the straight Arsenal win at 1.70 implies about 59%. You are paying for that extra 21% of safety with a smaller return.
Worked Example 1: Backing the Favourite Not to Lose (1X)
Arsenal are at home to Chelsea. You fancy Arsenal but you are worried about the draw, so you take 1X at 1.25 with a ₦5,000 stake.
Step 1 — work out the payout: ₦5,000 × 1.25 = ₦6,250
Step 2 — work out the profit: ₦6,250 − ₦5,000 = ₦1,250 profit
Step 3 — check the outcomes: Arsenal win 2–0 — you win ₦6,250. The game ends 1–1 — you still win ₦6,250. Chelsea win 1–0 — you lose your ₦5,000 stake.
Compare that with the straight Arsenal win at 1.70: a ₦5,000 stake would return ₦8,500 — but the 1–1 draw would lose the whole bet. Double chance cost you ₦2,250 of potential payout to insure against the draw.
Worked Example 2: Backing the Underdog With Double Chance (1X)
Double chance is most valuable when you fancy an underdog. Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich. A straight Dortmund win is priced at 3.40, but you think Dortmund are good enough to avoid defeat at home, so you take 1X at 2.10 with a ₦2,000 stake.
Step 1 — payout: ₦2,000 × 2.10 = ₦4,200
Step 2 — profit: ₦4,200 − ₦2,000 = ₦2,200 profit
Step 3 — check the outcomes: Dortmund win 2–1 — you win ₦4,200. The game ends 1–1 — you still win ₦4,200. Bayern win 2–0 — you lose your ₦2,000 stake.
The straight Dortmund win at 3.40 would have returned ₦6,800 on the same stake, but it loses on the draw. With double chance you more than double your money on two of the three possible results — that is why underdog double chance is one of the most popular bets in Nigeria.
Worked Example 3: The “No Draw” Option (12)
Manchester City host Liverpool in a game you expect to be open and attacking. You are confident there will be a winner, so you take 12 at 1.28 with a ₦10,000 stake.
Step 1 — payout: ₦10,000 × 1.28 = ₦12,800
Step 2 — profit: ₦12,800 − ₦10,000 = ₦2,800 profit
Step 3 — check the outcomes: City win 3–2 — you win ₦12,800. Liverpool win 2–1 — you still win ₦12,800. The game ends 2–2 — you lose your ₦10,000 stake.
The 12 option is the least used of the three, because draws are common and the odds are usually very short. It only makes sense when you have a strong reason to believe the game will not end level — for example, a cup tie that must produce a winner, or two attack-minded teams with leaky defences.
When to Use Double Chance — and When Not To
Good times to use double chance:
- Backing an underdog at home: home underdogs draw often, so 1X turns a risky straight win into a bet that wins on two of three results.
- Protecting a strong favourite in an accumulator: swapping a 1.30 home win for a 1.15 double chance lowers the acca odds, but it also removes the draw as a way to lose the whole ticket.
- Derbies and tight games: when two evenly matched teams meet and you lean one way but cannot rule out the draw, X2 or 1X covers you.
- Building a low-risk ticket: combining two or three double chance picks gives a steady, lower-odds acca that lands more often than straight wins.
Times to avoid it:
- On very short odds: a 1X at 1.08–1.12 pays almost nothing. A ₦5,000 stake returns ₦5,400–₦5,600 — one loss wipes out many wins. At that point the value is gone.
- When you are confident in a straight win: if your research says the favourite wins 70% of the time, take the 1.70, not the 1.25. Paying for insurance you do not need is a slow leak on your bankroll.
- Chasing losses: doubling your stake on a “safe” double chance after a loss is still gambling, and a shock away win still loses the whole stake.
Double Chance in Accumulators
Double chance picks can be combined into accumulators, just like any other market — multiply the odds of each leg together, then multiply by your stake. For example, three double chance picks at 1.25, 1.40 and 1.30 give combined odds of 1.25 × 1.40 × 1.30 = 2.28, so a ₦2,000 stake returns ₦4,560.
The same rule applies as with any acca: every leg must win. A double chance acca is safer than a straight-win acca at the same odds, but the odds are lower — you are trading payout for probability. For the full maths, see our guide on how to calculate accumulator odds.
Double Chance vs Draw No Bet: Which Is Better?
Double chance and Draw No Bet are often confused, but they are different bets:
| Double Chance (1X) | Draw No Bet (Home) | |
|---|---|---|
| Home win | You win | You win |
| Draw | You win | Stake refunded |
| Away win | You lose | You lose |
| Typical odds | Lower (e.g. 1.25) | Higher (e.g. 1.45) |
Double chance pays you on the draw; Draw No Bet only refunds your stake. So double chance has lower odds but a better result on a draw. If you expect a draw and want to be paid for it, take double chance. If you expect a win and just want your money back if it ends level, Draw No Bet is the better value.
Common Double Chance Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating it as a “sure thing”: double chance still loses. A 1X bet loses every time the away team wins, and upsets happen weekly.
- Stacking too many short-odds legs: five legs at 1.15 each combine to 2.01 — but one upset kills the whole ticket, and you needed five results to go your way.
- Using it on a team you have not researched: “they cannot lose” is not analysis. Check form, injuries and head-to-head before you trust any favourite not to lose.
- Ignoring the 12 option’s draw risk: draws happen in roughly one in four matches. A 12 bet at 1.28 loses 25% of the time on average — the short odds hide real risk.
- Betting the favourite’s double chance at tiny odds to “boost” an acca: adding a 1.10 leg adds almost nothing to your payout but still adds a way to lose.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 1X mean in betting?
1X means home win or draw. You win if the home team wins or the match ends in a draw, and you lose only if the away team wins.
What does X2 mean in betting?
X2 means draw or away win. You win if the match ends level or the away team wins, and you lose only if the home team wins.
What does 12 mean in betting?
12 means home win or away win — either team wins. You win if there is a winner, and you lose only if the match ends in a draw.
Can you lose a double chance bet?
Yes. A double chance bet covers two of the three possible results, so it loses when the third result happens. A 1X bet loses if the away team wins, an X2 bet loses if the home team wins, and a 12 bet loses if the game is a draw.
Is double chance a good bet?
It is a good bet when the odds still carry value — most often on underdogs, in derbies, or when you genuinely cannot rule out the draw. It is a poor bet at very short odds such as 1.08–1.12, where one loss wipes out the profit from many wins.
Can I cash out a double chance bet?
Yes, most Nigerian bookmakers offer cash out on double chance bets, including inside accumulators. The offer depends on the live score and the remaining time — you will usually be offered less than the full potential payout in exchange for locking in a profit or cutting a loss.
Ready to test these tips? Check our daily curated Today’s Football Predictions & Betting Tips page.
Featured image: “Sports betting Kiosk Manager” — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, photo by Jean Marc Tcheuffa Zangue.