Football match betting is incredibly popular, with matches in the Champions League down to the lower leagues adorning most online betting sites. This has seen an array of betting markets created to keep up with the boom in betting interest, but still the most popular is the match winner betting market. However, as we will show you, the match winner market is not always able to offer both good value and a high chance of your bet being successful in one pick, which is where the double chance market comes in.
There are only ever three outcomes in the match betting in a football game. These will be home win, draw or away win. So, for example, if Chelsea were hosting Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, your options would be Chelsea to win (home win), Manchester United to win (away win) or draw. It is as simple as that.
With Chelsea may be the favourites in this match as they have won all of their last 10 and they are playing at home against a United side that have lost their last five, they will not offer much value. Conversely, United will offer good odds, but their chances of winning are very small, meaning the risk to your wager is high. This is where the double chance market becomes hugely important.
What Is Double Chance Betting?
Double chance betting will allow you to back two different results in the match. Therefore, if you think that United have a chance of winning but there could also be a draw, then you would back Manchester United to win and a draw. This means that if United beat Chelsea or the game ends in a tie, your bet will win. If Chelsea win, your bet will lose.
As a quick summation:
- Home Win & Draw – Your wager will win if the home team wins or the match ends in a draw
- Home Win & Away Win – Your bet will win if the home team triumphs or the away team wins
- Away Win & Draw – Your bet will come in if the away team is victorious or the match ends in a stalemate
Be aware of the fact that the double chance betting market only works across the initial 90 minutes of the game. If the match goes to extra-time, then your double chance bets will not count.
How to Use the Double Chance Market in Football Betting
Of course no bet is ever assured of coming in, but the double chance market gives you a much wider window of opportunity. This is because if you bet in the match winner market, you will have a one in three chance of your bet winning, meaning there is a 33.33% chance your wager coming in.
In the double chance betting market, your bet will win if one of your two selections comes in. This means that you have a 66.66% chance of your bet winning. It is worth noting that the odds you will get on a team in the double chance market will be lower than if you back them in the match winner market.
The double chance betting market it often useful in matches in which the sides are closely matched. A game like this will see both the home and away side evenly matched in the betting. This makes picking either side as a winner that much more difficult. It means that the double chance wager comes into effect and can become even more important if you are not totally sold on one specific option, but you feel like the match will end in one of the two options you have chosen.
What Does a Double Chance Betting Market Look Like?
As mentioned, the double chance betting market will give you shorter odds than the match winner market because you are increasing your chances of nailing a winning bet. Let’s say for example Brentford travel to take on Liverpool in the Premier League.
In this match, the Reds are massive favourites to win, with the draw the second most likely option followed by big outsiders Brentford. Brentford offer the best bang for your buck if you are only looking at the potential return, while Liverpool offer the smallest potential return but are seen as the likeliest outcome.
The double chance market for this game could look like this:
| Double Chance | Odds |
|---|---|
| Liverpool & Draw | 1/25 |
| Liverpool & Brentford | 1/8 |
| Brentford & Draw | 6/1 |
The above odds show that the most likely mix of outcomes in the game are a Liverpool win and a draw. Second is a Liverpool win and a Brentford win, with the least likely coupling being a Brentford win and the draw.
Backing the Reds and a draw offers no real value, which is also the case for the Liverpool and Brentford pick. The only choice that offers some value is Brentford and a draw. You would look to back this option if Brentford have done enough to warrant backing them in your eyes despite the fact you are not 100% sure they will win.
For example, if they have been a bogey team for Liverpool in the past, they have excelled on the road or come into the game in a good run of form, then perhaps your gut says an upset could be on the cards. If you are not completely convinced though, you would then back Brentford and the draw as this gives you two options to win from.
You are basically trying to weigh up whether it is more likely that the game will end in a Brentford win or a draw, rather than a Liverpool win. According to the odds, the bookies clearly do not believe this is the case.
What Are the Advantages of Double Chance Betting?
When you use the double chance betting market, you are backing two of the three available outcomes rather than just one. This simply means that you have a higher chance of placing a successful bet, although we must reiterate that no bet is ever certain. You can take out some of the volatility in the betting market by backing two outcomes, especially if one side in the betting tends to be feast or famine in the way they play.
You can also push the boat out with regard to the available odds by backing the underdog. Much like in the example above, you can enjoy longer odds when you back the underdog as part of your double chance selection. Throw in the second-best odds in the betting and you have got a bet that has decent odds and will come in if either of your two selections are correct.
Double Chance Betting Tips
We would always recommend that you do in-depth research before you decide to make any bet, and a double chance bet is no different. You can either choose to back the betting tips of an expert, or you can keep an eye on the following factors:
The Form
As you are wagering on two of the three results, it is vital you know how the teams play and what results they have seen most and least often. If Real Madrid go into their game against Sevilla with neither team having drawn all season, then the form would suggest this game will not end in a draw either. Therefore, backing either side and a draw would possibly constitute a foolish move.
Of course, it is impossible to completely rule out a draw as the unpredictable nature of football is what makes it so enjoyable. If you are not overly sure, you could choose to back the home and away win in the double chance market in this example, as dictated by the form.
The Favourites
While you can look at the betting odds to work out who the bookies are making the favourites, you should always do your own research first. Looking at the head-to-head record between the sides, their top scorers, defensive records, results at home, results on the road, the state of the competition, suspensions, injuries and more will all tell a story.
From this information, you may pick up on the fact that the underdog is actually in a better state than their opponents, who are missing their best player through injury and their top striker through a suspension. It could therefore make backing the underdog an astute bet.
In the same way, if the underdog arrives missing their goalkeeper and first choice centre-back pairing through injuries they sustained in a midweek European game that they had to fly back from, then the underdogs seem like an even bigger gamble.
What Alternative Markets to Double Chance Are There?
If you are not totally sold by the double chance betting market or you want to know what other options are out there, then you can use any of the markets we have listed below.
Match Winner
The match winner market is one of the most widely used betting markets because it is so easy to bet on. Here, you can back home win, away win or draw. Unlike the double chance market, you will only win if the one selection you chose is the winner. For example, if you backed a home win, your bet will be a winner if the home side is victorious, while you will lose your stake if the away team wins or the match ends in a draw.
Draw No Bet
This betting market is very similar to the double chance market, only the draw is not an option. The market will see you betting on the match winner, but you will only be able to bet on home win or an away win. If you picked home win and the home side is triumphant, your bet will win, while you will lose your stake if the away team is victorious.
Where this market is different from the match winner and double chance market is in the fact that a draw will see your stake returned to you. While this can confuse some novice bettors as they see ‘the draw is not an option’, you simply need to know that this is basically the match winner market, only if there is a draw, your stake will be returned to you.
Asian Handicap
The handicap market allows you to put a positive or a negative handicap on a team in the game. For example, you would put a negative handicap on the favourite in a game. This would see them having to overcome the handicap in order for your bet to come in. For example, if you backed Manchester City -2 to beat Leeds, then they would have to beat Leeds by three goals or more for your bet to win.
This also works the other way with a positive handicap. In the same game, you could put a +2 handicap on Leeds, meaning that if they only lose by a single goal, they draw or win, then your bet will win. Generally, a negative handicap on a team will see their odds stretch, while a positive handicap will see their odds shorten.
The Asian Handicap allows you to put a handicap in incremental parts, rather than just by whole goals. Just like the draw no bet market, the Asian Handicap market eliminates the draw as a possibility. For example, you could put a -2.75 Asian Handicap on City to beat Leeds. This means that they must win by three or more goals to overturn the 2.75 goal handicap. Therefore, if City won 4-2, despite enjoying victory on the pitch, your bet would lose as technically, your bet would see them losing two goals to 1.25 goals (4-2.75).
The Asian Handicap is a market where you can enjoy a lot of value, but you need to be careful. Some bettors simply decide to throw on any handicap without really looking at the form. For example, you may back a side that is strongly tipped to win with a -2.5 Asian Handicap, but if you had done your research then you would see they rarely win by three goals or more. Patience and research are vital in this sort of betting.
Why Use the Double Chance Market?
The match winner market is the brother of the double chance market, but it is very difficult to balance the risk and reward in that market. That is why double chance bets have become so popular, with the ability to back two out of three possible results meaning you are backing two of the possible three results, rather than just one. While no bet is ever certain to come in, double chance betting swells your potential ways of winning and means that you will be cheering if either of your selected results come in.
