Double Chance Betting — The Complete Guide

How Double Chance Works

A standard football match has three outcomes: Home Win (1), Draw (X), or Away Win (2). Double Chance lets you cover two of these three outcomes with one bet:

• 1X (Home Win or Draw) — You win if the home team wins or the match draws. You only lose if the away team wins.
• X2 (Draw or Away Win) — You win if the away team wins or the match draws. You only lose if the home team wins.
• 12 (Home Win or Away Win) — You win if either team wins. You only lose if the match draws.

Because you are covering two outcomes, Double Chance odds are significantly lower than 1X2 odds. A team priced at 2.50 on the 1X2 market might be just 1.25-1.40 on the 1X Double Chance. The trade-off is clear: higher win probability, lower profit per bet.

When to Use Each Double Chance Option

1X — Home or Draw

Use this when you expect the home team to be competitive but are not confident they will win outright. Home teams in the top 5 European leagues win around 45% of matches, with 25-27% ending in draws. This means 1X hits approximately 70-72% of the time — a very high strike rate.

X2 — Away or Draw

Use this when an underdog is playing away from home and you think they can get a result. This is a popular choice when backing teams in relegation battles visiting mid-table sides with nothing to play for. The combined draw + away win probability is typically 55-60% in such scenarios.

12 — Either Team to Win

Use this when you expect a decisive result but cannot pick the winner. Matches between two attacking teams, local derbies, and cup matches between teams from the same division often produce a winner. The average draw rate across the top 5 leagues is 24-27%, meaning 12 bets hit 73-76% of the time.

Double Chance Strategies

• Build safe accumulators — A 5-fold Double Chance accumulator at average odds of 1.35 per leg pays around 4.50. With each leg having a 70%+ chance, the overall acca probability is around 17% — much better than a standard 5-fold.
• Back strong home teams on 1X — Teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan rarely lose at home. Their 1X record at home is typically 85-90%, offering very safe but low-odds selections.
• Use 12 for derby matches — Derbies are emotional, intense, and typically produce a winner. The 12 market strips out the draw and offers odds around 1.25-1.40.
• Combine with over/under — "1X & Under 3.5 Goals" or "X2 & Over 1.5 Goals" are combination markets that offer better odds while maintaining reasonable probability.

Double Chance vs Draw No Bet

Double Chance 1X and Draw No Bet (Home) are similar but not identical. With DNB, a draw returns your stake. With 1X Double Chance, a draw is a winning outcome. This means 1X odds are lower than DNB odds because you are paid on the draw rather than just getting your stake back. If the draw probability is high, 1X can offer better expected value than DNB.

Best Sportsbooks for Double Chance

Bet365 and 1xBet offer Double Chance on virtually every match. Pinnacle provides sharp odds on Double Chance markets with the tightest margins. For accumulator building, DraftKings and FanDuel offer acca boosts that can enhance Double Chance multi-bet returns.