There are times when predicting the result of a football
match is extremely difficult. For example, a cup final between Arsenal and
Chelsea may depend on which team turns up or which one wants it more. A match
between two relegation threatened teams such as Hull City and Middlesbrough may
not be easy to predict as each of the teams is badly in need of a result and there
is no obvious underdog. It is under these circumstances that double chance
betting may be worth trying.
Betting on double chance means putting your money on two
possible results in one pick, such as saying team A will win or draw, team B
will win or draw, or either team will win. When betting on double chance, you
are reducing the 3 possible outcomes of a match to 2, getting a single price by
backing a team to win or draw, or backing either team to win. If the team you
back wins or draws, your bet succeeds. But if it loses then your bet fails. In
double chance betting, the odds you get for a win/draw or for either team
winning are shorter than those you get for individual win and draw for the same
team. This is because the possibility of a win/draw result occurring is far
greater than of an individual win or individual draw.
Double chance bets are popular in football betting because
as long as a punter can assess and spot a match in which there is little to no
chance of a team losing, then a double chance bet is almost guaranteed to win.
Double chance bets also allow players to get coverage on the other two options
by combining a win and draw into one. With the double chance, you win when the
favorite wins and you also win when the favorite ends up with an unlikely draw.
Of course, you lose when the favorite ends up with the unlikely loss. However,
there is still the other double chance option of either team wins, which helps
you to win when only a win occurs in a match. In this case you will lose your money
if there is a draw.
How is a double chance bet placed?
If say the match is Chelsea v Manchester United, the double
chance options are Chelsea win or draw, Manchester United win or draw, and
either Chelsea or Manchester United win. If Chelsea is taken as the home team
and Manchester United as the away team, Chelsea will be represented by 1 and
Manchester United by 2, a draw is represented by X.
So the double chance
options are:
1X (1 or X): Chelsea win or draw
2X (2 or X): Manchester United win or Draw
12 (1 or 2): Chelsea win or Manchester United win
If you bet 1X, you win when Chelsea wins or draws
If you bet 2X, you win when Manchester United wins or draws
If you bet 12, you win when one of the teams loses
The double chance is a great way to get coverage when
building an accumulator or when you can’t clearly choose the winner between two
teams. Win or draw (1X or 2X) are good options when backing a stronger team
playing at home or a stronger team playing away from home. The “either team
wins option” (12) is ideal in a match where a draw is almost impossible, though
either team can win.
By combining two possible results into one using the double
chance option, you cut down your risk and give yourself a greater chance of
winning. While the odds offered by bookmakers are lower for the double chance
option, you are more likely to win with this option if you do your homework
well.