Double Chance Meaning in Betting: Definition, Tips and Strategies

Double Chance in betting refers to a wager that covers two of the three possible match outcomes in a single pick. Instead of betting on a home win, draw, or away win, a double chance bet lets you combine two of these outcomes, giving you a higher chance of winning if either of your chosen results occurs after 90 minutes.

This is one of the safest soccer bets, especially for beginners, because of the lower risk. The market also offers a strong win rate, ranging from 66.6% to 80%, depending on how heavily favoured your chosen team is.

We regularly place DC wagers on Hollywoodbets and Betway on Premier Soccer League and EPL matches. In this guide, we explain double chance meaning in football, break down the types, and provide real-world betting examples.

What Does Double Chance Mean In Betting?

A Double chance bet combines two full-time match outcomes into a single selection. A regular soccer match finishes with a home win, a draw or an away win. Double chance covers two out of those three results.

Top South African betting sites offer this market on nearly all football matches, and it has three options:

• 1X: Home win or Draw. You win if the home team wins or the match ends in a draw.
• X2: Draw or Away win. You win if the teams draw or if the away team win.
• 12: Home or Away. You win if either team wins.

Some bookmakers may label these markets as Home/Draw or Draw/Away instead of the shortcodes. The bet is still the same.

The market applies only to the standard 90 minutes of a match, plus any injury time added by the referee. Extra time and penalty shootouts in cup matches do not count.

To find this market, open any soccer match on your betting app. Once you’re in the main tab, scroll past the regular 1×2 bet and any XUp early payout odds (if available), and you’ll see it immediately on sites like Hollywoodbets or Easybet. To find the meaning of double chance at Betway, go to the Popular tab and scroll past 1X2, XUp, Total Goals, and Both Teams to Score.

1X Meaning in Double Chance Betting

1X is a double chance bet that the home team will win or the match will end in a draw. This bet loses if the away team wins.

Example Scenario

Let’s illustrate the double chance 1X meaning with a Premier League game between Liverpool (Home) and Manchester City (Away) on Hollywoodbets. We selected Liverpool or Draw at 0.50 with a small stake of just R10.

• Winning Bet: Liverpool win, or the match ends in a draw. The number of goals doesn’t matter.
• Losing Bet: Man City win.

You’ll find the odds for this market are much lower than the 1×2 market. That’s because the risk is lower. With a 66.6+% chance of winning, you usually won’t get big payouts, so check out the Hollywoodbets soccer codes for today if you want to save your cash for bigger odds.

Expert Tip: This selection works when two evenly matched sides meet, but the home team has a strong home or head-to-head record. It is also ideal in matches between a struggling favourite and a home underdog in good form.

X2 Meaning in Double Chance Betting

Double chance X2 means you win your wager if the match ends in a draw or the away team wins. This bet loses if the home team wins.

Example Scenario

To show a real double chance X2 meaning example, let’s use Easybet for a Conference League fixture between FC Copenhagen and SC Braga. We picked Draw or Away at 1.42 odds with a R10 stake.

• Winning Bet: The match ends in a draw, or Braga win. The number of goals doesn’t matter.
• Losing Bet: Copenhagen win.

Expert Tip: Even heavy favourites may only manage a draw when entering hostile environments. As with 1X, research the home team’s home record.

What Does the 12 Option Mean in Double Chance Betting?

Betting on the double chance 12 option means you win your wager if either team wins. A full-time draw loses.

Let’s consider a Nations League match between Türkiye and Italy on World Sports Betting. For this one, we picked Home or Away @ 1.33 odds with a R10 stake.

• Winning Bet: Türkiye win, or Italy win. The number of goals doesn’t matter.
• Losing Bet: Match ends in a draw.

According to sites like OddsChecker and Footystats, only 22-25% of soccer matches end in draws. The Probmatrix sets the average at 26.8%. This means the 12 bet wins roughly three out of four times. As a result, bookmakers usually offer the lowest odds for this pick, meaning any real value would come from including it in a multi-bet.

We would still argue that this bet is riskier than 1X and X2 because there’s less room for error. One team has to win, or you lose.

Expert Tip: This selection works best with teams that rarely, if ever, draw against each other.

How Does a Double Chance Bet Work?

A double chance bet gives you two chances to win your bet by combining two of the three possible 1X2 match outcomes into a single selection.

Bookmakers combine the individual probabilities of the two chosen outcomes to calculate the betting odds for this market. Covering two outcomes increases the total implied probability of winning the wager to between 65% and 80%, which keeps our stake safer.

A higher winning probability leads bookmakers to offer lower odds for double chance markets than for 1X2 selections.

Double Chance Option	Outcomes Covered	Bet Loses If
1X	Home win or draw	Away team wins
X2	Draw or away win	Home team wins
12	Home win or away win	Match ends in a draw

Double Chance Bet Example

To fully understand double chance meaning in soccer, let’s use an example with a Premier Soccer League match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

• Option 1 (1X – Sundowns or Draw): Our bet wins if Sundowns win or the match ends in a draw. Our bet loses if Orlando Pirates win.
• Option 2 (X2 – Draw or Pirates): Our bet wins if the match ends in a draw or Pirates win. Our bet loses if Sundowns win.
• Option 3 (12 – Sundowns or Pirates): Our bet wins if Sundowns or Pirates win. Our bet loses if the game ends in a draw.

You can see now that instead of two losing outcomes, we have only one thanks to this market.

Double Chance and Over/Under Bets: Combining Markets

Some bookmakers also let you combine double chance with an over/under market. With this combo bet, you’re wagering on two of the three 1×2 results, and whether the match will produce above or below a set statistic, such as goals, bookings, or corners.

For example, selecting double chance 1X and over 1.5 goals means:

1. The home team must win, or the match ends in a draw.
2. At least two goals must be scored in the match.

If the home team wins 1-0, the first part of the bet succeeds, but because only one goal was scored, your Over 1.5 Goals selection fails, and you lose the entire bet. So for this bet to win, both parts of the selection must happen.

Bettors pair these markets because it offers higher odds than the standard double chance market. It’s a useful combo to include in your accumulator or multi-bets, especially for matches you expect to have many goals.

How to Win Double Chance Bets: Tips and Strategies

Winning double chance bets requires knowing how to bet on soccer. That means researching the teams and analysing matches carefully. Do not treat lower odds in this market as a guaranteed outcome.

• Analyse Recent Form: Look closely at team trends over their last five matches. Identify teams that draw often or do well at home or when away, depending on the fixture.
• Evaluate Match Context: Cup knockouts or high-stakes league matches can lead to more defensive play and can be a good time to use this market.
• Combine Selections in Multi Bets: Build accumulators with several strong double-chance picks to get decent odds with reduced risk.
• Target Dominant Home Teams: Find underdog teams with strong home records. Backing them on 1X often offers value against struggling favourites.
• Monitor Team News: Check player availability before placing wagers. Missing key players often changes the match calculus and can tip the game one way or the other.

Double Chance vs Other Betting Markets

Double Chance is a variant of popular football betting markets covered in our expert guides for sports bettors, like 1×2 and Draw No Bet, because they all focus on match results. However, each works differently, and understanding those differences can help you pick the best wager for every match.

The standard 1X2 market requires one selection: a home win, full-time draw, or away win. It offers higher betting odds, but carries greater risk.

Draw No Bet returns your stake on a draw and pays out only when your chosen team wins.

Meanwhile, double chance covers two outcomes, reducing risk but offering lower odds.

Market	Outcomes Covered	Odds Level	Best Used When
Double Chance	Two of three results	Lower	Matchwinner is hard to predict
1X2	One result only	Higher	Confident in one clear outcome
Draw No Bet	Win only (draw refunds stake)	Moderate	Confident in a win, want draw protection

When Bettors Use the Double Chance Market

Here are some key scenarios to look out for when you want to place a double chance bet:

• In-Play Trailing Favourites: When the team expected to win, home or away, concedes early, their live odds increase. Backing 1X or X2 in-play in this scenario gives you better odds than pre-match.
• Strong Underdogs: Backing an underdog team with a strong home record with 1X is safer than backing a straight win.
• Derbies: The draw rate for local derbies is about 31.2%, according to Probmatrix, because teams are more risk-averse. 1X or X2 in favour of the team with the better recent record is a good bet here.
• Accumulators: Accas are generally riskier than singles because one losing leg loses the entire bet. A multi consisting of strong double chance selections offers better protection because it reduces risk.

Please note that while this market is less risky, nothing is ever guaranteed in betting. So, always bet responsibly and avoid chasing losses or increasing stakes just because you feel the odds are safe.

Pros and Cons of Double Chance Betting

This market offers safer ways to win, but it also has other advantages and disadvantages.

Is Double Chance the Right Bet for You?

Double Chance offers an effective way to manage risk while improving your chances of winning on 1×2 outcomes in soccer betting. The trade-off is lower odds, so this market suits cautious bettors, beginners, and accumulator betting.

This bet works best when you’re unsure about two teams that aren’t far apart in strength, or when a struggling favourite faces an underdog with a strong recent record. But as with all bets, always gamble responsibly. Set strict budget limits before placing bets and never wager money you cannot afford to lose.

Common Questions on Double Chance Meaning