Double chance betting: 1X, X2 and 12
Double chance is a bet on two of the three results of a football match at once: 1X (home win or draw), X2 (draw or away win) and 12 (either side wins). It loses on one result only, so its odds are lower than on either of the results it covers. In our data, in-play double chance on a side leading by one goal at half-time landed in 89.8% of matches. This guide shows how double chance settles, how to read it, where bettors go wrong and how it compares with 1X2 and draw no bet.
Key takeaways
- An X2 bet loses only if the home side wins, and 12 only on a draw, with no refunds and no half wins.
- On a draw 1X wins, DNB 1 refunds the stake and 1 loses, which is why 1X has the lowest odds of the three.
- A side leading at half-time by one goal avoided defeat in 89.8% of matches in our data, and by two goals in 97.5%.
- In ice hockey 1X counts after 60 minutes, so it also wins when the home side loses only in overtime.
What this market means
Double chance combines two results of the 1X2 match result market.
The usual options:
1X: home win or draw,X2: draw or away win,12: home win or away win, that is "no draw".
It is a market that looks simple but is easy to misread when you set it next to other markets.
How it settles
Example:
- an
X2bet wins if the match ends in a draw or an away win, - it loses only if the home side wins.
There is no:
- push,
- half win or half loss,
- split.
It is still a simple market with no partial refunds.
How to read double chance
In this market you do not back one exact result but two at the same time:
1Xcovers a home win and a draw,X2covers a draw and an away win,12covers either side winning, but not a draw.
This matters because bettors very often try to read double chance as a plain extension of the 1X2 market, while it covers the results in a different way.
Where bettors most often go wrong
1. Treating double chance like ordinary 1X2
Double chance does not have three separate results. It is a combined result.
2. Mixing up the meanings
1Xdoes not mean "the home side will win",12does not mean "someone will cover a handicap",X2does not mean "the away side will win".
This is a very common mistake when you check scenarios by hand.
3. Combining markets that do not close the space of results
Not every set of bets with double chance covers all the results.
Example:
1Xand12do not split the results the way1andX2do.
The same check applies when you mix double chance with Asian handicap lines or over/under goal totals: a combination that looks right can still leave a result uncovered or covered twice.
4. Not checking the scenarios
Even if a combination looks intuitively right, check that the set of selections really covers the results the way you think it does.
Practical tips
- The simplest combinations with double chance are
1 + X2,2 + 1XandX + 12.X2is also the usual hedge against a home win in the last leg of an accumulator. - Before you place a bet, always write out the three final results of the match:
- home win,
- draw,
- away win.
- Check by hand which bet wins in each of those three cases.
- In-play double chance on the side leading at half-time (for example
1Xat 1-0) landed in our data in 89.8% of matches with a one-goal lead and in 97.5% with a two-goal lead. A turnaround of the half-time result, the HT/FT reversal, is covered in our piece on half-time/full-time betting.
Double chance and draw no bet
A draw comes up in one league match in four, most often in evenly matched games with few goals (the numbers are in our piece on football draw statistics). If you want cover against a draw but do not want the draw to be a win, there is also the draw no bet market:
1X: a draw is a win (the lowest odds),DNB 1: a draw refunds the stake (odds in between),1: a draw is a loss (the highest odds).
In the surebet calculator, double chance is often combined with draw no bet or with a single result, for example X2 + DNB 1 or 1 + X2. Why such pairs can lock in a profit across two bookmakers is explained in what arbitrage betting is.
In other sports
Double chance only makes sense where there is a draw. In ice hockey and handball it works just as in football, on the result after regular time. In ice hockey 1X therefore means the home side does not lose in 60 minutes, even if they then lose in overtime. In sports without a draw, such as tennis or volleyball, there is no double chance: a 12 bet would always win.
FAQ
What does double chance mean in betting?
Double chance is a bet on two of the three results of a match at once. 1X wins on a home win or a draw, X2 on a draw or an away win, and 12 on a win for either side.
Does a 12 bet mean "no draw"?
Yes. 12 wins whichever side wins and loses only if the match ends in a draw.
What is the difference between double chance and draw no bet?
On a draw, 1X wins, DNB 1 refunds the stake and a straight 1 loses. That is why 1X has the lowest odds of the three and 1 the highest.
Does double chance include extra time?
No. Double chance settles on the result after regular time. In ice hockey that is 60 minutes, so 1X also wins when the home side loses only in overtime or the shootout.