1X2 is one of the most common football betting markets and represents the three possible results of a match: a home win, a draw or an away win. In simple terms, 1 means a home win, X means a draw and 2 means an away win.
For example, if Arsenal are playing Chelsea with Arsenal listed as the home team, selecting 1 means backing Arsenal to win, X means backing the match to finish level, and 2 means backing Chelsea to win.
Understanding 1X2 betting provides a useful starting point for learning about other football markets. If you are new to the sport, our How to Bet on Football guide provides a broader introduction to football betting, including common markets and how to read the options available.
How Does 1X2 Betting Work?
A 1X2 market gives you three possible selections based on the result of the football match.
These are:
1 – Home win
X – Draw
2 – Away win
You choose one of the three outcomes. If your selected outcome matches the result used to settle the market, the bet wins. If one of the other two outcomes occurs, the bet loses.
For example, imagine Team A is playing Team B.
If you select 1 and Team A wins 2-0, your selection wins.
If you select X and the match finishes 1-1, your selection wins.
If you select 2 and Team B wins 3-1, your selection wins.
The odds attached to each selection determine the potential return if the bet is successful.
What Does 1 Mean in Football Betting?
The number 1 represents the home team to win.
The home team is normally the first team displayed in the fixture. For example:
Team A vs Team B
Team A is the home team and Team B is the away team.
If you select 1:
Team A wins 2-1 – Bet wins
Match finishes 1-1 – Bet loses
Team B wins 2-0 – Bet loses
Backing 1 means the home team must win according to the period used to settle the market. Simply avoiding defeat is not enough for a standard home-win selection.
What Does X Mean in Football Betting?
The X represents a draw.
If the two teams are level at the end of the period used for settlement, X is the winning 1X2 selection.
For example:
0-0 – Draw
1-1 – Draw
2-2 – Draw
3-3 – Draw
In each of these cases, X would be the winning selection in a standard 1X2 market.
If either the home or away team wins, a bet on X loses.
What Does 2 Mean in Football Betting?
The number 2 represents the away team to win.
Using the same example:
Team A vs Team B
Selecting 2 means you are backing Team B because it is the away team.
If Team B wins 2-0, the selection wins. If the match finishes 1-1, it loses. If Team A wins 3-1, it also loses.
The numbers 1 and 2 therefore refer to the position of the teams in the fixture – home and away – rather than league position, ranking or which side is considered the favourite.
What Does Home, Draw, Away Mean in Betting?
Home, Draw and Away is another way of displaying a standard 1X2 market.
The terminology can be matched directly:
| 1X2 | Match result |
| 1 | Home win |
| X | Draw |
| 2 | Away win |
Depending on how a football market is displayed, you may therefore see 1 – X – 2, Home – Draw – Away or simply Match Result.
All three can refer to the same basic three-way football market.
1X2 Betting Example with Odds
Each outcome in a 1X2 market has its own betting odds.
Imagine Team A is playing Team B and the illustrative decimal odds are:
Team A – 2.00
Draw – 3.50
Team B – 3.75
In 1X2 terms, this could be displayed as:
1 – 2.00
X – 3.50
2 – 3.75
If you place £10 on 1 at decimal odds of 2.00 and Team A wins, the potential total return would be:
£10 × 2.00 = £20
This includes your original £10 stake, giving a potential profit of £10.
The odds available for 1, X and 2 can be different because each price represents a different outcome and implied likelihood.
Does 1X2 Include Extra Time?
Standard football 1X2 markets are commonly settled using the result after 90 minutes plus stoppage time unless the market specifically states otherwise.
This is particularly important in knockout competitions where extra time and penalties may follow a draw.
Imagine a cup match has the following scores:
After 90 minutes: 1-1
After extra time: 2-1
If the 1X2 market is based on the standard 90-minute result, X is the relevant winning selection because the match was level at the end of the specified period. The fact that one team subsequently won in extra time would not change the settlement of that 90-minute market.
Always check the specific market rules to see which period determines the result.
What Happens to 1X2 Bets If a Match Is Postponed or Abandoned?
A football match does not always take place or finish as originally scheduled. Weather, crowd issues, safety concerns and other circumstances can result in matches being postponed or abandoned.
How an existing 1X2 bet is handled depends on the applicable settlement rules.
A postponed match may remain valid if it is rearranged within a specified period, while in other circumstances affected wagers may be void. An abandoned match can also be treated differently depending on whether the market had already been determined.
This means you should check the relevant rules rather than assuming that every postponed or abandoned fixture receives the same settlement.
1X2 vs Draw No Bet
Draw No Bet and 1X2 both allow you to back a team, but a drawn match is treated differently.
With 1X2, the draw is one of the three separate possible outcomes. If you back the home team and the match is drawn, your selection loses.
With Draw No Bet, a draw generally results in the original stake being returned.
| Result | Home 1X2 | Home Draw No Bet |
| Home win | Win | Win |
| Draw | Lose | Stake generally returned |
| Away win | Lose | Lose |
If you want to understand this alternative in more detail, our guide to What does Draw No Bet mean? explains how winning, losing and drawn results are treated in a DNB market.
1X2 vs Double Chance
Double Chance is another market built around the three possible outcomes of a football match, but it allows two outcomes to be covered with one selection.
The standard Double Chance options are:
1X – Home or Draw
X2 – Draw or Away
12 – Home or Away
For example, if you select 1X, the bet can win if the home team wins or if the match finishes as a draw. It would lose if the away team wins.
A standard 1X2 selection covers only one of those outcomes.
Our guide to What is Double Chance betting? explores the 1X, X2 and 12 options in more detail and explains how they differ from standard match result betting.
1X2 vs Over/Under Betting
1X2 betting focuses on the result of the match, while Over/Under betting focuses on whether a particular statistic finishes above or below a specified line.
For example, an Over 2.5 Goals bet does not require you to predict whether the home team, away team or neither side will win. Instead, you are predicting whether at least three goals will be scored.
A match could finish 3-0, 2-1 or 1-2 and Over 2.5 Goals would be successful in each case.
This makes totals betting very different from predicting the match result. Our guide to What is over/under betting? explains how lines such as Over 1.5, Over 2.5 and Under 2.5 work across football and other sports.
Is 1X2 the Same as Moneyline Betting?
The terms 1X2 and moneyline should not always be treated as interchangeable.
A football 1X2 market specifically provides three possible outcomes: home win, draw and away win.
In sports where a draw is not part of the standard result market, a two-way winner or moneyline market may instead contain only two selections.
It is therefore best to check the exact options and settlement rules rather than assuming that the same terminology applies identically across every sport.
Can You Use 1X2 Selections in an Accumulator?
Where available, 1X2 selections from different football matches can be combined into an accumulator.
For example:
Match 1 – 1
Match 2 – X
Match 3 – 2
This would mean backing the home team to win Match 1, Match 2 to finish as a draw and the away team to win Match 3.
For a standard accumulator, all required selections generally need to be successful for the overall bet to win.
The combined odds reflect the prices of the individual selections included in the accumulator.
How to Read a 1X2 Market at NetBet Sport
When looking at a football fixture at NetBet Sport, the standard Match Result market may show the home team, draw and away team alongside their respective odds.
Before making a selection, check the order of the teams carefully.
Remember:
1 = first-listed/home team
X = draw
2 = second-listed/away team
You can then review the odds, stake and potential return on the bet slip before confirming the wager.
What to Check Before Placing a 1X2 Bet
Before placing a 1X2 bet, make sure you have identified the home and away teams correctly and selected the intended outcome.
You should also check the odds, stake and potential return, along with the period used for settlement. This is particularly relevant for cup and knockout matches that could continue into extra time or penalties.
Remember that the odds attached to an outcome do not guarantee that it will happen. Football results remain uncertain regardless of whether a team is priced as a favourite or an outsider.
Understanding 1X2 Betting
The meaning of 1X2 betting is straightforward:
1 = Home win
X = Draw
2 = Away win
You select one of these three possible match results. If that outcome occurs during the period specified by the market, the wager wins. If another outcome occurs, the wager loses.
Once you understand the basic 1X2 market, it becomes easier to see how related options such as Draw No Bet, Double Chance and Over/Under betting differ.
When using NetBet Sport, always check the market, selection, odds and settlement conditions before placing a wager. Football results remain unpredictable, so only bet what you can afford to lose.
1X2 Betting FAQs
What does 1X2 mean in football betting?
In a standard football 1X2 market, 1 means the home team to win, X means the match to finish as a draw and 2 means the away team to win.
What happens if I bet on 1 and the match is a draw?
If you select 1 in a standard 1X2 market and the relevant match result is a draw, the bet loses. This is because X is the correct selection for a drawn match.
Does 1X2 betting include extra time?
Standard football 1X2 markets are commonly settled using the result after 90 minutes plus stoppage time unless otherwise stated. Check the specific market rules to confirm whether extra time or penalties are included.
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