Double Chance is a football betting market that allows you to cover two of the three possible match results with one selection. Instead of choosing only a home win, draw or away win, you can combine two of these outcomes.
There are three Double Chance selections: 1X means Home or Draw, X2 means Draw or Away, and 12 means Home or Away. Your bet wins if either of the two outcomes included in your selection occurs.
Double Chance is one of several ways to bet on the result of a football match. If you are new to the sport and want to explore match results, goals and other common markets, our How to Bet on Football guide provides a broader introduction to football betting.
What Does Double Chance Mean in Betting?
To understand Double Chance, it helps to know how a standard football match result market is displayed.
The three possible results are:
1 – Home win
X – Draw
2 – Away win
Double Chance combines two of these outcomes:
| Double Chance | Outcomes covered |
| 1X | Home win or Draw |
| X2 | Draw or Away win |
| 12 | Home win or Away win |
This means each Double Chance selection can win with two possible match results. The remaining third result causes the bet to lose.
If the 1, X and 2 terminology is unfamiliar, our guide to What does 1X2 mean in betting? explains how the standard Home, Draw and Away match result market works.
How Does Double Chance Betting Work?
Imagine Team A is playing Team B, with Team A at home.
If you select 1X, your bet covers Team A to win or the match to finish as a draw.
If you select X2, your bet covers the draw or Team B to win.
If you select 12, your bet covers either Team A or Team B to win, meaning a draw is the only losing outcome.
For example, suppose Team A wins 2-1. Both 1X and 12 would be successful, while X2 would lose.
If the match finishes 1-1, 1X and X2 would win, while 12 would lose.
If Team B wins 2-0, X2 and 12 would win, while 1X would lose.
What Does 1X Mean in Double Chance Betting?
The 1X Double Chance selection covers a home win or a draw.
In other words, the home team needs to avoid defeat for the bet to win.
For example:
Team A wins 2-0 – 1X wins
Match finishes 1-1 – 1X wins
Team B wins 2-1 – 1X loses
Unlike a standard home-win bet, the home team does not necessarily have to win for 1X to be successful. A draw is also a winning result.
However, the bet can still lose. If the away team wins, the 1X selection is unsuccessful.
What Does X2 Mean in Double Chance Betting?
X2 covers a draw or an away win.
This means the away team needs to avoid defeat for the selection to win.
For example:
Team B wins 2-1 – X2 wins
Match finishes 0-0 – X2 wins
Team A wins 3-1 – X2 loses
The X represents the draw and the 2 represents the away team. If either of these results occurs, X2 wins.
If the home team wins, X2 loses.
What Does 12 Mean in Double Chance Betting?
The 12 selection covers a home win or an away win. The only result it does not cover is a draw.
For example:
Team A wins 3-0 – 12 wins
Team B wins 2-1 – 12 wins
Match finishes 2-2 – 12 loses
An important point for beginners is that 12 does not mean a score of 1-2.
The numbers refer to the standard 1X2 outcomes. The 1 represents the home team and the 2 represents the away team, so 12 means either the home or away team must win.
Double Chance Betting Examples
The easiest way to compare the three Double Chance options is to look at what happens with each possible match result.
| Match result | 1X | X2 | 12 |
| Home win | Win | Lose | Win |
| Draw | Win | Win | Lose |
| Away win | Lose | Win | Win |
Every Double Chance selection therefore covers two outcomes and excludes one.
For 1X, the excluded result is an away win. For X2, it is a home win. For 12, it is a draw.
Double Chance vs 1X2 Betting
The main difference between Double Chance and 1X2 betting is the number of match outcomes covered by one selection.
A standard 1X2 bet covers one outcome:
1 – Home
X – Draw
2 – Away
Double Chance covers two:
1X – Home or Draw
X2 – Draw or Away
12 – Home or Away
For example, suppose you believe the home team will perform well. You could back 1 in the standard match result market, in which case only a home victory would win the bet.
Alternatively, 1X would cover both a home victory and a draw.
These different settlement conditions also mean the markets have different betting odds.
Why Are Double Chance Odds Usually Shorter?
Double Chance prices will typically be shorter than the corresponding odds for one individual match result because two possible outcomes can satisfy the selection.
Imagine the home team is available at decimal odds of 2.50 in the standard match result market. A 1X selection covering both the home team and the draw would typically have shorter odds because either of those results can make the Double Chance bet successful.
This does not mean the Double Chance selection is guaranteed to win. There is still one match outcome that causes the wager to lose.
For 1X, that is an away win. For X2, it is a home win. For 12, it is a draw.
Double Chance vs Draw No Bet
Double Chance and Draw No Bet can appear similar because both can be used when considering the possibility of a draw. However, they settle a drawn match differently.
Suppose you are interested in backing the home team.
With 1X Double Chance:
Home win – Bet wins
Draw – Bet wins
Away win – Bet loses
With Home Draw No Bet:
Home win – Bet wins
Draw – Stake generally returned
Away win – Bet loses
The key distinction is the draw. With 1X, the draw is one of the two winning outcomes. With Draw No Bet, a draw generally causes the wager to be void and the original stake to be returned.
Our guide to What does Draw No Bet mean? explains this market in more detail, including what happens to your stake when the match finishes level.
Double Chance vs Handicap Betting
Double Chance and handicap betting are also different types of football markets.
Double Chance combines two of the standard home, draw and away outcomes. No goals are added to or removed from the result for settlement purposes.
Handicap betting instead applies a theoretical advantage or disadvantage to a team before determining the betting result.
For example, a team might be given a +1 handicap or a -1 handicap. The adjusted score is then used to settle the relevant handicap market.
If you want to understand how these adjustments work, our guide to What is handicap betting? provides examples of positive and negative handicaps in football and other sports.
Does Double Chance Include Extra Time?
Standard football Double Chance markets are commonly settled using the result after 90 minutes plus stoppage time unless the market specifically states otherwise.
Consider a knockout match that is level at 1-1 after 90 minutes before the home team wins 2-1 in extra time.
If the Double Chance market is based on the 90-minute result, the relevant outcome is a draw.
That would mean:
1X – Win
X2 – Win
12 – Lose
The subsequent extra-time result would not change the settlement of a standard 90-minute market.
However, market conditions can vary, so always check which period is being used for settlement before placing the bet.
Can You Use Double Chance in an Accumulator?
Double Chance selections may be available for inclusion in accumulators.
For example, an accumulator might contain:
Match 1 – 1X
Match 2 – X2
Match 3 – 12
For a standard accumulator to win, all three Double Chance selections would generally need to be successful.
If Match 1 finishes with a home win, Match 2 finishes as a draw and Match 3 has an away winner, all three selections have met their required conditions.
If one of the required selections loses, the standard accumulator will generally lose as well.
Can You Use Double Chance in a Bet Builder?
Double Chance selections may also be available within some Bet Builder combinations, depending on the event and compatible markets offered.
A Bet Builder combines several compatible selections relating to the same sporting event. For example, it could combine a match-result-related selection with a goals or player market where that combination is available.
Not every selection can necessarily be combined, so check the available options and complete bet slip at NetBet Sport before confirming a Bet Builder.
Double Chance Betting Example with Odds
Suppose a fictional football match has the following illustrative Double Chance odds:
1X – 1.30
X2 – 1.70
12 – 1.25
You place £10 on X2 at decimal odds of 1.70.
If the match finishes as a draw or the away team wins, the potential total return would be:
£10 × 1.70 = £17
This includes the £10 original stake, giving a potential profit of £7.
If the home team wins, X2 loses and the £10 stake is lost.
The actual odds available will depend on the teams, event and market.
When Does a Double Chance Bet Lose?
Each Double Chance selection has one losing outcome.
1X loses if the away team wins.
X2 loses if the home team wins.
12 loses if the match is drawn.
Remembering these three rules makes Double Chance markets relatively straightforward to read.
Although each selection covers two possible results, there is always a third outcome that is not covered.
How to Read Double Chance Markets at NetBet Sport
When viewing a Double Chance market at NetBet Sport, you may see the three combinations listed as 1X, X2 and 12 alongside their respective odds.
Remember:
1 = Home
X = Draw
2 = Away
From there, the combinations become easier to understand:
1X = Home or Draw
X2 = Draw or Away
12 = Home or Away
Check the order of the teams, your chosen combination, the odds and your stake before adding or confirming the selection.
What to Check Before Placing a Double Chance Bet
Before placing a Double Chance bet, make sure you know which team is at home and which is away. This is essential because the numbers 1 and 2 refer directly to the fixture order.
You should also check which two outcomes your selection covers, the available odds, your stake and the potential return.
For football matches that could continue into extra time, check which period determines settlement. The standard market may use the 90-minute result even when the fixture itself continues.
Covering two possible outcomes does not guarantee that a Double Chance bet will win. There is still one result that causes each selection to lose.
Understanding Double Chance Betting
Double Chance betting allows two of the three standard football match results to be covered with a single selection.
The three combinations are:
1X = Home or Draw
X2 = Draw or Away
12 = Home or Away
The main difference from standard 1X2 betting is that Double Chance covers two outcomes instead of one. It also differs from Draw No Bet because a covered draw is a winning result with 1X or X2, rather than generally causing the original stake to be returned.
Once you understand these markets, you can explore how they fit alongside other football betting options using our How to Bet on Football guide.
When betting at NetBet Sport, check the market, selection, odds and settlement conditions before placing your wager. Football results remain uncertain, so only bet what you can afford to lose.
Double Chance Betting FAQs
What does 1X mean in betting?
1X means Home or Draw. The Double Chance bet wins if the home team wins or the match finishes level. It loses if the away team wins.
What does X2 mean in betting?
X2 means Draw or Away. The bet wins if the match is drawn or the away team wins. It loses if the home team wins.
What does 12 mean in betting?
12 means Home or Away. The selection wins if either team wins and loses if the match finishes as a draw. The numbers refer to the 1X2 outcomes and do not represent a 1-2 scoreline.
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