A draw no bet is a type of bet that is most commonly used in soccer. It works by removing the draw possibility from the betting odds so that you are only left with odds for either team winning the game. If the game does end in a draw then the draw no bet stake is refunded. Let’s take a closer look at the draw no bet by using an example and comparing the odds to the 1X2 betting odds.
Draw No Bet Example
Let’s look at a game from Major League Soccer in the United States. In this example Toronto FC is playing against the New England Revolution. The 1X2 odds are as follows:
New England Revolution 1.70
Draw 3.60
Toronto FC 5.00
In comparison the Draw No Bet odds are:
New England Revolution 1.28
Toronto FC 3.50
In this example placing a $100 bet on Toronto FC will win you $250 betting the Draw No Bet line and if the game ends in a tie your $100 bet is refunded. If New England wins however you will lose your stake.
Calculating the Draw No Bet Odds
Are you wondering how the bookie got from the 1X2 odds to the Draw No Bet odds? Let’s take a look.
First they have to account for the possible draw, so they take your $100 wager and divide it by the odds of a draw (3.60). This results in $27.78 being subtracted from your initial bet to account for the possibility of a draw. The sportsbook does this because if the game does end in a draw then your $100 is refunded from that $27.78 basically being paid out at 3.60 odds (27.78 x 3.60 = $100).
Now the remainder of your wager will back whichever team you have chosen. In our example we chose to back Toronto FC, which means that the remaining $72.22 will be backing Toronto FC at odds of 5.00. This results in possible winnings of $361.10.
To find what the odds should be based on the 1X2 odds you can now divide the $361.10 by your $100 wager. This results in odds of 3.61, which is higher than the Draw No Bet odds shown in our example. In this circumstance it would be smarter to bet the $27.78 on the Draw at 3.60 and the remaining $72.22 on Toronto FC at 5.00. Doing this short calculation would result in an $11 higher payout if Toronto FC did win the game.
When Should I Use Draw No Bet
After doing the calculation that I have outlined above you will be able to quickly tell whether it is more favorable to place a Draw No Bet or to split up your funds (betting enough on a draw to get your total stake back, while betting the remainder on your chosen team).
**Just because the example I used above shows the Draw No Bet odds offering a lower payout than creating your own draw refund from the 1X2 odds doesn’t mean that this will always be the case. Do the simple calculations before placing your bets every time in order to make sure you get the best return on your investment.