What Is a Double Chance Bet? The Three Types, How the Odds Are Set and When Irish Punters Should Use It

Updated 23 Oct 2026 · Written by Seán Murphy · Reviewed by Aoife Gallagher

A double chance bet lets you cover two of the three possible results in a football match with one bet. Back the home side or the draw, the away side or the draw, or either team to win, and you're paid if either of your two outcomes happens. It's one of the most popular "safer" bets on Irish coupons, especially for anyone who fancies a team not to lose rather than to win outright. The catch is the price: covering two results means short odds, and short odds leave little room for error. Here's how double chance works, how the odds are built, and how to use it without fooling yourself.

18+ only. General information, not betting advice. All prices and results below are made-up examples to show the maths. Under Irish law only operators licensed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) may lawfully take bets from Irish customers. Offshore crypto sites such as Cloudbet (which we link to and which holds a Curaçao licence) are not licensed in Ireland, so no Irish regulator can help in a dispute. If betting is causing you worry, Gambling Care is free and open 24/7 on 1800 936 725 (Northern Ireland: 08000 886 725).

Double chance at a glance

A normal football match result market has three outcomes: home win (1), draw (X) and away win (2). A double chance bet groups two of them together:

That's it. One stake, two results covered, one result that beats you. You'll find double chance on most football matches and sometimes on other sports where draws are possible, such as rugby, hockey and Gaelic games.

How double chance odds are worked out

Double chance prices come straight from the three match result prices. Add up the implied chances of the two outcomes you're covering, then turn that back into odds:

Double chance odds = 1 ÷ (1 ÷ odds A + 1 ÷ odds B)

Take a made-up Premier Division match priced at home 2.10, draw 3.40 and away 3.60:

If a bookie's double chance price is lower than what the formula gives, they've added extra margin on top of the match result market. If it matches or beats it, you're paying the same margin you would on the individual results. Checking takes seconds, and our odds calculator can show you the margin on the original market.

You can build it yourself

Double chance is really two bets glued together. With €20 on the example 1X, you'd get back about €25.96 if either the home win or draw lands. You could get the same result by splitting your €20 into about €12.36 on the home win at 2.10 and €7.64 on the draw at 3.40. Either one landing returns about €25.96. That's handy to know, because if one site has a better draw price and another a better home price, splitting across them can beat the double chance price at either one.

What different matches look like on double chance

Here's how double chance prices shift between three made-up matches: a clear favourite, a balanced game and an away favourite.

The most interesting number is usually the underdog with the draw. In the first row, X2 at 2.16 covers the outsider not losing. It's still a decent price because most of the probability sits with the favourite. On the other hand, 1X on a strong home favourite at 1.18 pays very little: €100 to win €18.

The 12 option is a quiet one. It's worth a look in games where you expect both sides to attack and a draw feels unlikely, such as a cup tie where one team must chase the game, or a league match between two sides that rarely draw.

What double chance really does to your chances

Here's the bit that's easy to forget. Short odds mean the bookie thinks the bet wins most of the time, and you pay a margin on top. Odds of 1.30 imply about a 77% chance. If your honest read is that the home side or the draw happens 80% of the time, the bet has a small edge. If it's 74%, you're losing money long term, even though most of your bets win.

That's the psychological trap. Double chance feels great because you win often. But one loss at 1.30 wipes out more than three wins. Lose one in four and you're behind.

Winning 15 out of 20 bets and still losing money surprises a lot of people. That's what short odds do. Keep a simple record of your double chance bets (stake, odds, result) and you'll soon see whether your picks are good enough to beat the price.

Double chance in accumulators

Double chance legs are hugely popular in accas because each leg feels "safe". Three legs at 1.30, 1.36 and 1.25 multiply to about 2.21, so €10 returns about €22.10. That looks like a nice return for three "near certainties".

Now the reality check. If each leg truly lands about 74%, 71% and 78% of the time, the chance of all three landing is about 41%. Fewer than half of those trebles come in. Stretch it to a six-fold of 1.25 legs and the price is about 3.81, but if each leg lands 78% of the time, all six land only about 22.5% of the time. Every leg also carries its own margin, and those margins stack up as you add legs. Our guide to accumulator bets shows how quickly that adds up.

Double chance accas aren't a bad idea in themselves. Just remember that "safe" legs multiplied together are anything but safe, and keep the number of legs small.

When double chance is a sensible bet

• Backing an underdog not to lose. X2 or 1X on the weaker side often gives a fair price for a side that you think will hold out, especially in low-scoring games.
• Derbies and tight league games. When two sides are close and the draw is likely, covering it with your preferred team can make sense.
• Cup ties where one side must win. The 12 option can be worth a look when a draw is unlikely because one team needs a result.
• Keeping swings down. If you want fewer losing runs and steadier results, double chance does that, as long as the prices are fair.

When to skip it

• Heavy favourites. 1X on a team already at 1.30 to win might leave you at 1.08 or so. The risk isn't worth the return.
• When the price is below the formula. That's extra margin. Split the stake yourself, or skip the bet.
• When you're just afraid of losing. If you'd never back the team to win, ask yourself whether you really rate them, or whether the short price just feels comfortable.
• Long accas of "bankers". As above, the chance of everything landing drops fast.

How double chance bets settle

• 90 minutes plus stoppage time. In football, double chance settles on the result at full time. Extra time and penalties don't count unless the market says otherwise. A cup game that's level after 90 minutes is a winner for 1X and X2 and a loser for 12, whatever happens next.
• Abandoned matches. Usually void unless the result is already decided, or unless the match is completed within a set time. Rules vary.
• In-play double chance. Many sites offer double chance during the match. Prices move fast after goals and red cards, so double-check the price before you confirm.
• Cash out. Usually available on double chance, but the cash-out value includes margin, so you'll get a little less than the bet's fair worth.

Double chance beyond football

Double chance shows up wherever a draw is a real possibility. In Gaelic football and hurling, draws are uncommon enough that 1X and X2 prices sit close to the straight win price, though a tight provincial game can make them worth a look. In rugby the draw is rare, so double chance prices are only slightly shorter than the win odds, giving cheap protection. Ice hockey and handball markets sometimes offer it too, usually on regulation time only. Always check what period the market covers.

How it compares with other "safety" bets

Double chance is one of several ways to cover the draw. Its close relative is draw no bet, where a draw returns your stake rather than counting as a win, so it pays a higher price than double chance on the same team. Asian handicap lines like +0.5 work the same way as double chance (1X or X2), and +0.25 splits your stake between the two. If you like these kinds of bets, compare the prices across all of them on the same match before placing anything, because one is often priced a little better than the others.

Five mistakes Irish punters make with double chance

1. Treating a short price as a sure thing. A 1.25 bet still loses one time in five or so.
2. Raising stakes because it "can't lose". Bigger stakes on short odds mean bigger hits when it does lose.
3. Not checking the formula. A bookie can quietly add margin to double chance markets.
4. Stacking too many legs in an acca. The chance of success falls quickly with each added leg.
5. Forgetting the 90-minute rule in cup games.

Where to bet double chance from Ireland

Most GRAI-licensed bookmakers price double chance on football. Offshore crypto sportsbooks such as Cloudbet also list it on major leagues alongside Asian handicap lines, but they are not licensed in Ireland, so you'd have none of the Irish consumer protections. Read our guide on whether online betting is legal in Ireland before you sign up anywhere, and compare double chance prices against the formula and at least one other site.

Keep it a bit of fun

Double chance wins often, which can make it easy to bet more than you planned. Set a budget, keep your stakes steady, and never chase a loss with a bigger "safe" bet. If gambling stops being fun, Gambling Care is free and confidential on 1800 936 725, 24/7 (Northern Ireland: 08000 886 725). Our responsible gambling page has more support.

Our take

A double chance bet covers two of the three match results with one stake. It's a useful tool for backing an underdog not to lose or covering the draw in a tight game, and it smooths out your results. It isn't a shortcut to profit: the short odds mean one loss undoes several wins, and the bookie's margin still applies. Work out the fair price with the formula, compare it with splitting your stake and with related markets, keep accas short, and keep your stakes the same as you would on any other bet.