Bet types explained
Sportsbooks offer dozens of bet types, but most of them are built from a few ideas: one selection or several, a result or a number, and a fixed price or a handicap. Knowing how each one is settled helps you read the bet slip before you confirm it.
Every example here is arithmetic, not advice. More complex bets are not smarter bets. Each extra leg or condition usually adds more of the operator's margin, so a bet that looks exciting can also cost more.
Single bets
A single is one selection on one event. You stake 10 on a team at decimal odds of 2.20. If it wins, you get 22.00 back (profit 12.00). If not, you lose the 10.
Singles are the simplest bet to follow, and the outcome depends on one thing only. That makes the cost and the risk easy to see, which is why many people who want to keep control prefer them.
Accumulators (parlays)
An accumulator, also called a parlay or multiple, links several selections into one bet. All of them must win. The odds are multiplied together, and the whole return from each leg is staked on the next.
Example: three selections at 1.80, 2.10 and 1.50. Combined odds = 1.80 x 2.10 x 1.50 = 5.67. A stake of 10 returns 56.70 if all three win. If any one loses, the whole bet loses.
The attraction is a large return from a small stake. The cost is that the chance of every leg winning falls with every leg added, and the operator's margin on each leg multiplies as well. The bookmaker margin guide shows that a four-leg accumulator on 1.91 prices carries a cost of about 20%, compared with about 4.7% on a single leg.
Accumulators with many legs rarely win and can lead to repeated small losses. Treat the stake as the amount you are paying for the entertainment.
System bets
A system bet covers several combinations of a group of selections, so that not every selection has to win for there to be a return. Each combination is a separate bet with its own stake.
- A Trixie has 3 selections and 4 bets: 3 doubles and 1 treble.
- A Patent has 3 selections and 7 bets: 3 singles, 3 doubles and 1 treble.
- A Lucky 15 has 4 selections and 15 bets: 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 four-fold.
The total stake is the unit stake multiplied by the number of bets. A Trixie at 2 per bet costs 8 in total. You get something back if at least two of the three selections win, but the stake is larger than for a single accumulator, and the margin still applies to every leg.
Handicaps, spreads and totals
A handicap (called a spread in North America) gives one side a head start or a deficit so that the market is more balanced. If Team A is -1.5 and Team B is +1.5, then A must win by two or more goals or points to win the bet. B wins the bet if it wins, draws, or loses by only one.
A totals (over/under) bet is on the combined number of goals, points or games. Over 2.5 goals wins if 3 or more are scored. Under 2.5 wins with 0, 1 or 2. The half-number removes the possibility of a tie, so the bet always has a winner.
Whole-number lines such as over 3 can result in a push: if exactly 3 goals are scored, the stake is usually returned. Check how your sportsbook treats this.
Both teams to score and other markets
Both teams to score (BTTS) is a yes-or-no football market. It wins on yes if each team scores at least once, whatever the final result. It is a market about events within a match, not about who wins.
Other common markets include correct score, first goalscorer, player props and special bets. These typically have higher margins and long odds, since the outcomes are numerous and hard to price.
Each-way bets
An each-way bet is two bets in one: a win bet and a place bet, with equal stakes. Place terms are a fraction of the win odds, paid if your selection finishes in the top few places. Terms vary by event and operator, so read them on the slip.
Example: a 10 each-way bet costs 20. The win odds are 11/1 (decimal 12.00), and the place terms are 1/4 odds for three places. If the selection wins, the win part returns 120 and the place part returns 37.50, a total of 157.50. If it places only, you receive 37.50, which is a profit of 17.50. If it finishes outside the places, you lose the 20.
Checking your bet before you confirm
- Check the stake, and for multiple bets, the total stake, which is often more than the figure you typed.
- Check the odds format and whether the price changed after you added the selection.
- Check how void, postponed or abandoned events are handled.
- Use the odds calculator to work out a combined return before you place it.
If you are unsure how the price is built, start with how betting odds work. If you bet during an event, read about live betting too. Set limits before you start; see setting gambling limits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an accumulator and a parlay?
They are the same bet. Accumulator is the term used in the UK and Ireland, parlay in North America. Both link selections so that all must win.
Are system bets safer than accumulators?
They can return something when only some selections win, but they cost more because you stake on several bets at once. They do not remove the margin or the risk of losing.
What does a push mean?
A push happens when the result lands exactly on the line, for example exactly 3 goals on an over/under 3 bet. The stake is normally returned, but rules differ, so check the terms.
How many legs should an accumulator have?
There is no right number, but each added leg lowers the chance that all will win and adds more margin. Many people who prefer to limit their cost choose singles.