2-Way vs 3-Way Moneylines in Football Betting: When do my bets count towards a draw?

BY markoh November 9, 2022

If you’ve ever bet on soccer and were disappointed when the results didn’t meet your expectations, you’re not alone.

One of the most common mistakes new soccer bettors make is not understanding the difference between two-way and three-way money lines.

Most sports use two-way money lines because a draw is impossible (MLB) or unlikely (NFL). However, draws occur almost every quarter in soccer, so a draw is offered as one of three main options.

If you are unfamiliar with American odds or want to learn more about soccer betting, check out these first.

Moneyline Three-way

 

There are three possible outcomes for a post-rules football game – team A wins, team B wins, or a draw.

You’ll see these three options on most football betting lines. It is the default option for most sportsbooks.

According to oddsmakers, in the Champions League final, Chelsea has only a 24 percent chance of winning in the regular season.

 
Result (After 90 mins) Odds Probability
Man City wins -106 49%
Chelsea wins +300 24%
Draw +250 27%

Because Chelsea did win in the regular season, anyone who took the Blues with a three-point line of +300 could cash in. But if they need extra time to win, the Bet is lost, and anyone who ties at +250 wins their Bet.

Moneyline Two-way

Chelsea at +300 is a juicy price – but again, the only way to cash in is for the Blues to win in the regular season. Overtime wins, bets lose.

With a two-way money line, you’ll have more security, but you won’t get as good a price.

There are two main types of two-way money lines.

No Bet Draw

Draw No Bet is what it sounds. If you bet on a team and it wins, your Bet wins. In the event of a tie, your Bets will refund. If the team loses, your Bet is lost.

Of course, the cushion you get from the draw factors into the price. Manchester City is -275 on the draw no-bet line, up from -106. Chelsea is +190, +300 below the 3-point line.

The books assign the odds of a draw between the two teams and adjust the odds. Some books charge futures fees—DraftKings holds about 8% of that Bet, while standard NFL spreads have about 4.8%.

Result Odds Probability
Man City wins -275 68%
Chelsea wins +190 32%

 Double chance

Double chance means you bet on an individual team to win, a draw, or either team to win. Again, it’s all in the odds.

Double chance has three possible outcomes:

Result (After 90 mins) Odds Probability
Man City or Draw -230 69.7%
Chelsea or Draw -150 60%
Man City or Chelsea wins -200 66.7%

It gives you a better chance of cashing your bet, but you pay for it.

Push or lift the trophy

In tournament situations, you can always bet on a 3-way or 2-way line if only the first 90 minutes of rule time matter.

But there’s another two-outcome option that might resonate more with American sports fans, betting on a team to advance or lift the trophy (if it’s a championship game).

In the Champions League final, Chelsea +300 from the three-point line but +165 to lift the trophy.

There are good chances, but there are worse chances.

 
Result (After 90 mins) Odds Probability
Man City wins -205 64%
Chelsea wins +165 36%

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