Sports betting can be a nerve-wracking business. Sometimes, it’s the small wins and simple bets we enjoy the most. Draw no bet, a bet that excludes the possibility of a tie, is one such option. It is essentially a moneyline market but only applies to certain sports. This guide will educate you about everything you need to know about this type of bet.
What is ‘Draw No Bet’ in Sports Betting?
A draw no bet (DNB), also known as a tie no bet, is a moneyline bet where you bet on one of the two teams to be the outright winner. Unlike a traditional moneyline, it excludes the possibility of a draw in sports with a three-way moneyline (1X2). The image above shows an example of a standard three-way moneyline bet in soccer where a draw is also an option. Here are the odds for a tie no bet. When you understand this, getting to grips with the betting term isn’t hard to understand.
In placing a draw no bet wager, you’re making a safer bet by eliminating what would be a likely, if not probable, outcome (draw). If the match ends in a tie, it’s called a ‘push’ and the sportsbook will refund your stake. Draw no bet is most commonly offered in soccer.
Example of Draw No Bet
Let’s take as an example a soccer match where the three-way moneyline is as follows:
- Team A to win: -150
- Team B to win: +390
- Tie: +280
As it stands, if you bet on Team A (the favorite) to win, you need to wager $150 to win $100. However, if it’s a contested game and the underdog plays at home while the favorite is experiencing a crisis of form, it is very probable for the match to end in a tie or Team B to make an upset and win. If the match ends in a draw you lose the bet.
On the other hand, with a tie no bet wager, betting on Team A to win will pay out at a lower price, as shown in the images above. However, in case of a tie, your money is refunded rather than being lost. If Team B wins, you lose your bet.
Draw No Bet Strategy
The draw no bet is mainly used by bettors to mitigate risk from a bet, by taking draws out of the equation. This obviously lends itself to some sports over others, with soccer being the most useful, as it produces a large number of drawn matches.
Generally, it would not be a wise decision to use the draw no betting option in a game where the underdog has a very good chance of upsetting your team. This option is most useful when you think your team is absolutely nailed on to win and you want to back them with a large stake, while also giving yourself some insurance if the game ends tied.
However, you will find the most value in draw no bets in parlays. Adding three or four legs to a bet compensates for the small reduction in the odds you will notice when using the draw no betting market. Adding draw no bets to a parlay can improve the probability of those wagers winning and you receiving a big payout.
Draw No Bet vs Double Chance
With a tie-no-bet, if the game is tied in regular time, the money is returned (refunded) rather than lost. There is no refund with double chance wagers.
A double chance bet is an exclusive bet applicable to soccer and other 1X2 sports. You bet on two outcomes: for the home team to win or draw (1X); a draw and the away team to win (X2); or eliminate a draw and bet on either team to win (12).
With a draw-no-bet, you bet on one of two outcomes: one of the teams to be the outright winner. With a double chance wager, a tie can be one of the winning outcomes. A DNB wager omits the possibility of a tie completely.
What Happens to Draw No Bet Wagers In Extra Time?
Certain soccer games may continue to extra time if the game ends in a tie and the aggregate result has failed to produce a winner. If you are betting on soccer and place a DNB wager and the game is tied after 90 minutes, you lose your bet, regardless of whether the team you bet on wins during extra time or in a penalty shootout.
Popular Sports for Tie No Bet
Soccer is by far the most common sport for this type of bet. It is estimated that over 20% of soccer games end in a tie. Even in cases where you have an absolute favorite, a tie is still possible until the final whistle unless, of course, the favorite team has a considerable lead in the final phase of the game.
Any sport with a 1X2 on the moneyline can include an option for a tie no bet. But these are rare. US sportsbooks mostly offer DNB odds in soccer and, more seldom, in hockey and chess.
Is There Value in DNB Wagers?
A tie-no-bet is a relatively safe bet, at least safer than most. It eliminates the risk of losing your bet if a game ends in a tie, as is the case with double-chance betting. DNB is a low-roller betting market, but its reduced risk can still create great value.
Depending on the sportsbook, you may be able to combine multiple DNB bets into a parlay or add just a single DNB selection to your parlay ticket. A tie-no-bet has decreased odds (when betting on favorites). However, it shows its true worth as an odds multiplier.
Adding a single DNB leg with -220 odds to a parlay with a total odds value of, say, +780 from 5 legs can significantly boost the cumulative price of those 5 selections. In this case, the price will be boosted to around +1170.
Advantages Of Draw No Bet
Here are some reasons why utilizing this market can provide some benefits:
Insures your stake
When you have allocated a specific amount of money for a bet, you will hope and expect to come out with a fair chance at the end. If you are convinced about a team being the favorites, then there is probably no point in a DNB. However, if you are betting on soccer for example, you will know how much uncertainty the sport produces. Weaker squads on paper have been known to cause favorites problems in the past and it will likely happen in the future, too.
This is why draw no bet is important for protecting your stake, just in case things do play out as you expected. For example, a key player from the rival team who you thought was injured comes off the bench and scores a late equalizer. A DNB would have you covered in that scenario.
Provides flexibility
If you think a match will be decided by fine margins and is too close to call, a DNB is an excellent strategy. If the two teams look really evenly-matched, this type of bet is perfect as it enhances the value.
Sportsbooks Offering Draw No Bet Odds
You can find DNB odds at several top sportsbooks including:
