Double Chance Meaning in Betting (1X, X2, 12)
The meaning of double chance in betting: one bet that covers two of the three match results. See how 1X, X2 and 12 settle, how the odds are set and when draw no bet pays more.
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Double chance is a football bet that covers two of the three possible results with a single selection. 1X wins if the home team wins or the match is drawn, X2 wins on a draw or an away win, and 12 wins if either team wins. With two ways to win, the odds are lower.
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A double chance bet backs two of the three possible full-time results at once. Instead of choosing only a home win, draw or away win, you pick a pair: 1X, X2 or 12. You lose only if the one result you left out happens.
Double chance is built directly on the 1X2 home, draw, away market, so it follows the same rule: only the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time counts.
The three double chance options
| Pick | Wins if | Loses if |
|---|---|---|
| 1X | Home win or draw | Away win |
| X2 | Draw or away win | Home win |
| 12 | Either team wins | Draw |
Think of 1X as “home team will not lose” and X2 as “away team will not lose”. These are the two most popular choices with Nigerian punters, especially for a strong visiting side at a tricky ground.
What does double chance 12 mean?
12 means one of the two teams must win; you only lose if the game ends level. It has nothing to do with scoring one or two goals. A 12 pick suits matches where both sides need a win, such as a final-day relegation fight or a second leg where a draw eliminates both, or teams with leaky defences that rarely draw.
The catch is that draws are common in tight league games, so 12 is rarely as safe as it looks. If the draw is priced at 3.20, the bookmaker thinks it happens roughly three times in ten.
How double chance odds are worked out
A double chance price is roughly the combined chance of its two outcomes. Add the implied probabilities of the two 1X2 prices and turn the total back into odds.
Example Home 2.10, draw 3.40, away 3.60. Home implies 47.6% and the draw 29.4%, so 1X covers about 77.0%. 1 ÷ 0.770 = 1.30. Bookmakers usually shave a little more off, so you might see 1X at 1.27.
That is why double chance prices on heavy favourites drop to 1.05 or 1.10. A 1X pick at 1.10 implies a 90.9% chance, which leaves little room for profit once the margin is taken. Our odds-to-probability calculator helps you check any price quickly.
Double chance payouts in Naira
Returns follow the usual formula of stake times odds. The lower price is what you pay for extra cover.
Example You stake ₦5,000 on X2 at 1.55. If the away team wins or the match is drawn you receive ₦7,750, a profit of ₦2,750. Had you backed the away win alone at 2.60, the same ₦5,000 would have returned ₦13,000 on a win but nothing on a draw.
Double chance vs draw no bet
Both markets protect you against the draw, but in different ways. Double chance counts the draw as a win; draw no bet gives your stake back. So 1X has lower odds than home draw no bet on the same match.
| Result | 1X returns | DNB returns |
|---|---|---|
| Home win | ₦2,600 | ₦3,100 |
| Draw | ₦2,600 | ₦2,000 (stake back) |
| Away win | ₦0 | ₦0 |
If you expect the favourite to win but fear a late equaliser, draw no bet earns more. If you think a draw is as likely as a home win, 1X is the better fit. Our page on how draw no bet settles covers the refund rule and how void legs work in an acca.
When double chance helps and when it costs you
- Underdogs at home. A home side priced at 3.50 against a bigger club avoids defeat more often than that price suggests, because the draw is added in. With the draw at 3.30, 1X works out at about 1.70 (28.6% + 30.3% = 58.9%), which can be fair value if you rate the home side higher than the market does.
- Accumulator legs. Low double chance prices are popular in multiples and rollover plans, but each extra leg adds a new way to lose. Five legs at 1.20 combine to just under 2.49, yet all five must land.
- Odds under 1.15. One upset wipes out the profit from many wins, so these prices rarely justify the risk on their own.
Choosing between 1X, X2 and 12
Start from the result you can rule out most confidently. If the away side has won few matches on the road and the home team is solid, the away win is the one to exclude, so 1X is the natural pick. If the visitors are clearly stronger, exclude the home win and take X2.
12 is the right choice only when you believe a draw is the least likely of the three results, for example when both teams attack heavily and concede often. Look at how many of each team’s recent matches finished level: if draws make up a third or more, 12 is fighting the numbers. Finally, compare the double chance price with your own estimate; a pick you rate at 80% is only worth taking above 1.25, the break-even price for that chance.
Common double chance confusions
Double chance is still a regular-time market: a 1–1 cup tie won on penalties is a draw, which wins 1X and X2 but loses 12. Some sites also offer first-half double chance on a separate tab, settled at the break. And “double chance” is not the same as two bets; it is one stake on one combined outcome.
For daily selections in this market, see our 1X and X2 picks for today’s fixtures, and if you are building a low-odds slip compare them with the 2 odds slip.
Related betting terms
Double chance: FAQ
It is easier to win than a straight home pick because a draw also pays, but the odds are lower, so the profit per win is small. Beginners should still compare the price with the team’s real chance of avoiding defeat and avoid stacking many 1X legs into one slip.
No. A 12 selection needs one of the teams to win at the end of regular time. Any draw, 0–0 included, loses the bet. A 0–0 would instead win 1X and X2, because both of those picks include the draw.
Yes, if the match ends in a draw both selections win, because each includes the X. If either side wins, only one of them pays. Backing both only pays well on a draw; if either team wins, one stake is lost and the other usually returns too little to cover it, so it is rarely worthwhile.
Because a draw only returns your stake on draw no bet, while it counts as a win on double chance. The bookmaker pays you more for accepting that weaker outcome on a draw. See the DNB refund rule for worked examples.
No. Like other full-time result markets, double chance is graded on the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. If a knockout match is level then, the result is a draw for settlement, whatever happens in extra time or penalties.