Draw No Bet vs Double Chance — Building Them From 1X2 Odds vs the Bookmaker Price
Researched and drafted with AI assistance from published sources; published by LokeNessiSport Editorial Team · Last updated: 17 August 2026
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Packaged Prices vs Building the Bet Yourself
In football betting, the Draw No Bet (DNB) and Double Chance (1X or X2) markets are popular with bettors who want protection against a late equaliser.
A bookmaker's DNB or Double Chance price is a packaged version of bets you could also build yourself from the 1X2 (match result) market. Bookmakers set those packaged prices separately, so sometimes the packaged price is lower than the version you can build, and sometimes it is higher. The only way to know is to calculate both, which takes a minute with the formulas below.
Key takeaway: DNB and Double Chance can be built from 1X2 odds. Compare the packaged price with the version you build yourself and take whichever is higher; neither is always better.
The Synthetic Draw No Bet (DNB) Formula
Draw No Bet means: if your team wins, you collect the profit; if the match is drawn, your stake is refunded; if your team loses, you lose your stake.
To build the same result from 1X2 odds:
Step 1: Decide your total stake (e.g., $100.00).
Step 2: Calculate the stake on the draw, just enough that a draw returns your whole $100.00: Stake_Draw = Total_Stake / Decimal_Odds_Draw.
Step 3: Put the rest on the win: Stake_Win = Total_Stake - Stake_Draw.
Step 4: Compute the effective odds: Effective_DNB_Odds = (Stake_Win * Decimal_Odds_Win) / Total_Stake, which simplifies to Odds_Win × (Odds_Draw − 1) / Odds_Draw.
Numerical example: 1X2 odds are Home Win = 2.40, Draw = 3.40, Away Win = 3.10. Suppose the bookmaker's packaged DNB on Home is 1.66.
Synthetic construction for a $100 total stake:
- Stake_Draw = $100 / 3.40 = $29.41 on the Draw at 3.40.
- Stake_Home = $100 - $29.41 = $70.59 on the Home Win at 2.40.
If the match is drawn: you collect $29.41 * 3.40 = $100.00 (your full stake back).
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If Home wins: you collect $70.59 * 2.40 = $169.42 ($69.42 profit).
Effective synthetic DNB odds = 1.694, against the packaged 1.66 in this example: $3.42 more profit per $100 when the home side wins. With different prices the comparison can easily go the other way.
Synthetic Draw No Bet (DNB) Staking Equations:
- Stake_Draw = Total_Stake / Odds_Draw
- Stake_Win = Total_Stake - Stake_Draw
- Effective_Synthetic_Odds = (Stake_Win × Odds_Win) / Total_Stake
- A draw returns exactly your total stake.
Synthetic DNB and Double Chance (1X) From Four Sets of 1X2 Odds (arithmetic)
- 1X2 2.15 / 3.40 / 3.60 (book 103.7%): synthetic Home DNB 1.518; synthetic Double Chance 1X 1.317
- 1X2 2.80 / 3.20 / 2.70 (book 104.0%): synthetic Home DNB 1.925; synthetic Double Chance 1X 1.493
- 1X2 1.65 / 4.00 / 5.50 (book 103.8%): synthetic Home DNB 1.238; synthetic Double Chance 1X 1.168
- 1X2 3.40 / 3.50 / 2.15 (book 104.5%): synthetic Home DNB 2.429; synthetic Double Chance 1X 1.725
Compare each figure with the packaged price on offer. If the packaged price is higher, take it; if it is lower, the synthetic version pays more for the same outcome.
The Synthetic Double Chance (1X / X2) Formula
Double Chance means: if your team wins OR draws, you collect; if your team loses, you lose your stake.
To build a Double Chance bet that pays the same whether the result is a home win or a draw:
Step 1: Stake_Home = Total_Stake * (Odds_Draw / (Odds_Home + Odds_Draw)).
Step 2: Stake_Draw = Total_Stake - Stake_Home.
Step 3: Effective_DC_Odds = (Stake_Home * Odds_Home) / Total_Stake, which simplifies to 1 ÷ (1/Odds_Home + 1/Odds_Draw).
Using the same 1X2 odds (Home = 2.40, Draw = 3.40), suppose the packaged Double Chance (1X) is 1.36.
Synthetic Double Chance: Stake_Home = $100 * (3.40 / (2.40 + 3.40)) = $100 * (3.40 / 5.80) = $58.62. Stake_Draw = $41.38.
If Home wins: payout = $58.62 * 2.40 = $140.69 ($40.69 profit). If the match is drawn: payout = $41.38 * 3.40 = $140.69 ($40.69 profit).
Effective synthetic Double Chance odds = 1.407, against the packaged 1.36 in this example.
- Equal Profit: The same profit whether the match ends in a home win or a draw.
- Two Bets, Two Prices: You need both prices to still be available when you place the second bet.
- Across Bookmakers: You can place the home stake and the draw stake at different books to use the best price for each.
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Asian Handicap 0.0 and Draw No Bet Are the Same Bet
Asian Handicap 0.0 (AH 0.0) settles exactly like Draw No Bet: a win pays out and a draw is refunded.
A book can price its Asian Handicap 0.0 line and its "Draw No Bet" tab with different margins, even though the two bets settle identically, so the same event can pay differently depending on which tab you use.
Check the Asian lines before placing any DNB bet, and take whichever is higher.
The Asian 0.0 Check: Asian Handicap 0.0 and Draw No Bet are the same bet. Compare the Asian line, the DNB tab and the synthetic version, and take the highest.
Worked Example: Which Is Better for the Same Opinion?
"Which is better" depends on your probabilities, not on the market's name. Use the 1X2 prices above (2.40 / 3.40 / 3.10) and suppose your own estimate is home 45%, draw 28%, away 27%. Per £1 staked:
- Home win at 2.40: 0.45 × 1.40 − 0.55 × 1 = +8.0%, with the most risk: you lose on a draw.
- Synthetic DNB at 1.694: 0.45 × 0.694 − 0.27 × 1 = +4.2%; a draw (28%) refunds the stake.
- Synthetic Double Chance 1X at 1.407: 0.73 × 0.407 − 0.27 × 1 = +2.7%; you win on a draw as well.
All three carry an edge on these numbers because the 1X2 prices do; the packaged versions trade expected value for fewer losing outcomes. If your estimate were home 40%, draw 28%, away 32%, the same three bets would be worth −4.0%, −4.2% and −4.3%: protection against the draw does not rescue a price that was poor to begin with. Decide first whether the home price is good, then choose how much of the draw risk you want to give up for it.
Worked Example: Building DNB Across Two Bookmakers
The same construction works when you use two bookmakers to get the best price on each leg.
Suppose Bookmaker A has the best price on the Home Win at 2.55 and Bookmaker B has the best price on the Draw at 3.65.
Stake_Draw = $100 / 3.65 = $27.40 at Bookmaker B, and Stake_Home = $72.60 at Bookmaker A at 2.55.
Payout if Home wins = $72.60 × 2.55 = $185.13, effective odds of 1.851. If the packaged DNB at a single bookmaker were 1.70 in this example, building it across two books would pay $15.13 more per $100 when the home side wins.
- Best Price Per Leg: Two books can give a better combined price than either alone.
- Funded Accounts: You need money at both books, and both prices must still be there when you bet.
- Operator Terms: Each book sets its own limits and may restrict accounts it sees as price-led betting.
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Synthetic Betting Checklist
- Calculate Before You Click: Work out the synthetic DNB or Double Chance price and compare it with the packaged price.
- Check Asian Handicap 0.0 and +0.5: They are the same bets as DNB and Double Chance 1X, priced separately.
- Use the Stake_Draw Formula: Total_Stake / Odds_Draw makes a draw return your full stake.
- Shop Across Sportsbooks: Use the best available price for each leg.
- Compare Before You Execute: Check the Asian line and the 1X2 price on more than one book (Thunderpick is one we hold a partner account with) and take whichever price is best for the bet you actually want.
Key takeaway: DNB and Double Chance can be built from 1X2 odds in two steps. Calculate the synthetic price, compare it with the packaged and Asian prices, and take the highest; how much that is worth varies from match to match.
Betting content on this site is for adults aged 18 and over. Only bet what you can afford to lose.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between draw no bet and double chance?
Draw no bet refunds your stake if the match is drawn and pays only if your team wins. Double chance 1X pays if your team wins or draws. Double chance therefore wins more often but at a shorter price.
How do I calculate draw no bet odds from 1X2 odds?
Effective DNB odds = win odds x (draw odds - 1) / draw odds. With a home win at 2.40 and the draw at 3.40, that is 2.40 x 2.40 / 3.40 = 1.694. Stake total / draw odds on the draw and the rest on the win to build it yourself.
How do I calculate double chance odds from 1X2 odds?
Effective double chance odds = 1 / (1 / win odds + 1 / draw odds). With 2.40 and 3.40 that is 1 / (0.417 + 0.294) = 1.407. Split the stake in proportion draw odds / (win odds + draw odds) on the win to make both outcomes pay the same.
Is draw no bet or double chance better value?
Neither is always better. Both are built from the same 1X2 prices, so if the win price has no edge on your numbers, neither packaged version will. Compare the packaged price with the synthetic version and the Asian handicap line, and take the highest for the bet you want.