Understanding the draw no bet meaning only takes a minute. It is a bet on one team to win a football match, and if the result is a draw, the bet is void. However, the real question is whether DNB betting is a good option for bettors – so let’s find out.
What Is The Draw No Bet Meaning In Betting?
Check out our betting glossary and you’ll find the draw no bet market.
Essentially, it takes a 3-way match result market (1×2) and removes the draw (x) option. It truly is that simple.
If the match ends in a draw, the bet is void and the stake is returned to the players. Of course, this is beneficial to bettors because it removes one of the possible outcomes.
However, the betting odds are adjusted to allow for this.

Draw No Bet Examples
The best way to learn the draw no bet meaning and to find out if it holds any value is by looking at the betting odds for this market and others that are closely related.
When making draw no bet predictions, it’s good practice to start from the main match (1×2) market. This provides the base of the foundation.
Liverpool vs Chelsea
For this example, I’m using the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield.
These are the 1×2 betting odds from a leading betting company, and below the prices, you can see the implied probability of each selection.
1×2 Market | Liverpool | Draw | Chelsea |
Odds | 1.91 | 3.80 | 3.95 |
Implied probability | 52.35% | 26.31% | 25.97% |
From these prices and their implied probabilities, it can be calculated that the total odds are 103.97%, which means a margin of 3.97%. This is acceptable.
Using the same bookmaker, here are the draw no bet odds for the match.
DNB Market | Liverpool | Draw | Chelsea |
Odds | 1.42 | —– | 2.80 |
Implied probability | 70.42% | —– | 35.71% |
Now, the total odds increase to 106.13% (the implied probability values added together), which results in a margin of (106.13% – 100%) 6.13%.
At first glance, you may think that there is less value in the DNB market. However, that is only half correct.
Assuming that the implied probabilities for the 1×2 hold true, I can calculate:
- Liverpool draws no bet at odds of 1.42.
- According to 1×2, Liverpool should win 52.35% of the time.
- Therefore, 1.42 x 52.35% = 74.337.
- Add to this the returned stake (for a draw) 26.31% of the time.
- 74.337 + 26.31 = 100.647.
Running the same calculations for Chelsea’s odds:
- 2.80 x 25.97% = 72.716
- Refund is the same 26.31%
- 72.716 + 26.31 = 99.726
These differences may seem minimal, but Liverpool’s draw no bet odds would return more over the long term than Chelsea’s odds. In a nutshell, the Liverpool bet has value, but the Chelsea bet doesn’t.
Draw No Bet and Double Chance
The draw no bet and double chance markets often get talked together because they are closely related. I’ll compare them shortly, but first, let’s briefly explain the double chance meaning.
The double chance market is also based on the match result. As the name suggests, bettors have a ‘double’ chance of predicting the right outcome from the 1×2 market.
These are the double chance betting options:
- Home win (1) or draw (x)
- Home win (1) or away win (2)
- Draw (x) or away win (2)
From this, the closest options in comparison to DNB are the bet selections involving the draw. The home-win or away-win bet doesn’t really hold relevance in this article.
With both draw no bet and double chance understood, let’s check the prices,
Double Chance | Liverpool or Draw | Liverpool or Chelsea | Draw or Chelsea |
Odds | 1.27 | 1.28 | 1.91 |
Implied probability | 78.74% | 78.12% | 52.35% |
DNB Market | Liverpool | Draw | Chelsea |
Odds | 1.42 | —– | 2.80 |
Implied probability | 70.42% | —– | 35.71% |
Understandably, the odds are lower for the double chance bet because two of the three results provide a win. This is the trade-off between these markets, and the 1×2 market, for that matter.
Review
There are pros and cons to every betting market that you must consider before placing your wagers.
👍 Advantages Of Draw No Bet
The advantage of this bet is that it provides a layer of insurance that you don’t get with the 1×2 market.
For example, if you believe Team A will win, but you are not 100% convinced, then it’s worth considering draw no bet. Depending on the strength of your prediction, DNB is usually a better choice than double chance because the odds are usually better.
👎 Disadvantages Of Draw No Bet
The negative of draw no bet is obviously the smaller payout that you get (compared with 1×2) on your winning bets. This is why you really need to consider the likelihood of a draw.
- You have total belief that Team A will win – bet on the 1×2 market
- You are around 70% certain Team A will win – bet on the draw no bet for insurance
- You are around 50% certain Team A will win – bet on the double chance
Additionally, as the example above highlighted, the bookmaker’s margin is often higher in this market.
Plus, there is sometimes a bias toward one team, so punters need to calculate which side of the bet has value. This all takes time and effort.
FAQ
For more information about the draw no bet meaning of both football and hockey, browse through the FAQs below.
Draw no bet in football betting is the same as the match result market but the draw outcome is void. Customers bet on one of the two teams to win, as normal. However, if the game ends in a draw, all bets are void and the stake is returned. As there is less risk involved with DNB, the odds are reduced accordingly.
Although draw no bet is primarily associated with football betting, it’s not exclusive to this sport. Some bookmakers also offer to draw no bet on ice hockey matches. You need to look around for this market, however, as it’s more common for hockey bets to be winners (incl. OT).
Draw no bet in Betway simply refers to this betting market at Betway. As one of the leading bookmakers in Zambia, and across Africa, Betway has a plethora of draw no bet markets for football betting enthusiasts.
It depends on the rules of the betting site. Most operators allow cash out but not all. Furthermore, the cash out value tends to be small because the odds are lower to start with.