Punters looking for some safe, lower-stakes bets know that there's one great choice at sportsbooks - draw no bet betting, a two-way wager where a draw doesn't result in a loss.
Find the bookies that offer these types of bets, learn more about DNB betting and alternative options, as well as catch some tips to make the most out of this betting market.
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Withdrawal limit
As the name implies, the draw no bet (or DNB for short) is a type of bet where, when you bet on a team to win but the match ends in a draw, you get your wager back. DNB turns a typical three-way into a two-way bet, effectively eliminating betting on a draw result.
A DNB bet, therefore, has only two choices:
This is a great betting market for punters who prefer safer bets, as the draw no bet works as a sort of insurance for the wager. Of course, in a case where your chosen team or player loses the match, your bet is also counted as a loss.
It has become one of the most sought-after bet types due to its safer nature compared to moneyline and handicap betting. The odds for DNB are typically lower than the aforementioned bets for this reason, especially if one team is a clear underdog in that match.
With the draw no bet betting, you can only select a home or away outcome. You’ll also notice that the odds for both results are lower than if you were to bet on moneyline (1X2). That’s the price of the security in case of a draw.
So, how does it work in practice? Let’s say that Barcelona is playing against Real Madrid. For this match, Barcelona is a favourite with odds of 1.5 while Real Madrid has 1.8 odds for a win.
Placing a draw no bet on Barcelona, in this example, means that you’ll either win 1.5 times your bet if Barcelona wins, or you’ll get your wager back in case of a tie. If, by any chance, Real Madrid snatches the victory in this match, your bet will count as a loss.
With the draw no bet explained, let’s look at different sports at how the DNB can be applied when betting on matches.
Since these bets require a possibility of a draw in a match, they’re only present in sports and competitions where the draw result is even possible, so, no playoff games or matches that go into overtime and include a tiebreaker rule.
You’ll find the draw no bet option when betting on these sports:
These are just a few of the sports for DNB betting. Some sports, like tennis and racing, have no draw no bet opportunities due to their nature of always having to have a clear winner in a match.
Still, bookies are always inventing ways for their players to bet on more events, so keep an eye out for custom offers that may include DNB, too.
Some bookies don’t offer draw no bet within their betting markets, but there are similar bets that you can make that will provide you with similar results, albeit not being as safe as the DNB.
What most punters typically do, especially those who want to take advantage of higher odds, is make two separate bets - one on their chosen team to win and another on a draw. That way, they still have 2 in 3 chances of winning their wager.
This is also a great idea if you’re after maximizing your profits. Draw no bet odds are always lower than moneyline odds, so it makes sense to bet on the more specific results and reap the benefits of improved odds. While, yes, one of your odds is certain to lose and these two bets can’t be added to an accumulator, you still can expect some winnings.
Another alternative to draw no bet is Asian handicap betting. Specifically, you’ll need to place a bet at Asian handicap 0, meaning you’re essentially betting with DNB.
Here’s why you’re betting with zero - in handicap 0 betting, neither team has an advantage. But, because you’re betting at Asian handicap, the possible outcomes are reduced to two and you get your wager back in case of a draw.
That being said, the odds aren’t exactly the same for these two types of bets and, furthermore, bookies may not offer Asian handicap 0 at all or have different rules for refunding the stake for the draw results.
Double chance is the closest to draw no bet as it can involve a win alongside the draw result of a match. You have three choices here:
In short, with the double chance you’re betting whether two of the possible three outcomes of the match will happen. So, if you pick option 1 or option 2, it’s the same as the draw no bet betting with an added bonus that you might get a better payout in case of a draw.
Knowing how to and, more importantly, when to use draw no bet is one of the keys to optimizing your betting strategy. Here are some tips and guides on using the DNB bets to your advantage.
Getting the best bang for your buck is the way to get when planning your betting strategy. After all, you want the best odds to maximize your potential profits and shopping around for odds will help you decide where to create your betting slip.
But, don’t just compare odds across different sportsbooks you’re betting at. Look at other similar betting markets (Asian handicap 0 and 1X2) as it’s more common for draw no bet markets to have lower odds and, thus, limit your payouts.
Accumulator bets or ACCAs are a great way to compensate for usually low odds of DNB bets by combining them into a single betting slip.
Since accumulators typically multiply the odds, as long as none of your picks loses you’ll be getting quite a payout.
Depending on the match and competition, it’s often a good idea to combine other bets with the draw no bet, doubling down on one of the possible outcomes.
You can, for example, combine a win bet with a DNB, meaning you’ll score an even bigger win when both bets go through. And, on top of that, you’ll still have the security the DNB provides.
Of course, standard tips apply here - don’t blindly bet on matches, bet with your head, and manage your bankroll to avoid major losses.
