What is a Double Bet?
Looking for more information on double betting? Find out what a double bet is, how to place one and more with the Squawka betting guide.
Have you ever asked yourself what is a double bet in football? Or wondered how to place one of these kinds of bets with your chosen bookmaker? Then look no further than this Team Squawka betting guide on double bets!
A betting double is simply a bet that combines two selections rather than one. In order for your bet to be a winner, you need both selections to be successful. So for example, if you were to back Manchester United to win their fixture against Liverpool as well as Manchester City to beat Chelsea in their match on the same day, that would be a double bet – but you would need both teams to win in order to secure your returns.
That’s the simple explanation, but there’s more to it than that. Read on in order to familiarise yourself with the different types of double bets, how double odds are worked out and
Types of Double Bets
Double Result Bet
A double result bet is when you bet on the result of two matches combined for one bet. This isn’t quite the same as a correct score double – with a results bet, you only need the outcome of the game to come in rather than the exact scoreline.
This is one of the most popular forms of doubles in betting as you only need to keep an eye on which team wins to see if your bet is victorious.
Double BTTS Bet
BTTS stands for both teams to score and for a both teams to score bet to be a winner you simply need both teams to find the net within 90 minutes.
When looking to place a bet like this, you want to look for teams that have prolific goalscorers and leaky defences as they’re not likely to keep clean sheets or draw blanks in front of goal.
Double Goal Line Bet
Another way of placing betting doubles is to bet on the goal line. This is where you’re placing a bets on either more goals to be scored – or fewer – than your chosen money line.
So for example, if you’ve backed over 2.5 goals in two matches, you need three or more goals to be scored in both of those games. You can change the line though and look for over 1.5, over 3.5, or even under any of those numbers if you wish.
Each Way Double Bet
An each way bet means your bet will be successful even if your selection only ‘places’ rather than wins. This isn’t relevant to specific football matches and is more of a horse-racing bet, where horses that finish within the first few places of the race can still earn money back.
You can place each way bets on outright odds in football. So, for example, if you place a £5 each way bet on Manchester City to win the Premier League, you will be placing a total of £10, with £5 on them to win the title and £5 on them to finish within the positions specified by the bookmakers (usually top 4).
Double Goalscorer Bet
A double goalscorer bet allows you to place bets on two players to score goals. You can back these players in different matches or even within the same match now, although you’ll need to back ‘anytime’ if this is the case.
You can back players to score the first or last goal of a game, or even to score a hat-trick if you really expect them to be amongst the action, but you’ll get much longer odds on these than you will on an anytime goalscorer double.
Double Chance Bet
A Double Chance bet is quite confusing as unlike a normal double, you don’t necessarily need to back two teams. A double chance bet is when you bet on two different outcomes in a game – for example you could back Manchester United to win OR draw against Liverpool.
You are likely to get much shorter odds on these bets – but you can still place them in doubles if you like, backing two different teams across two different matches for a double chance double!
How Double Bets Work
Double Bets are quite simple to work out once you’ve got the hang of placing singles bets. The only difference you need to be aware of is that for these bets to come in, you need both selections to be successful. So in the example below, we would need both Newcastle and Manchester United to win their matches in order to receive the potential returns of £22.73 as stated.
Calculation of Double Bets
The way that Double Bets are calculated is very simple. Simply think of it as the winnings from your first bet, if successful, being placed on the second bet as a single.
So for example, in the screenshot we’ve posted above, imagine that you’ve placed a £10 single bet on the Newcastle win in Leeds vs Newcastle at odds of 4/6. This would return a total of £16.67.
Then, if you were to place £16.67 on Manchester United to beat Wolves, then you’d receive total returns of £22.73. It really is as simple as that!
Don’t worry about working the maths out though. When you add both selections to your betslip, your chosen bookmaker will do the work for you and let you know exactly what odds the double will be and if you enter a stake, they’ll let you know exactly what you can expect to receive in return if your bet happens to be a winner – so no need to get those calculators out!
How to place a Double Bet
If you’ve placed a single bet before, then you’ll be happy to know that the process isn’t too different or difficult. Even if you haven’t placed a single bet before, it’s an easy process to place your first ever double bet. Simply follow the steps below
- Go to the bookmaker of your choice
- Navigate to the match with your first selection
- Find your selection and click to add it to your betslip
- Navigate to the match with your second selection
- Find your selection and click to add it to your betslip
- Enter your stake into the ‘double’ box rather than either of the ‘single boxes’ within your betslip
- Hit ‘Place Bet’
And there you have it. Now you can sit back and watch the games to see if your bet’s a winner or not. If you’re successful, you’ll receive your winnings back into your account when you next check it. Good luck!
Tips for Successful Double Bets
We’ve compiled our five three tips for placing successful double bets. Most of these apply to all types of bets, not just doubles, but we recommend following these to make sure you’re gambling responsibly and giving yourself a strong chance of winning in the process.
- Never bet more than you can afford: A good tip for any form of betting. Always gamble responsibly and never stake more on a double bet than you can afford.
- Utilise different markets: Don’t just stick to the full-time result markets as you may be able to find much better value elsewhere if you broaden your horizons
- Look to combine short-odds favourites: For a better pay-out than you’d get from backing favourites on singles, combine a couple of short-odds favourites for an enticing double bet that gains big returns from backing bets that are expected to win
Strategies for Double Bets
Analyzing Form and Statistics
We recommend before placing any bet that you analyse the form of the team you’re choosing to back. No matter the market, there’s a myriad of stats available out there – many that you’ll find right here at Squawka.
There are so many stats markets available now so it’s important to choose your favourite bets, make full use of the stats available to you, check recent results and player performances and do all the research you can before placing a bet.
Researching Injury News and Suspensions
And under the same bracket, we always encourage punters to research injury news and suspensions before placing a bet. You don’t want to be backing a team to win a vital relegation six-pointer if their star striker is suspended and they have three injured first-choice defenders, do you?
Again, there is plenty of information available for you to do this research and with so many different markets now available, injuries and suspensions could open up some unexpected avenues when it comes to placing your pre-match bets.
Understanding Team Dynamics
And indeed there’s more than just recent form to consider. Always look at the recent matches between two opposing teams too and how certain players have been performing in the build-up to the match you’re betting on.
Is there a goalkeeper on the opposition that your chosen team’s star striker just can’t seem to get the better of? Has this fixture been a tough one in the past in unexpected circumstances? Have your team been playing with a back three but now will have to switch formation after some injuries? All things to consider!
Advantages of Double Bets
Higher Potential Payouts
The beauty of betting on two teams rather than one? You’re likely to get a higher pay-out. Rather than simply betting on Man Utd to win in a single bet, or Chelsea in a single bet, by combining the two you can get more returns for a similar stake.
Hedging Your Bets
Although a lot of punters like to place accumulator bets, it’s fair to say that these longer form multiple bets are difficult to land. With a double, rather than banking on four, five or even more selections to win, you only need two to secure the returns you’re after.
Less Research
And it stands to reason that if you’re placing fewer selections than you would on an accumulator, then you don’t have to do as much research on your teams and picks before kick-off if time is of the essence!
Disadvantages of Double Bets
Higher Risk Involved
Of course, the more selections that you include in your bet, the more chances you have to lose. It isn’t always as simple as any double being more risky than any single, that all comes down to the odds – but combining any single bet with another single bet means you’re looking for two winners rather than one.
That shouldn’t deter you from placing double bets – but you should be able to keep on top of both matches and be aware that you need both to win in order for your bet to be successful.
More Complications
As with any multiple bet, the more selections you place the more complications there are. For example, you’ll need to do twice as much research and twice as much searching on your chosen sportsbook for your two results.
Double Bets vs. Single Bets
It can be difficult to know which kind of bet to place when you aren’t a regular punter. Indeed, most bettors will place double bets and single bets at different stages depending on what outcomes they see occuring – as well as outright bets and longer multiples if they see fit.
With single bets, some of the pros include:
- Only needing to research one bet
- Lower risk if only relying on one outcome
- No issues in combining certain markets
Whereas if you’re placing a double, some of the positives are:
- Larger returns from smaller outlays
- Boosted odds
- Less research required than an accumulator
It really comes down to what you want to bet on. If you have two outcomes in mind, it certainly makes more sense to combine them both in a double bet – but be aware that you will need both to be successful in order for your bet to come in.
Double Bets Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate potential payouts for double bets?
Most bookmakers will do the maths for you and work out in your betslip what the potential payout will be if you were to place a double on two selections that you’ve already added.
Simply think of it as the winnings from your first bet, if successful, being placed on the second bet as a single. Scroll up to the Calculation of Double Bets section of this page in order to find out more.
Is it better to place double bets on favorites or underdogs?
This really depends on your betting style. If you’re looking for a potentially big payout for a smaller stake then you will have to back some underdogs – but be aware that you’re less likely to win if doing so.
By combining some favourites for a double bet you have a good chance of a better payout than if you were backing singles but you may not stand to make huge returns, so it depends how much of a risk you’re willing to take.
Can I place a double bet on two matches from different leagues?
Yes. Not only can you place a double bet on two matches from different leagues, but you could even place a double bet on two events in two different sports if you wish.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to which markets you’re combining in a double – but some bookmakers won’t allow you to combine two picks from the same fixture unless you’re combining them in a ‘bet-builder’ style bet, so that is something to be aware of dependent on your chosen sportsbook.
What happens if one of my double bet selections is postponed or cancelled?
It can vary what happens if one of the events in your double bet is postponed or cancelled dependent on the terms and conditions of the bookmaker.
The most likely outcome is that the postponed or cancelled section of your double will be voided, meaning the stake will just be transferred to a single bet on the other section of your original double bet.
So, if you staked £20 on Man Utd and Man City both to win, but the Man Utd game was postponed, your bet would become a £20 single on just Man City to win.
Can I cash out my double bet before the end of both matches?
Almost all sportsbooks now offer a cashout functionality which allows you to take a portion of the winnings from your bet before you know for certain whether it’s a winner or not.
You can cashout before the end of both fixtures and you could even cash out in between the two fixtures if you’ve bet on a second match that’s kicking off later than your first if the functionality of the website allows.
