The draw no bet market is offered on match betting markets across a range of sports where a draw is a potential match outcome.
This market eliminates the draw from the possible results of a match, which means you are left with the choice of backing either contestant.
There are a number of reasons the draw no bet market is an attractive option for punters, which we’ll explore in this article, along with an explanation of how draw no bet works and how to incorporate it into your betting strategies.
Where there is a possibility of a draw or tie in a sports contest, the relevant match betting markets will offer punters the option to bet on three potential outcomes:
home team
away team
draw/tie
This effectively means that the punter is always betting against two other potential outcomes, which by default will increase the risk of their bet losing.
Draw no bet changes that equation by removing one of the three outcomes, so that a punter has a straightforward choice between the home win and away win.
If the match does end in a draw, the punter’s full stake is refunded.
It is important to note that while the draw no bet market reduces risk when betting on a match, this risk reduction is carried through to the odds offered on either contestant.
In other words the odds you will get on the home team and away team in a regular match betting market will be higher than the odds on offer on the same contestants in the draw no bet markets.
Draw no bet example
As an example, Premier League giant Liverpool takes on Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The following odds are offered on the match in the draw no bet market:
Liverpool 8/11
Real Madrid 3/2
The following table visualizes the different potential outcomes for a £10 stake on Liverpool depending on how this match ends.
Liverpool result
Total payout
Win
17,20
Draw
10
Real Madrid wins
0
Draw no bet strategy
The draw no bet is primarily used by punters to remove risk from a bet, by taking draws out of the equation. This is obviously most useful in football, which produces a large number of drawn matches.
Generally you will not want to use the draw no betting option in any match where the underdog is in with a genuine chance of upsetting your team.
Instead it is most useful where you think your team is a banker and want to get behind them with a substantial stake, while giving yourself some insurance if the game ends in level scores.
The draw no bet betting option can also be useful if you’re betting on a football game with two closely matched teams, and want to profit if your team edges the contest.
However, it’s in accumulators that draw no bets offer the most value.
Bets like trebles and four-folds compensate for the small reduction in odds you experience when betting on the draw no bet market, while adding draw no bets to an accumulator can significantly improve the probability of those bets winning and generating massive payouts.
Online bookmakers offering draw no bet
The draw no bet market is available at most online bookies in their football betting markets, but may not be on offer for lower-profile matches where only a limited selection of markets are available.
bet365 typically offers the best availability for the draw no bet market, making this option available for a wide selection of football games across numerous leagues, divisions and countries.
Draw no bet is a popular market to include in accumulators. However, you may be wondering what happens to an accumulator bet when a draw no bet is used and ends in a draw.
In this case the selection in the accumulator is voided, and the rest of the bet continues as normal.
Do you get a refund on Draw No Bet?
Yes, if a draw occurs in the match you bet on, your stake will be returned.
Is draw no bet the same as a 0 Asian Handicap
The answer is yes and no. A 0 Asian handicap effectively means you are betting for or against your team losing. If your selection wins, the bet pays out, if it loses, your bet loses and if the game ends in a draw, your original stake is refunded.
While the 0 Asian Handicap delivers the same outcome as a draw no bet, the odds on a 0 Asian handicap may not match the odds on a Draw No Bet market, particularly when In-Play markets are used.
Does draw no bet include extra time?
No, draw no bet only applies to regular time. I.e. regulation time plus any time added on to compensate for stoppages and injuries.
Can you combine multiple draw no bet?
If you enjoy draw no bet betting, then you will be happy to hear that you can combine more than one draw no bet into an accumulator.
In fact this reduces the risk in an accumulator compared to standard match bets. If a game is drawn the relevant bet will be voided, and your accumulator will continue as normal.
How are odds impacted by draw no bet?
Odds on team will be lower in a draw no bet than in a standard match bet.
Using a real-life example from bet365 for a game between Ireland Premier League sides Drogheda United and Waterford FC:
Draw no betting market: Drogheda United 2/7, Waterford FC 23/10
Match betting market: Drogheda United 3/4, Waterford FC 7/2
As you can see from this example, the match betting markets pay almost 50% more on either a home win or away win than the draw no bet markets.