Draw no bet explained: how it pays and how to price it

Beginner2 min read

Draw no bet backs a team to win and refunds the stake if the match is drawn. It turns soccer’s three-way result into a two-way bet, at a shorter price than the moneyline.

How it settles

  • Your team wins after 90 minutes plus stoppage time: the bet wins.
  • The match is drawn: the stake is refunded.
  • Your team loses: the bet loses.

That is exactly an Asian handicap of 0, so the two names are interchangeable. Extra time and penalties do not count, as with the three-way moneyline.

Building draw no bet from the 1X2 prices

You can make draw no bet yourself from the match result market: back the team, and put just enough on the draw that a draw returns your whole outlay. The combined price is:

draw no bet (decimal) = team × (draw − 1) / draw

Built this way, draw no bet carries the margin of two bets, so a book’s own draw no bet or Asian handicap 0 price is often the better deal. Compare the two before betting.

The no-vig price

Draw no bet ignores the draw, so its no-vig price comes from the two teams’ no-vig chances alone. Using the three-way example from the moneyline guide (home 2.10, draw 3.40, away 3.60), the no-vig chances are home 45.43%, draw 28.06% and away 26.50%. With the draw refunded:

no-vig draw no bet probability = home / (home + away) = 45.43 / (45.43 + 26.50) = 63.16%

A no-vig price of 1 / 0.6316 = 1.58 (about −171). Building it from those same book prices gives 2.10 × 2.40 / 3.40 = 1.48, well below the no-vig price: that gap is the margin of the two bets. A book quoting draw no bet at 1.62 would be above the no-vig price: 1.62 × 63.16% − 1 ≈ +2.3% expected value against this estimate.

When draw no bet fits

  • Backing an underdog or a slight favorite in a match where a draw is likely, without the draw costing you the stake.
  • Comparing with the Asian handicap ladder: 0 is draw no bet, −0.25 risks half on a draw, −0.5 is the plain win. See Asian handicap explained.

Frequently asked questions

What does draw no bet mean?

You back a team to win. If it wins, the bet wins; if the match is drawn after 90 minutes, the stake is refunded; if it loses, the bet loses. It is the three-way moneyline with the draw taken out.

Is draw no bet the same as Asian handicap 0?

Yes. An Asian handicap of 0 (also written 0.0 or “level ball”) settles exactly like draw no bet: win, refund on a draw, lose. Different books simply list it under different names.

How do you calculate a draw no bet price?

From the team’s price and the draw price in decimal: draw no bet = team × (draw − 1) / draw. With the team at 2.40 and the draw at 3.20, that is 2.40 × 2.20 / 3.20 = 1.65.

Is draw no bet better than the moneyline?

Neither is better in itself. Draw no bet pays less when the team wins because you are paid back on a draw. Compare each price with its own no-vig price; the better value is the one further above its no-vig price.

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