26 Aug 2026
What is double chance in football and how does it work?
Double chance is a market covering two of the three possible match outcomes: a home win, a draw or an away win. Understand the 1X, X2 and 12 options with simple examples.
What double chance means
With double chance, the selection includes two possible outcomes in a single market. Instead of choosing only who will win, you can consider, for example, a team win or a draw. The result is determined over the 90 minutes plus stoppage time, unless the competition's rules state otherwise.
The meaning of 1X, X2 and 12
The letters and numbers follow a common convention: 1 represents a home win, X represents a draw and 2 represents an away win. Therefore, 1X covers a home win or a draw; X2 covers a draw or an away win; and 12 covers a win for either team, with no draw.
Practical example
In a match between Flamengo and Grêmio, the 1X option wins if Flamengo win or the match ends in a draw. If Grêmio win, the selection is unsuccessful. The X2 option, meanwhile, wins with either a draw or a Grêmio victory.
Why double chance usually has lower odds
Because the market covers two outcomes, it offers more ways to be successful than a simple match-winner selection. As a result, the odds are usually lower. This does not eliminate the risk: with 1X, an away win makes the selection a loser; with 12, any draw prevents a win.
Double chance is not draw no bet
With the 1X double-chance market, both a home win and a draw are winning outcomes. In the draw-no-bet market, a win for the selected team is successful, while a draw generally results in a stake refund, according to the platform's rules. These are different markets and should be checked before use.
What to check in the rules
Check whether the market covers only regular time, includes extra time, and how it treats a suspended or postponed match. In knockout tournaments, a penalty shoot-out usually does not form part of the 90-minute result. Conditions may vary between competitions and platforms.
Related pre-match analysis
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Analysis: PK Sport · our methodology
Analysis based on public data and market signals. For analysis only — not betting advice.