1X2 Betting — Complete Guide on How to Easily Bet on Football and Other Sports
Placing a wager on a sporting event can take many forms. These days, sportsbooks offer all sorts of betting markets, from simple straight bets to multiples that can involve props and player bets.
Nevertheless, 1X2 betting remains the most popular sports betting market among punters. This is also the simplest type of bet, as it involves betting on one of the three possible outcomes, which is why it’s sometimes called a three-way moneyline bet.
In this article, we will explain how 1X2 betting works, which sports you can place it on, and what some of its most popular variations are. Read on!
What Is 1X2 Betting?
If you’re a beginner punter and don’t know how sports betting works, learning to place 1X2 bets is the best way to start. This sort of bet is usually taken on football matches, but it can work for some other sports as well.
In 1X2 betting, the goal is to predict the outcome of the match, with 1 being the home team’s victory, 2 being the away team’s victory, and X representing a draw. It’s as simple as that. 1X2 can be placed as a single bet, or it can be combined with more 1X2s or other bets.
To explain this further, let’s use an example:
Liverpool is playing with Leicester at Anfield. The odds for Liverpool to win (1, since they are the home team) are 1.50. The odds for the draw (X) are 4.00, while the odds for Leicester to win (2) are 6.00. The odds are multiplied by your stake to calculate your total win. If you bet £10 on Liverpool and it wins the game, you will be paid a total of £15 (£10 x 1.50), meaning that your profit from that bet is £5. If Leicester wins or the match ends in a draw, you lose the bet.
As mentioned, 1X2 bets can be combined with other bets. In that scenario, all odds are multiplied with your stake to calculate your win. You need to guess all the outcomes correctly to win, with the exception of the system bets, but that’s a topic left for another time.
You don’t necessarily need to combine 1X2 bets with other 1X2 bets. For example, you can place a 1X2 bet and an over/under bet on the same bet slip. 1X2 betting is available for any sporting event where there is a possibility for a draw, like in handball or ice hockey.
Why Is 1X2 Betting so Popular?
1X2 has been around for almost as long as organised sports betting itself. While many new types of bets were invented in the meantime, 1X2 still remains one of the most popular ones.
1X2 betting is the most attractive betting market for beginners due to its simplicity, but even more, experienced punters place 1X2 bets all the time. This betting market can be very lucrative, as there are three possible outcomes, so the odds tend to be higher than for two-way bets, especially if the outcome is not easily predictable.
Despite being straightforward, 1X2 betting is incredibly exciting. Anything can happen in a 90-minute match, and things can easily turn the other way around. That’s why a lot of punters also choose to wager on 1X2 in the form of live betting, where the odds change as time goes by.
1X2 Betting Strategy
While it is simple to make a 1X2 bet, getting it right is not. Of course, backing up a clear favourite will go your way most of the time, but you won’t make a lot of profit as the odds will be rather small. The trick is to find big odds that are given to outcomes that have a real chance of happening.
The most efficient strategy for exploring this sports betting market is to know the teams that are playing. By following up on their squads, current form, injury reports, and team news, you will be able to make a knowledgeable wager.
It’s best to take some bets after the match has kicked off, as that’s when you can take advantage of in-play betting. By seeing how the match is developing, checking up on the current stats, and looking at how the odds change, you can sometimes make a more valuable bet than before kick-off.
While constructing a bet slip with multiple 1X2 bets, it’s important not to pick too many teams, regardless of how irresistible the final winning total is. The best way to approach multiples is to pick three or four matches with reasonable odds. If you plan on betting on multiples often, you should look into the fact that some bookies offer early cashout, which is a possibility to cash out your bet slip without waiting for all matches to finish.
Also, many experienced punters stay away from betting on a team that they cheer for, as they can’t always be objective.
