What is a two-way bet in sports betting?

In this betting tutorial, I will show you what a two-way bet is in sports betting.

• Why is a two-way bet considered a lower-risk wager?
• Which are the most suitable betting markets for a two-way bet?

Learn all this and many more from this article.

What is a two-way bet in sports betting?

A two-way bet is a lower-risk wager with two possible outcomes. While the classic full-time result bet gives you three options to pick, thus lowering the chance of winning to 33%, over/under 2.5 goals increases that probability to 50%.

However, being considered a lower-risk pick compared to the common full-time result, a two-way bet will have shorter odds attributed. This means you must win more bets to have the same profit as using the full-time result market.

Example of a two-way bet

Tottenham welcomed Arsenal in the 196 clash of the North London derby. Both teams play attacking football usually with many goals scored. As you can notice in the screenshot below, both teams to score was a 2-way bet with two options: Yes or No.

Notice how the bookie predicted an outcome with goals scored by both teams by giving smaller odds to the Yes pick. However, let’s look at some of the possible match results and see which bet is a winner when selecting Yes:

• 0-0 = losing bet
• 1-0, 0-1 = losing bet
• 1-1 = winning bet
• 2-0, 0-2 = losing bet
• 2-1, 1-2 = winning bet
• 2-2 = winning bet
• 3-0, 0-3 = losing bet
• 3-1, 1-3 = winning bet
• 3-2, 2-3 = winning bet

Seeing the above outcomes, you have more ways to win if you pick the Yes option. This choice is backed by the most recent H2H between the London sides that returned a final result with both teams scoring in four of the last six games. 

Types of two-way bets

At the start of online betting, you had the basic 2-way bets. However, competing to gain more customers the bookmakers diversified their offer giving you more options. Yet, not all 2-way wagers are the same. From goals scored, to Asian Handicaps, to bookings and corners you have a vast pool of options.

Although some 2-way bets come with appealing high odds, I recommend you stick to the betting markets you know best. Besides, consider the match type (derbies, games between two weak sides, games with a clear favourite to win) suitable for different two-way wagers.

Over-Under two-way bets

The over-under two-way bets are the most popular. From goals scored to booking and corners, you can back your favourite team at these betting markets. However, before you proceed with wagering money do an in-depth match analysis. Follow the below guideline when you bet over/under on:

• goals – bet over when a top team plays against a weaker opponent and under in the derby games or competition finals
• cards – research the referee’s average bookings and wager money on over in matches played by aggressive teams, and under in low-stake games between two fair-play teams
• corners – select over when a top team that controls the game and has top-quality wingers faces a weaker opponent forced to defend

While choosing when to bet over or under should always come after a detailed pre-match analysis, I recommend using a tested betting strategy to enhance your chance of long-term winning.

Full-time result two-way bets

If you don’t know the goals, bookings and corners market, stick to the most popular full-time result two-way bets. Although these options offer smaller odds to the over/under bets, the probability of winning is higher.

• DNB (draw no bet, aka winner) is the lower-risk option with excellent odds when you decide to gamble money on the full-time outcome by picking which team will win. However, since this type of two-way bet gives you a safety net by returning your stake if the game ends undecided, you could get frustrated if many wagers end in a draw.
• Double Chance is similar to DNB. Still, since you can win a bet in case of a draw, the odds are shorter compared to DNB where you get your stake returned. Backing favourites to win against underdogs is not your best option since the potential return will be too low. Instead, pick tight games without a clear winner and wager money on the team that is in better form.
• Asian Handicap betting market has developed in recent years giving you many options. Backing a team to win at a minimum goal difference, AH wagers, corners, cards or goals, were added recently. Yet, stick to the betting market you know best and select the appropriate Asian Handicap line after doing detailed research.

Two-way bets – odds vs risk comparison

Seasoned punters have learned by trial and error to master the odds vs risk-benefit. Although this is not something you can learn from a book, gaining experience by placing and tracking your bets is the way to success. I will compare a team’s total goals wager with the same team to win using an Asian Handicap line.

Nottingham Forrest travels to Anfield where they will face in-form Liverpool. While Arne Slot’s team had a perfect start to their campaign winning all games without conceding, the Tricky Trees scored in four of their last five Anfield visits.

Although Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Old Trafford before the international break predicts a similar outcome against Nottingham Forrest, the recent H2H indicates this pick to be risky. This is because the hosts defeated the visitors at a minimum of a 3-goal difference only twice in the last five games.

Despite the significantly lower odds attributed to Liverpool scoring three goals instead of winning the game with a 3-goal margin, the safer option is more suitable.

Since you learned what is a two-way bet in sports betting, I recommend you gamble responsibly using only the money you can afford to lose. Also, add a betting strategy and track all your bets to spot the mistakes you make.