Draw no bet explained: how DNB works, with examples

Take away the draw from the 1X2 market and you have draw no bet. There are only two choices, home or away, and the draw becomes a "void" result.

In an accumulator, a DNB leg that ends in a draw is usually treated as a price of 1.00. The leg drops out and the rest of the acca carries on at the remaining odds.

You can build a draw no bet yourself from the 1X2 prices: put just enough on the draw to get your total stake back if the match is drawn, and the rest on your team. That gives a formula:

DNB price = team odds × (draw odds − 1) ÷ draw odds

This is the price you can always "make" from the 1X2. If the bookmaker's DNB price is higher than 1.48, the DNB market is the better buy. If it's lower, splitting your stake gets you more.

Building DNB this way pays the margin twice, once on the draw stake and once on the team stake, so bookmakers' own DNB prices are often a touch higher than the derived figure. The margin-free price is higher still. Remove the margin (see implied probability) and drop the draw: the home side's fair share of the "someone wins" outcomes is 47.6 ÷ (47.6 + 27.8) = 63.2%, a fair DNB price of 1 ÷ 0.632 = 1.58.

Here's the DNB price built from a real match on today's schedule:

These three markets are often confused. They all give you some protection against the draw, but in different ways.

• Draw no bet and **Asian handicap 0** are the same bet with different names. The AH 0 price can differ slightly because it's a separate market with its own margin, so compare both.
• **Double chance** goes one step further: the draw is a win, not a refund. That extra cover costs you a lower price.

The order of prices is always the same: straight win > DNB > double chance. You buy more safety with each step down, and you pay for it in odds.

DNB fits when you like a team to win but a draw is a real possibility.

• Slight favourites in tight games. If a team is a 2.20 shot and the draw is around 3.30, DNB keeps you in the bet if the match ends level.
• Underdogs you think can win. Away DNB on an underdog often still pays 2.50 or more, with the draw as a fallback.
• Matches with a low goals line. Low-scoring games end in draws more often, so the refund is worth more.

DNB is less useful for big favourites. With example odds of 1.30 / 5.50 / 11.00, the derived DNB price is 1.30 × 4.50 ÷ 5.50 = 1.06, and even a margin-free price is only about 1.12. Your profit per win shrinks from 30p to 6–12p per £1 to insure against a draw the market rates at under 20%.

That's the honest point: DNB doesn't create value; it reduces how much your results swing. You still need the price to be better than the real chance to make a profit over time.

• Thinking a draw is a win. It isn't; you just get your stake back. If you want the draw to pay, that's double chance.
• Not comparing DNB and AH 0. They're the same bet, but prices can differ by a few points.
• Ignoring the derived price. Check team odds × (draw − 1) ÷ draw. If the bookmaker's DNB is lower, the market is overpriced.
• Using DNB on huge favourites. The refund costs more than it's worth when draws are unlikely.
• Forgetting it's 90 minutes only. A draw after 90 minutes is a refund, even if your team wins in extra time.

Draw no bet is the simplest member of the handicap family. The next step is the Asian handicap, with its quarter and half lines. For match ideas, see today's predictions, and compare prices across bookmakers before you place a bet.