Draw No Bet or ‘dnb' is a betting market that removes the draw option from a bet, allowing you to wager on only the home or away team to win. If the game ends in a draw, the bookie will settle the bet as void and refund your stake in full, but you lose the bet if the team you tipped gets defeated.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How Does Draw No Bet Work?
A Draw No Bet means you’re only betting on one of the two teams to win. So, the game can only have two outcomes: home win or away win.
What happens if the game ends in a draw? This is called a Push; the bookie voids the bet and returns your stake. So, you neither win nor lose.
See how DNB works in a win, draw, and loss scenario:
- Win: You win the bet if your favoured team wins the game.
- Draw: If the match ends in a draw, you will not lose your stake like in an outright win bet. Instead, you will get your stake back in full.
- Loss: If your favoured team loses, you lose the bet.
Example of a Draw No Bet
To better understand the Draw No Bet meaning, let's consider an example – a FIFA World Club game between FC Porto and Al Ahly.
Draw no Bet Market on Betking.
The image above shows the DNB market of the Porto vs Al Ahly match. As noted, Draw No Bet has only two options: a home win or an away win.
You like FC Porto, so you backed them to win in the Draw No Bet market. Let’s say the game ends 2:1 in their favour. This means you have won the bet. The goal margin doesn't matter here, unlike handicap betting, a win is a win.
What happens if you retain your DNB bet on FC Porto and the match ends in a 2-2 draw? The bookmaker cancels the draw bet and refunds your stake. So, even though you did not win the bet, you also did not lose your stake.
Let’s say on this occasion, you change your wager to a DNB win on Al Ahly, but FC Porto comes out victorious. Unfortunately, this means you have lost the bet, as DNB does not cover a refund on lost bets.
However, the Draw No Bet advantage comes at a cost. The odds are lower since it involves less risk than the 3-way market.
Advantages of Draw No Bet
With the meaning of Draw No Bet explained, let’s look at the main advantages of wagering on the betting market.
Stake Protection
Draw No Bet offers insurance on your stake on a draw outcome, as you neither lose your stake nor get a payout. It works perfectly for cautious players looking to reduce the risk of a 3-way market.
Simplified Decision Making
With DNB, you have better flexibility on your bets. You only need to focus on a win or a loss, as it scratches out the possibility of a draw. This betting option is best for closely contested games, where an outright win might be too risky.
Accumulator Compatibility
Like with single bets, DNB works just fine with accumulators. The bookmaker voids the game that ends in a draw and would not count toward the overall payout if other selections in the bet ticket win.
Draw No Bet vs Double Chance
A Double Chance market allows you to bet on two of the three possible outcomes in a game—a win or a draw. So, you win a bet if the encounter ends in a draw or a win for your favoured team, unlike Draw No Bet, where draw outcomes are void.
The options under the Double Chance markets are:
- Home Win or Draw (1x)
- Home or Away Win (12)
- Away Win or Draw (2x)
Since Double Chance clearly has a better winning shot (66.7% or 2/3) than a Draw No Bet wager (33.3% or 1/3), the odds are lower.
The image above shows the Double Chance odds for the FC Porto vs Al Ahly game.
Draw No Bet vs Asian Handicap 0
The Asian Handicap 0 works similarly to a Draw No Bet. They eliminate draw outcomes, so you can only wager on the winner of the game. This means your stake is also protected in an Asian handicap 0 bet in a stalemate.
In most cases, bookmakers set the same odds for both markets.
Best Strategies for Using Draw No Bet
Following the best Draw No Bet strategies, including analysing previous encounters and recent performances, can help you make better predictions rather than relying on luck.
Analysing Team Form
Start by analysing a team's current form, injuries and suspensions, head-to-head results, and fixture congestions. These all play a key role in evaluating players' morale in the buildup to the upcoming game.
You might argue that DNB is a safe option and doesn’t require much thinking, unlike the 3-way markets, but catching the little details can put you ahead of your bets.
Consider Defensive Strengths
This is mostly useful in DNB wagers on football games. Consider the number of clean sheets, the number of goals conceded, and errors leading to goals. You can also consider external factors, such as home advantage, as some teams have a better defensive record on their home turf.
Utilising Accumulators
Add Draw No Bet selections to an accumulator bet ticket to increase the odds and reduce risks. The bookie voids DNB selections that end in a draw and removes their respective odds from the total without settling the accumulator ticket as a loss.
Examples of Sports That Offer Draw No Bet
Not all sports can end in a tie, so you won’t find the Draw No Bet market on every event at sports betting sites. It is commonly used in Football and Cricket games for both single and accumulator bets. Other sports with Draw no Bet betting options include:
- Boxing
- Handball
- Rugby
- Chess
- Australian Rules
Keep in mind that each of these sports has its own rules, particularly in terms of what happens after a draw during regulation time. For example, basketball has an overtime period, whereas ice hockey has a sudden-death format, meaning the first team to score in overtime wins.
Still, the Draw No Bet principle remains the same across all sports; it cancels bets that end in a draw at the regulation time and refunds the stake.
Common Questions About Draw No Bet
Can you use Draw No Bet in live betting?
Yes, you can wager on the Draw No Bet market on a live event. But remember that the odds of live games are unstable, so the bookie can lock the market at any time in response to the game's flow.
Does Draw No Bet include extra time?
No, Draw No Bet does not include extra time or overtime. It only covers bets played during regulation time, for example, 90 minutes in football and 40 minutes in the NBA.
Is Draw No Bet better than traditional match betting?
Not exactly. It depends on your preference. Draw No Bet offers a better risk cushion, as it refunds your bet. But the odds are lower compared to a three-way betting market.
Conclusion
By now, you should already understand the Draw No Bet meaning and how it removes the possibility of a draw outcome. It is a great way to bet, especially if you have a low appetite for risks and are looking for a safety net for your stake. It is handy during closely matched games, where opting for a 3-way market (win, lose or draw) becomes too risky.