Double chance is among the most popular game props in soccer betting, offering users a "safer" (albeit more expensive) way to back a particular outcome.
In soccer, there are three possible outcomes in a 90-minute match — Team A wins, Team B wins, or it's a draw. With a double chance, you're getting 2/3 options in one bet:
- Team A wins or the match is a draw
- Team B wins or the match is a draw
- Team A wins or Team B wins
The prices will of course vary depending on the ability of each team, so sometimes you'll get double chance markets with similar prices, and other times you'll get a team to win or draw at plus-money.
A double chance does not include extra time in the knockout stages of a tournament, so if you bet a team to win or draw and they lose in extra time, you still win the bet.
Double Chance Example
Let's use USA vs. Paraguay at DraftKings at the 2026 World Cup for our example.
Because the US is favored, you're paying bigger prices to bet them.
- If I bet USA & Draw (-360), I'll win if the US wins or it ends in a draw.
- If I bet USA and Paraguay (-360), I'll win if either team wins, and lose if it ends in a draw.
- If I bet Tie or Paraguay (-145), I'll win if the game ends in a draw or if Paraguay wins.
The odds of each bet in the double chance market are just a sum of the three-way moneyline probabilities — so from a pure probability perspective, there's no difference betting a double chance vs. that three-way line.
Here are the probabilities converted to game odds from a USA vs. Wales match in the last World Cup, added together, then converted back to American odds. It's basically directly correlated with the three-way moneyline.
| Player Name | Probability | Implied Odds |
|---|---|---|
| USA & Draw | 38.46% + 33.90% = 72.36% | -262 |
| Paraguay & Draw | 33.33% + 33.90% = 67.23% | -205 |
| USA or Paraguay | 38.46% + 33.33% = 72.36% | -262 |
As you can see, when you add the probabilities of each side together, you get pretty close to the double chance odds. Then the books just add a little juice on top.
Because the lines are pretty pricey (given that they're much more likely to happen because they include two of three possible outcomes), many bettors will parlay multiple double chances together across multiple games.
Example with a Big Favorite
That's what double chance odds look like for a match that is believed to be relatively even. But what about when one team is a huge favorite?
Let's take a look at Qatar vs. Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup.
Betting the double chance of Switzerland and the draw will cost you at -1800. That means a $180 bet will pay out $10. Because Switzerland winning or the draw are by far the most likely outcomes based on the three-way moneyline, you're paying a massive price. For the Swiss or Qatar option, you're also paying a huge price with most of that due to Switzerland's overwhelming chance to win.
But if you want to bet Qatar and Draw, you're getting +220.
Related: Visitor's Guide to Betting on the World Cup
Are Double Chances a Good Bet?
Like everything else, they can be, but the probabilities are already worked out in the three-way moneyline.
There are a few ways handicappers look at double-chance bets.
- Backing an underdog you believe has a chance to keep the game close, but may not win
- Backing a good defensive team in what should be a lower-scoring match
- If the game is higher variance, featuring two teams that can score where the draw is less likely, taking either team to win
- Using a big favorite on the double chance as a parlay piece
Of course, sportsbooks are accounting for all these variables themselves — if a match is projected to be much lower scoring, that's already factored into their pricing for the draw. So whether they're a good bet depends on if you believe you have an edge on one team or another.
