At a bookmaker, you can bet on home win or draw by Double Chance 1X.
On a betting exchange, you can cover those same results by laying the away team.
What Is Double Chance?
Double Chance is one of the easiest football betting markets to understand. Instead of betting on one of the three Match Result outcomes, you cover two.
- 1X: Home win or draw.
- X2: Draw or away win.
- 12: Home win or away win.
Let’s say you like the home team, but you’re not completely convinced they will win.
Home or Draw (1X) @ 1.40
If the home team wins, you win. If the match finishes as a draw, you also win. You only lose if the away team wins.
Simple enough. And this is probably how most bettors first look at Double Chance.
But there is another way to take a position against that same away win.
What Does Lay the Away Team Mean?
On a betting exchange, you can lay one of the three Match Result selections.
If you lay the away team, you’re betting that the away team will not win.
So what results work for you?
- Home win: your lay bet wins.
- Draw: your lay bet wins.
- Away win: your lay bet loses.
Those are exactly the same match results covered by Double Chance 1X.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking the two bets work exactly the same way.
Same Outcomes, Different Mechanics
With Double Chance 1X, you’re backing two possible results through one bookmaker market.
With a lay bet on the away team, you’re doing something different: You’re opposing one result.
That small change affects how your stake, potential profit and risk work.
A bettor can therefore look at the same match and say:
Bookmaker: “Give me Home or Draw.”
Exchange: “I don’t think the Away team wins.”
The final match outcomes covered may be the same. The position behind the bet is not.
Double Chance vs Lay the Away Team: A Practical Example
Imagine Team A is at home against Team B.
You think Team A is the stronger side, but you can also see a 1-1 draw. The one result you really don’t fancy is Team B winning.
You check two options:
- Bookmaker: Double Chance 1X @ 1.40 with €20.
- Exchange: Lay Team B @ 4.00 with a €10 lay stake.
With Double Chance, your €20 bet wins if Team A wins or the match finishes as a draw.
At decimal odds of 1.40:
€20 × 1.40 = €28 total return
That means €8 profit.
Now look at the exchange.
You lay Team B at 4.00 for €10. Your liability is:
(4.00 – 1) × €10 = €30
If Team A wins or the match is a draw, your gross profit is €10 before any applicable exchange commission.
If Team B wins, you lose your €30 liability.
So although both positions cover the same two final outcomes, the money behind them works differently.
So Why Compare Them at All?
Sometimes you look at a match and you’re not completely sure what will happen. But you can still be pretty confident about what won’t happen.
Maybe your mate says:
“Home team should win this.”
And you’re thinking:
“Probably. But I’m more confident that the away team doesn’t win.”
That distinction matters.
Double Chance packages two outcomes together for you. The exchange lets you attack the same idea from the opposite direction by laying the result you don’t believe in.
When Does Double Chance Make More Sense?
Double Chance is straightforward. You know your stake before placing the bet, you know the odds and you don’t have to calculate liability.
A bettor might prefer this type of bet when:
- you want a simple Home/Draw or Away/Draw position;
- you don’t want to deal with lay liability;
- the bookmaker price looks attractive enough;
- you want to know your maximum loss immediately;
- you don’t plan to change your position during the match.
There is still a trade-off. Covering two results will normally give you lower odds than backing only one Match Result.
You’re buying extra protection, and the price reflects that.
Why Would You Lay One Team Instead?
An exchange gives you another way to express the same match opinion.
Maybe Team B is trading at 5.00 and you think that price is too short for their actual chance of winning.
Instead of asking “Should I back Team A?” you can ask “Would I be happy laying Team B at this price?”
That’s probably the easiest way to think about it. Don’t start with which team you want to back. Start with the result you don’t believe in.
That is a different way of looking at the market.
It can also become useful in-play because exchange prices move as the match changes. But remember: seeing a price move doesn’t automatically mean you can place any amount you want at that price.
Someone still needs to match your bet.
What Should You Check Before Laying the Away Team?
Don’t compare the bookmaker odds and exchange lay odds as if they were the same number. They represent different positions.
Before placing the lay bet, check:
- Liability: Your lay stake is not your maximum loss. Calculate the liability first.
- Available money: Check how much can actually be matched at your chosen odds.
- Commission: Your exchange profit may be subject to commission.
- The bookmaker price: Compare what you’re actually getting from Double Chance rather than assuming the exchange is automatically better.
- Your match opinion: Are you really confident the away team won’t win, or are you simply unsure who will win?
That last question is important.
And sometimes, if you really have no idea who wins, the answer is simple: maybe there isn’t a bet there yet.
One Match Opinion, Two Ways to Bet It
There are many ways to express the same football opinion, and understanding the mechanics behind each type of bet matters more than simply recognising the market name.
The easiest way to separate them is this: with Double Chance 1X, you’re taking the home win and the draw. On the exchange, you’re simply saying that the away win is the result you don’t believe in.
In terms of the final Match Result, those statements cover the same two outcomes.
But one is a traditional back bet with a fixed stake and return. The other is a lay position with liability, matching and potentially exchange commission to consider.
That’s why comparing a bookmaker market with its closest exchange alternative isn’t just about looking for the bigger number.
You need to understand what you’re actually betting.
FAQ
I laid the away team and the match finished 1-1. Do I win?
Yes. If you lay the away team, you win when the away team does not win. A draw works in your favour.
Is Double Chance 1X exactly the same bet as laying the away team?
They cover the same final Match Result outcomes: home win and draw. But the mechanics are different. Double Chance uses bookmaker odds and a normal back stake, while the lay bet uses exchange odds, liability and matching.
Why is my liability €30 when my lay stake is only €10?
Because your maximum loss depends on the lay odds. At lay odds of 4.00, a €10 lay stake creates €30 liability: (4.00 – 1) × €10.
Can only part of my lay bet get matched?
Yes. If there isn’t enough money available at your requested odds, part of the bet can remain unmatched. Check the matched amount before assuming your full position is active.
If the home team scores first, has my lay bet won?
No. The away team could still come back and win. The market is normally settled from the final result unless the specific market rules say otherwise.
Should I always choose the option with the higher potential profit?
No. Look at the amount you’re actually risking as well. A lay position can offer a different potential profit while requiring significantly more liability.
Bet responsibly. Always understand your stake, potential return and liability before placing a bet, and never risk more than you can afford to lose.
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