What Does 1X2 Mean in Betting? – Your Guide to Understanding 1X2 Bets

Lee Bassin

Betting Expert

Updated: 19 September 2023

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1×2 betting is just another name for the full-time result market on team sports, where you can wager on either the home team winning (1), a draw (X) or the away team winning (2).

However, the question of “What does 1X2 mean in betting?” requires a slightly more detailed response, which is exactly what we’ll be providing. Here, we will be talking about the different ways you can wager on the 1X2 betting market, the pros and cons of doing so, as well as our exclusive 1X2 betting strategy.

How to Place a 1X2 Bet

When you read about football betting, you will find that this is one of the many sports where you’ll be able to place a bet on the home team to win, the away team to emerge victorious, or the match to end in a draw. The “1” corresponds to a bet on the home team, the “2” applies to the visitors and “x” means a draw.

This is called the 1X2 market and is also referred to as the “Full Time” and “Match Winner” market. 1X2 betting odds only apply to the full-time result and not any extra time or penalty shoot-outs, unless your online sportsbooks specifically state otherwise.

To place a 1X2 bet, you just need to click on your selected result, which will add it to your bet slip. Then you just need to input your stake and press “Place Bets”. You also have the option to add multiple 1X2 bets from different matches together to form an accumulator.

Furthermore, you can add a full-time selection to other bet types from different games such as handicaps, total goals or first goalscorer. And a 1X2 bet often forms part of a Bet Builder wager, where you can add multiple selections from the same game together to create one Acca bet.

1X2 in Football

The most popular sport when it comes to online betting is football. So, now we will concentrate exclusively on the Beautiful Game.

Every league and cup football match that is featured on good online sportsbooks will have a match winner market, so there is a huge amount of choice.

To find the 1X2 betting markets, simply make your way to the top of the page on your favorite sports betting site and click on a specific football match. As we mentioned earlier, the market may be called by another name, but you will know it by the three outcomes, as you can see below:

In this case, you have three choices, to bet on Arsenal to win at odds of 1/4, Nottingham Forest to pull off the upset away from home at 35/4 (roughly 9/1), or the match to end in a draw, at 5/1.

When it comes to prices, the home team will often be the favourite and available at a low price, with the away team considered to be the outsider and obtainable at much higher odds.

This is not always the case though, so when betting 1X2 in football, you may look at betting on favourites away from home team, where they are generally available at a better price than if they were playing on their own turf. And irrespective of the home and away team betting odds, you will always be able to get a good price for the draw.

Understanding the Pros and Cons of Betting 1X2

There are many advantages to the 1X2 market but there are certainly drawbacks too. So, for the next part of our guide to 1X2 betting, we have put our years of experience to good use and outlined the main pros and cons below.

Other Markets That Can be Combined with 1X2 Bets

One of the best things about betting on football, in particular, is that there is a huge range of different markets to choose from, in addition to 1X2 odds. 

You can combine your match result bet with a whole host of markets from other matches to form an accumulator, or you can use the Bet Builder function to add multiple markets from the same game into one Acca bet.

So, for the next part of our guide to 1X2 betting, it’s time to look at all the additional markets that you can combine with 1X2 bets. Furthermore, all the extra markets below have the extra bonus that they are not dependent on the main match result. You just need a specific outcome to ensure winning bets.

Total Goals

Instead of betting on the match result, in this case, you are simply wagering on how many goals will be scored by both teams combined. Online bookmakers will present these markets as a choice between two outcomes, such as “Over 2.5 goals” and “Under 2.5 goals” and there will be different totals available such as 0.5, 1.5, and 3.5, all available at different prices.

Both Teams to Score (BTTS)

We always recommend reading an in-depth guide about exactly what the BTTS market is before placing bets. However, we’ve provided a very brief explanation here to give you a general idea of what it is.

If two free-scoring sides are up against each other then betting “Yes” in the BTTS market could be a good shout, as all you need is both teams to find the net for your bet to be a winning one.

And, on the flip side of the coin, if one side is defensively sound and the other has trouble scoring, betting “No” in the BTTS market could be a sensible play. 

Handicap

If you want to bet on the favourite but receive more favourable betting odds, then wagering on them to not only win, but win by more than a certain number of goals could be the bet for you. For instance, you could bet on Manchester City -1.5, meaning they would have to win by two clear goals for your bet to be a winner.

Conversely, you could put your faith in the underdog by betting on them to not lose by more than a certain number of goals, which is presented as a “plus” handicap such as +1.5. And this will actually gives you three ways to win – if they win, draw, or lose by less than the selected handicap.

Lee Bassin

Comfortable Victories Can Lead To Big Profits

Handicaps can vary from 0.5 all the way up to 3.5 and beyond and the higher the handicap, the higher the price! So, if your research has led you to think that a team will win by multiple goals, don’t be afraid to bet on them with a higher handicap as the odds will certainly be favourable.

Correct Score

Predicting the correct score is tough, but if you can do it, even common scores will be priced up at generous prices. And if you can successfully predict an unusual result then the odds will often be sky-high.

First / Last  / Anytime Goalscorer

Some of the most exciting football bets you can do relate to goalscorers, particularly if you are watching the match and your chosen player finds the net! These markets are also pretty simple, as you are betting on a particular player to score the first goal in a game, the final goal, or to find the net at any point.

Anytime goalscorer bets have the best chance of finding success, but first and last goalscorer wagers will be available at much higher odds.

Player to be Booked

Another popular prop bet is for a particular player to receive a yellow or red card during the game. This is also a popular live wager as you can use information from the game itself to inform your decision, particularly if a certain player is racking up the fouls!

Total Bookings

Speaking of bookings, you can also wager on the total number of bookings and sendings off accumulated on both sides. This market is often presented in a points format, with 5 points for every booking and 10 for every sending-off.

So, for example, in a particular match, you could bet on there being over or under 45 booking points. 

What is 1st Half & 2nd Half 1X2 Betting?

Standard 1X2 markets apply to the full 90 minutes, but there are also 1st half 1X2 and 2nd half 1X2 markets. For example, in a game between Everton and Liverpool, you could bet on the result being a draw at half-time.

Then, you could wager on Liverpool to “Win the 2nd half”, which means that for the purposes of your 1X2 prediction, the score is essentially reset to 0-0 at half time and only 2nd half goals are counted.

How to Calculate the Payout for a 1X2 Bet

A key element of betting is interpreting odds in order to calculate your potential winnings, which is something that will become second nature the more you wager, but may be difficult for newer punters.

So, here’s a quick guide to calculating your total payout when it comes to a 1X2 prediction. Here, we’re going to cover both fractional and decimal odds, as both are popular with experienced bettors in the UK. You will also be able to experiment using our free bet calculator.

How to Calculate the Payout for a 1X2 Bet Using Decimal Odds

Decimal odds make life a lot easier as you simply multiply your stake by the odds to calculate your total winnings. For example, a winning £10 bet at odds of 2.5 will return £25 (10 x 2.5), a profit of £15.

How to Calculate the Payout for a 1X2 Bet Using Fractional Odds

Odds that are presented in the form of a fraction, such as 2/1, 2/5 or 4/1 are trickier to decipher when it comes to working out your potential payout. 

The first step is knowing that the first number in a fraction is called the “Numerator” and the second the “Denominator”, as the equation you need to apply to work out your winnings is as follows: 

(Numerator x Bet amount) ÷ Denominator = Winnings.

So, if you have placed a winning £10 bet at odds of 5/2 the equation would be:

(5 x 10) ÷ 2 = 25.

Don’t forget that you are calculating your profit only, so in this case, your total return would be £35. 

What Does Handicap 1X2 Mean?

The handicap betting market that we explained earlier can be combined with the 1X2 market as you are still betting on the home or away team to win, just with a handicap applied. 

Handicaps usually end in .5, which means that the draw is taken out of the equation. However, if a betting site offers a handicap that is a whole number such as 1 or 2, that also opens up the possibility of betting on a draw when the handicap has been applied. 

1X2 Betting Tips to Boost Your Odds

Now that you have a better idea about what 1X2 means in betting, it’s a natural progression to talk about our top betting tips to help you formulate a winning 1X2 strategy. And hopefully, you will be able to not only boost your odds, but also increase your chances of making winning wagers.

FAQ

Lee Bassin

Betting Expert

Sports betting expert Lee joined SafeBettingSites in 2021 as a Betting Writer, having studied Broadcast Journalism at University and worked as a TV Producer, Director and Writer for over 20 years. He has created written and video content for some of the biggest names in sport including Nike, Adidas, PUMA, Red Bull and NFL. He has also worked as a sports and betting writer for Planet Sport, Odds Manager and one of the biggest sports websites in the UK, sportinglife.com. He’s a keen sports bettor with an excellent knowledge of most sports and a particular love of boxing, football, golf and NFL. Lee also has wide-ranging expertise when it comes to betting strategy, sporting markets, spread betting and exchange betting.

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