Draw no bet protects you from a draw: if the match ends level, you get your stake back. Here is how it works and what you pay for that protection.
Draw no bet (DNB) is a football bet on one team to win, with your stake returned if the match ends in a draw. You choose the home team or the away team and the draw is taken out of the picture. It is a simple way to back a team without losing if they only manage a point.
The three outcomes
- Your team wins: the bet wins at the DNB price.
- The match is drawn: the bet is void and your stake is returned. You neither win nor lose.
- Your team loses: the bet loses.
The settlement is on the 90 minutes plus stoppage time, as in most football markets.
Draw no bet is the same as an Asian handicap of 0
Bookmakers often label the same bet "Asian handicap 0" or "0.0 handicap". The selection, the settlement and the price are the same. If you know how Asian handicap lines work, DNB is the simplest line of them all: neither team gets a head start.
What you pay for the protection
In the 1X2 market a home win might be priced at 2.40, the draw at 3.30 and the away win at 3.00. Backing the home team at 2.40 means the draw loses. Draw no bet on the same team will pay less, because the bookmaker is refunding the draw. A rough way to see where the DNB price should sit is:
DNB price = win price x (draw price - 1) / draw price
With the prices above that is 2.40 x 2.30 / 3.30, or about 1.67. The real price on the screen will differ a little because of the margin, but if it is far from that figure, one of the two prices is out of line. With a 10 stake at 1.67:
- win: you get 16.70 back, a profit of 6.70;
- draw: you get your 10 back;
- loss: you lose the 10.
The profit on a win is lower than at 2.40, and that difference is the cost of having the draw refunded. DNB is not "free insurance": over many bets, its price should be fair for the risk it removes.
When draw no bet makes sense
- Two evenly matched sides where the draw is a real chance and you still lean to one of them.
- An away team that is better than its price but hard to win with on the road. DNB lets you back them without needing a win.
- Matches where the price on the straight win is short and the draw is the main danger.
It makes less sense when the favourite is so strong that a draw is very unlikely, because you give up some of the price for protection you barely need.
Draw no bet versus double chance
Double chance (1X or X2) wins if your team wins or draws, so a draw is a win rather than a refund. Because it covers two of the three results, it pays less than a straight win and usually less than DNB on a win. DNB gives you the better price on a win but only returns the stake on a draw. The right choice depends on whether you want to be paid or just protected when the match ends level.
Draw no bet and our tips
On GoalWhiz a draw no bet or 0 handicap tip is graded like every other: a draw is a push and the stake is returned, which is counted in the record. You can see how tips on the handicap market have done on the results page, and read about the other main markets in football betting markets explained. For a comparison of the two most common ways to back a favourite, see Asian handicap versus 1X2.
18+ only. Betting can be addictive: never stake money you cannot afford to lose. Read our responsible gambling page.