Draw no bet explained: meaning, odds and when it pays
What draw no bet and handicap 0 mean, how to price DNB from the match result odds, how often it is refunded and how it compares with double chance.
Draw no bet is for when you think a team will not lose but do not want to lose money on a draw. BetBuddyRank has graded 167,880 tipster picks from X against final scores, and for this guide we took 28,265 senior football matches: below are the odds formula, how often the bet is refunded and how it compares with double chance and a straight win bet.
Draw no bet (DNB) is a bet on a team to win that is refunded if the match ends level. Sportsbooks list it under several names: draw no bet, DNB, handicap 0 or Asian handicap 0. All of them settle the same way.
| Result | Home draw no bet | Away draw no bet |
|---|---|---|
| Home win | win | loss |
| Draw | push | push |
| Away win | loss | win |
In football it is settled on regular time plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalty shootouts in cup matches do not count.
Example: match result odds of 2.10, 3.40 and 3.60. Home draw no bet = 2.10 × 2.40 / 3.40 = 1.48, away draw no bet = 3.60 × 2.40 / 3.40 = 2.54.
The formula comes from building the bet yourself: part of the stake on the win and part on the draw, so that a draw returns the whole stake. Of $100, 100 / 3.40 = $29.41 goes on the draw and $70.59 on the home win. A home win pays 70.59 × 2.10 = $148.24, and a draw pays 29.41 × 3.40 = $100.
If a sportsbook offers less than the formula gives, its draw no bet margin is higher than in the match result market, and the same bet is better built from two singles. The no-vig calculator shows the margin of the match result market.
The refund comes exactly when the match ends level. Across 28,265 senior football matches in regular time:
| Result | Share of matches | Draw no bet |
|---|---|---|
| Home win | 44.0% | home side wins |
| Draw | 23.6% | push |
| Away win | 32.4% | away side wins |
Leaving draws out, the home side wins 57.6% of decisive matches, so the fair home draw no bet price in an average match is about 1.74, and about 2.36 for the away side.
The favourite, draw no bet
How much stronger the favourite is matters more than who plays at home. Across matches with Elo ratings:
| Favourite’s Elo chance | Draw (push) | Favourite wins, draws left out | Fair odds: favourite | Fair odds: underdog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 50% | 25.5% | 56.6% | 1.77 | 2.31 |
| 50-65% | 22.3% | 70.6% | 1.42 | 3.40 |
| 65% and up | 17.0% | 85.2% | 1.17 | 6.78 |
The stronger the favourite, the fewer the draws and the shorter its draw no bet price: with favourites at 65% and up the bet is refunded in 17.0% of matches, with favourites under 50% in 25.5%.
On the same 2.10, 3.40 and 3.60 market, three bets on the home side differ in what happens on a draw:
| Result, $100 stake | Home win at 2.10 | Draw no bet at 1.48 | Double chance 1X at 1.30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home win | +$110 | +$48 | +$30 |
| Draw | −$100 | $0 (push) | +$30 |
| Away win | −$100 | −$100 | −$100 |
At fair odds all three are worth the same on average: draw no bet does not create an edge, it only moves the risk of the draw. Choose by how likely you think the draw is and where the sportsbook’s margin is lower. Double chance is covered in the guide to double chance, and how often matches end level in the guide to draws in football.
In hockey it depends on whether the line includes overtime. If only regulation counts, a draw after 60 minutes returns the stake. If overtime and the shootout count, there is no draw, and handicap 0 works like a plain moneyline bet. Check the market rules at your sportsbook.
In basketball there is no tie after overtime and in the NFL a tie is very rare, so draw no bet is seldom offered there and its price is practically the moneyline.
What does draw no bet mean?
It is a bet on a team to win that is refunded if the match ends in a draw. If the team loses, the bet loses.
Is draw no bet the same as handicap 0?
Yes. Draw no bet, handicap 0 and Asian handicap 0 settle the same way: a win wins, a draw is a push and a loss loses.
What happens to draw no bet if the match is a draw?
The full stake comes back, as if the bet was never placed. In our data 23.6% of football matches end that way.
How do you calculate draw no bet odds?
Multiply the win odds by (kX − 1) / kX, where kX is the draw price. With 2.10 on the win and 3.40 on the draw you get 1.48.
Does overtime count in draw no bet?
Not in football: the bet is settled on regular time. In hockey it depends on the line: if it includes overtime and the shootout, there is no draw and handicap 0 is the same as the moneyline.
Is draw no bet worth it?
It adds no value by itself: at fair odds it is worth the same as a straight win bet. It is worth it when the price is above the fair price for the match or when you want to avoid losing on a draw.
- 1Work out the draw no bet price with the formula and compare it with the sportsbook’s offer.
- 2Check the market margin with the no-vig odds calculator.
- 3Find tipsters who beat expectation on the tipster leaderboard.