1X2 Betting Explained
The 1X2 market is a bet on the full-time result of a match: 1 = home win, X = draw, 2 = away win. You back one of the three, and it settles on the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. It’s the default market for almost every soccer fixture and the one most other bets are derived from.
Why the draw is a real outcome
Soccer prices the draw as a third selection because draws happen often — roughly a quarter of league matches end level. That’s what separates 1X2 from most sports, where you only back one side or the other. In a two-way sport a “no result” barely exists; in soccer it’s a priced outcome with its own odds, often in the 3.00–4.00 range for an evenly matched game.
The practical effect: backing a team to win is not the same as backing them “not to lose.” On 1X2, a 0-0 or 1-1 means your home-win and away-win bets both lose, and only the X backer collects. That single fact drives a lot of bettors toward the safer markets below.
A worked example in rand
Say a match is priced like this:
| Result | Selection | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Home win | 1 | 2.10 |
| Draw | X | 3.40 |
| Away win | 2 | 3.60 |
You stake R100 on the home win at 2.10. If the home side wins, you get back R210 (your R100 plus R110 profit). If the match is drawn or the away side wins, the R100 is gone. The three prices don’t add up to a clean 100% — the gap is the bookmaker’s margin, baked into every selection.
When 1X2 is the right choice
Pick 1X2 when you have a genuine view on the actual result and want the full price for it. It pays more than the safer alternatives because it carries more risk — there’s no cushion if the game ends level or your fancied side slips up.
If the draw is the outcome you most want to avoid, two markets soften it: Double Chance lets you cover two of the three results in one bet, and Draw No Bet refunds your stake if the match finishes level. Both trade a lower price for a higher strike rate. Bet 1X2 with money you can afford to lose, and use the responsible-gambling tools if a session stops being fun.
Place it on Scorebet, step by step
- 1Open the Sports section
Tap SPORTS in the top navigation, browse to a sport and pick the match you want to bet on.
- 2Find the 3 Way market
On the match page the 3 Way market sits at the top, with buttons for Home (1), Draw (X) and Away (2). Tap one to add it to your slip.
- 3Review your betting slip
The chosen button turns yellow and your pick appears in the Betting Slip on the right, showing the odds and possible returns.
- 4Stake and place
Enter your stake (use the quick-add buttons or type an amount), check the Possible Returns, then tap Place a Bet.
Example: 3 Way match odds
| Outcome | Odds | R10 returns | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Win (1) | 2.80 | R28.00 | Home team wins the match |
| Draw (X) | 3.65 | R36.50 | Match ends level after 90 minutes |
| Away Win (2) | 2.10 | R21.00 | Away team wins the match |
Possible Returns = Stake × Odds. A R10 bet at 2.80 returns R28.00, so you can see the payout before you place.
All bets are placed at fixed odds, and odds can change before you confirm. Always check the final price on your slip first.
Frequently asked
What does 1X2 mean in betting?
1 is the home win, X is the draw, and 2 is the away win. You pick one of the three full-time results, and the bet settles on the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time — extra time and penalties don't count.
Does 1X2 include extra time?
No. The 1X2 market settles on the result after normal time only. A match that finishes level after 90 minutes is a draw for 1X2 purposes, even if a team later wins on penalties in a cup tie.
Is 1X2 the same as a win bet?
Almost — but in soccer the draw is a third priced outcome, so a 1X2 win bet only pays if your team actually wins. If you want the draw to refund your stake instead of losing it, that's Draw No Bet, a different market.
Why are the three 1X2 prices on a balanced match often shorter than they should be?
The book builds its margin in by shaving every price a touch, so adding the implied chances of home, draw and away comes to more than 100% — that overround is the cut. With three outcomes instead of two, that margin is spread across more selections and is easy to miss on any single price. It's why the same opinion can pay better on a two-way market like draw-no-bet.
What happens to a 1X2 bet if the match is abandoned after kick-off?
Most books void the bet and refund your stake if a game is abandoned before full time, since there's no official 90-minute result to settle on. The exact rule varies by operator and how far the match got, so the small print matters. It's a different outcome to a postponed game, which is usually voided before it even starts.