Draw No Bet (DNB) is a football betting market that eliminates the draw as a losing outcome. You select one team to win, and if they win, your bet pays out. If the match ends in a draw, your stake is refunded in full. You only lose your bet if the team you backed actually loses the match. This simple mechanism makes Draw No Bet one of football’s most appealing markets for risk-averse bettors, as it provides insurance against the draw — the result most likely to frustrate standard 1X2 bettors who correctly identify the stronger team but still lose their bet when the match ends level.
How Draw No Bet Works
The mechanics of Draw No Bet are identical to an Asian Handicap of 0 (zero). When you place a DNB bet on the home team, three outcomes are possible: the home team wins and you receive your payout, the match draws and your stake is returned, or the away team wins and you lose your stake. This two-and-a-half outcome structure (win, push, or lose) makes DNB an intermediate option between the full-risk 1X2 market and the Double Chance market, offering higher odds than Double Chance but with less comprehensive protection.
DNB odds are always lower than the corresponding 1X2 odds because the draw refund reduces your risk. If a team is priced at 2.20 to win in the 1X2 market, the DNB price might be around 1.70 to 1.85, depending on the draw probability. The difference between the 1X2 and DNB odds reflects the value of the draw insurance — the higher the probability of a draw, the greater the difference between the two prices, because the insurance is more valuable when the protected event is more likely to occur.
The refund mechanism in DNB is particularly important in accumulator betting. When a DNB selection results in a draw, it is treated as a void selection in the accumulator. The voided leg is removed from the calculation, and the accumulator pays out as if it were one selection shorter. For example, a five-fold accumulator with one DNB draw becomes a four-fold accumulator at the revised combined odds. This means that a draw does not kill the entire accumulator — it simply reduces the potential payout, which is a significant advantage over standard 1X2 accumulator selections where a draw on any leg loses the entire bet.
Some bookmakers present DNB under different names, such as Money Back Draw, Draw Refund, or 0 Asian Handicap, but the functionality is identical regardless of the label. If you see any of these market names, the rules are the same: back a team, get your money back on a draw, lose only if your team loses. This consistency makes DNB a straightforward market to use across different bookmakers and platforms.
When to Use Draw No Bet
DNB is most valuable in matches where you have a clear opinion about which team is stronger but where the draw is a realistic possibility that would otherwise deter you from betting. The classic scenario is a match between two competent teams where the home team is the slight favourite — perhaps odds of 2.00 in the 1X2 market. In this type of match, draws occur approximately 28 to 30 percent of the time. Using DNB reduces your effective risk by ensuring that nearly a third of outcomes result in a stake refund rather than a loss.
Away team DNB bets are particularly popular because away wins are the least frequent outcome in football. If you fancy an away team to win but want protection against the significant probability of a draw, DNB provides a safety net that makes the bet more palatable. Away DNB prices are typically between 2.00 and 3.50 for competitive matches, offering a meaningful payout when the away team does win while protecting against the draw outcome that occurs in approximately one quarter of all matches.
Cup and knockout matches are natural territory for DNB bets when they settle on 90-minute results. In competitions where the match can proceed to extra time and penalties, the 90-minute result is what most betting markets settle on. DNB allows you to back a team for the 90-minute outcome with the knowledge that if the match is heading for extra time (because it is drawn), your stake will be returned. This is particularly useful in cup matches between evenly matched teams where the 90-minute draw probability is elevated.
DNB can also serve as a stepping stone for bettors transitioning from recreational to more analytical approaches. The market teaches the discipline of risk management — accepting lower odds in exchange for reduced downside — which is a fundamental principle of successful long-term betting. Bettors who consistently use DNB develop an intuition for the trade-off between risk and reward that transfers to more complex markets like Asian Handicaps.
DNB vs Asian Handicap vs Double Chance
Draw No Bet, Asian Handicap 0, and the 1X Double Chance (or X2) are related markets that offer different levels of risk protection at different price points. Understanding the spectrum helps you choose the right market for each situation. DNB and Asian Handicap 0 are functionally identical — both refund stakes on a draw and pay out on a win. The only difference is branding and which section of the betting site they appear in.
Compared to Double Chance 1X, DNB on the home team offers higher odds but less protection. Double Chance 1X pays out on both a home win and a draw, while DNB only pays out on a home win (the draw merely returns the stake). If the match draws, Double Chance 1X wins while DNB pushes. The trade-off is clear: Double Chance 1X is safer but pays less, while DNB is riskier but pays more. The optimal choice depends on the draw probability and your risk appetite.
Compared to the standard 1X2 home win bet, DNB offers lower odds but with the draw safety net. The question is whether the odds reduction is a fair price for the draw insurance. This can be calculated: if the 1X2 home win is priced at 2.00 (50 percent implied probability) and the draw is priced at 3.50 (28.6 percent implied probability), the DNB price should theoretically be around 1.70, reflecting the 50 percent win probability adjusted for the 28.6 percent push probability. If the actual DNB price differs significantly from this theoretical price, there may be value in one market relative to the other.
Draw No Bet and Correct Score Predictions
Draw No Bet probability can be calculated from correct score predictions by separating all scorelines into three categories: those where your chosen team wins (bet wins), draws (stake returned), and those where the opponent wins (bet loses). The probability of the bet winning is the sum of all winning scoreline probabilities, while the probability of the stake being returned is the sum of all draw scoreline probabilities (0-0, 1-1, 2-2, etc.).
The expected value of a DNB bet is calculated differently from a standard bet because the push outcome (draw) returns the stake rather than losing it. The formula is: Expected Value = (win probability times odds) minus (loss probability times 1), with the draw probability effectively ignored since the stake is returned. This calculation is important for assessing whether a specific DNB bet offers positive expected value compared to other available markets.
At Correct Score Predict, our scoreline probability models provide the exact data needed to evaluate DNB bets alongside other markets. By knowing the probability of each scoreline, you can calculate the precise win, push, and loss probabilities for any DNB bet and compare these against the offered odds to determine whether the bet represents good value.
Draw No Bet is a practical, risk-managing market that suits bettors who want to express opinions on match outcomes without the full exposure of the 1X2 market. Our analysis at Correct Score Predict helps you identify the matches and teams where DNB offers the best balance of value and protection.
