Key points
- DNB has two selections, home or away. If the match is drawn, the bet is void and the stake is returned.
- The odds are lower than the straight win price, because part of the stake is in effect insuring the draw.
- DNB is the same bet as an Asian handicap of 0.
- In an acca, a drawn DNB leg counts as odds of 1.00: the slip carries on without it.
Draw no bet, written DNB on most bet slips, is a win bet with a safety net. You pick a team. If it wins in 90 minutes, you are paid at the DNB odds. If the match is a draw, the bet is void and the bookmaker returns your stake. If your team loses, so does the bet.
How a DNB bet is settled
A DNB bet is settled in one of three ways, and only two of them move money.
Worked example
₦2,000 on the home team, draw no bet at 1.72
- Home win
- ₦2,000 × 1.72 = ₦3,440
- Draw
- ₦2,000 stake returned
- Away win
- Stake lost
A home win pays and an away win costs; the draw puts you back where you started.
Where the DNB price comes from
The DNB price comes from the 1X2 odds. Take the win price and multiply it by one minus the chance of the draw, which is one divided by the draw odds.
Worked example
DNB from the 1X2 prices
- 1X2 prices
- Home 2.50, draw 3.20, away 2.90
- Home DNB
- 2.50 × (1 − 1 ÷ 3.20) = 2.50 × 0.6875 = 1.72
- Away DNB
- 2.90 × 0.6875 = 1.99
The likelier the draw, the bigger the cut. A bookmaker posts its own DNB price, and this sum shows what it should be near. The 1X2 odds are an illustration.
Another way to see it is as a split stake. DNB at 1.72 equals a bet on the home win plus a bet on the draw sized to return your money exactly.
DNB and Asian handicap 0
DNB and Asian handicap 0 are one bet under two names. On a site that lists Asian handicaps, a line of 0 appears as 0, 0.0 or level. No goals are added to either side, and a draw refunds the stake. Betfair’s help page describes a zero goal start as, in effect, draw no bet. 22Bet’s rules settle a handicap bet at odds of 1 when the result is level after the handicap. If the DNB market is missing for a match, handicap 0 does the same job. The other Asian handicap lines add or take away goals.
What a draw does to an acca
A draw on a DNB leg leaves an acca alive. That leg is settled at odds of 1.00 and the rest of the slip stands. 22Bet’s rules put it as leaving a cancelled leg out of the settlement.
Worked example
Three-leg acca with one DNB leg drawn
- Legs
- 1.72 (DNB), 1.90, 2.10
- If all three win
- 1.72 × 1.90 × 2.10 = 6.86
- If the DNB leg is drawn and the others win
- 1.00 × 1.90 × 2.10 = 3.99
- Return on ₦1,000
- ₦6,862.80 or ₦3,990
The slip still pays, at the odds of the legs that remain. Check your bookmaker’s rules for void legs and for any bonus tied to the number of legs.
A postponed or abandoned match voids a leg in the same way, and the accumulator guide covers how the remaining odds multiply.
DNB, double chance or a straight win?
DNB, double chance and the straight win price the same opinion at three levels of cover. Use DNB when you believe a team is the better side but the draw worries you. If you think the draw is likely in its own right, double chance pays on it. If you are confident, the straight win pays the most. The price of each shows what the cover costs, and that cost is the thing to compare.
DNB is listed with the main markets of a football match, and its price changes from one sportsbook to the next. The best odds list is where Bettings.ng compares sportsbooks on odds, and the table of betting sites in Nigeria gives each bookmaker’s overall score. A refunded stake is money back and nothing more: set your budget before the weekend.
Draw no bet Q&A
What is DNB in betting?
Draw no bet. You back a team to win; if the match ends in a draw your stake is returned, and if the team loses the bet loses.
What happens to a DNB bet if the match is a draw?
The bet is void and you get your stake back. Nothing is won and nothing is lost.
Is draw no bet the same as double chance?
No. Double chance pays out when the match is drawn; draw no bet only refunds the stake. DNB has higher odds for the win in exchange.
Is DNB the same as handicap 0?
Yes. An Asian handicap of 0 gives neither team a start and refunds the stake on a draw, which is exactly how DNB is settled.
Does extra time count in draw no bet?
No. Like 1X2, DNB is settled on the 90 minutes and stoppage time unless the market says otherwise.
Next steps
Related guides
- Bet typesDouble chance
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Reviews
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Mostbet review8.2
DNB is for bettors aged 18 and over
A refund on a draw leaves you where you started. Count a returned stake as money back in your budget, and place no extra bet because of it.
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