1X2 betting is one of the simplest football markets. You predict the result of a match by choosing one of three possible outcomes:
1 — Home team wins
X — Match ends in a draw
2 — Away team wins
For example, if Arsenal is playing Chelsea:
- selecting 1 means you expect Arsenal to win;
- selecting X means you expect the match to finish level;
- selecting 2 means you expect Chelsea to win.
Standard football 1X2 markets are generally settled using the result after regulation time plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalty shootouts normally do not count unless the market explicitly says otherwise.
What Does 1X2 Mean in Betting?
The numbers and letter represent the three possible match results.
| Selection | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Home win |
| X | Draw |
| 2 | Away win |
Suppose Manchester United plays Liverpool.
If you bet:
Manchester United — 1
and Manchester United wins 2-1, your selection wins.
If the match finishes 1-1, X is the winning result.
If Liverpool wins 2-0, 2 is the winning result.
The final score itself is not important. You only need the correct match outcome.
What Does 1 Mean in 1X2 Betting?
1 means the home team must win.
For example:
Arsenal vs Everton
If you select:
1 — Arsenal
these results win:
1-0
2-0
2-1
3-2
These results lose:
0-0
1-1
0-1
1-2
A draw is not enough because 1 represents only a home victory.
What Does X Mean in Betting?
X means the match must end in a draw.
Examples of winning X results include:
0-0
1-1
2-2
3-3
The number of goals does not matter.
A scoreless draw and a 3-3 match are both settled as X because neither team won.
What Does 2 Mean in 1X2 Betting?
2 means the away team must win.
Suppose:
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
If you select:
2 — Real Madrid
these scores would win:
0-1
1-2
0-2
2-3
A draw or Barcelona victory would lose the selection.
1X2 Betting Example
Imagine a sportsbook displays:
Manchester City — 1.55
Draw — 4.40
Tottenham — 5.50
These correspond to:
1 — Manchester City
X — Draw
2 — Tottenham
If you stake €10 on Manchester City at decimal odds of 1.55 and City wins:
€10 × 1.55 = €15.50 total return
This includes the original €10 stake.
If the game is drawn or Tottenham wins, the selection loses.
How Do 1X2 Odds Work?
Sportsbooks attach odds to each of the three outcomes.
For example:
Home — 2.00
Draw — 3.40
Away — 3.80
Lower odds generally indicate that the sportsbook considers an outcome more likely relative to the alternatives.
However, betting odds also include the bookmaker’s margin.
The three prices therefore should not be interpreted as perfectly fair probabilities.
Converting 1X2 Odds Into Implied Probability
With decimal odds, a simple implied probability can be calculated as:
1 ÷ decimal odds × 100
For example:
Odds of 2.00:
1 ÷ 2.00 = 50%
Odds of 4.00:
1 ÷ 4.00 = 25%
Suppose a market offers:
Home — 2.00
Draw — 3.50
Away — 4.00
The raw implied probabilities are approximately:
Home — 50%
Draw — 28.6%
Away — 25%
Together, they total more than 100%.
That excess is related to the sportsbook’s built-in margin.
This is why it would be incorrect to assume that 1X2 automatically gives each result a 33.33% probability simply because there are three possible outcomes.
Is 1X2 the Same as Match Result?
In football, 1X2 and Match Result generally refer to the same basic market.
The terminology differs between sportsbooks.
One operator might display:
Home
Draw
Away
while another displays:
1
X
2.
The settlement principle is the same.
Does Extra Time Count in 1X2 Betting?
For a standard football Match Result or 1X2 market, extra time normally does not count unless specifically stated.
Settlement is usually based on the score after:
90 minutes + stoppage time.
Consider a Champions League knockout match.
After 90 minutes:
Arsenal 1-1 Real Madrid
After extra time:
Arsenal 2-1 Real Madrid
For a standard 90-minute 1X2 market:
X — Draw
would normally be the winning selection.
Arsenal progressing after extra time does not change the regulation-time result.
This is an important distinction in knockout competitions.
Do Penalty Shootouts Count?
Normally not for a standard 1X2 market.
If a match finishes level after regulation time and is later decided by penalties, the 1X2 result is generally still:
X
unless the market explicitly states that qualification, extra time or penalties are included.
Sportsbooks often offer separate markets such as:
To Qualify
or
To Advance
for predicting which team ultimately progresses.
What Happens at a Neutral Venue?
When a match is played at a neutral venue, sportsbooks still need to identify which team corresponds to 1 and which corresponds to 2.
Normally:
the first team listed = 1
the second team listed = 2
For example:
France vs Argentina
at a neutral World Cup venue.
France would still normally represent 1, while Argentina would represent 2, regardless of whether either side has a genuine home advantage.
1X2 vs Double Chance
Double Chance combines two of the three possible 1X2 outcomes.
The three common options are:
1X — Home win or draw
X2 — Draw or away win
12 — Home win or away win
For example:
Arsenal vs Chelsea
If you bet 1X, your selection wins if:
Arsenal wins
or
the match is drawn.
It only loses if Chelsea wins.
This differs from a straight 1 selection, which requires Arsenal to win.
1X2 vs Draw No Bet
Draw No Bet removes the draw as a losing outcome for your selected team.
Suppose you select:
Arsenal — Draw No Bet
Arsenal wins → Win
Draw → Stake returned
Arsenal loses → Loss
Compare that with 1X2:
Arsenal — 1
Arsenal wins → Win
Draw → Loss
Arsenal loses → Loss
The additional draw protection usually affects the odds offered.
1X2 vs Asian Handicap
Asian Handicap changes the settlement by applying a virtual goal advantage or disadvantage.
A 1X2 bet does not apply any handicap.
You simply predict:
home win, draw or away win.
For example:
Arsenal -0.5 Asian Handicap
has the same basic required match outcome as Arsenal to win: Arsenal needs to win.
But Asian Handicap offers many additional lines such as:
0
-1
+1
-1.5
+1.5
-0.25
+0.75
These use different settlement rules.
See our Asian Handicap Betting Explained guide for more detail.
1X2 vs Both Teams to Score
1X2 predicts the match result.
BTTS predicts whether both teams will score.
Consider:
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea.
The results are:
1X2 → 1
BTTS → Yes
But:
Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea
is still:
1X2 → 1
while:
BTTS → No
The two markets therefore measure different outcomes.
See our Both Teams to Score guide for more examples.
1X2 and Both Teams to Score
Some sportsbooks combine the two markets.
For example:
Home Win & BTTS Yes
This means both conditions must occur.
Suppose Arsenal plays Chelsea.
Arsenal 2-1 → Win
Arsenal 3-1 → Win
Arsenal 2-0 → Loss
Arsenal 1-1 → Loss
A 2-0 result fails because Chelsea did not score.
A 1-1 result fails because Arsenal did not win.
1X2 and Over/Under
Another combination market pairs the match result with a goal total.
For example:
Home Win & Over 2.5 Goals
A score such as:
3-0
2-1
3-1
can satisfy both conditions.
But:
1-0
satisfies the home-win requirement but not Over 2.5.
For goal-line mechanics, see our Over/Under Betting Explained guide.
Half-Time 1X2
Sportsbooks can also offer a separate 1X2 market for the first half.
For example:
First Half 1X2
1 = home team leading at half time
X = scores level at half time
2 = away team leading at half time
Only the first-half score matters.
If Chelsea leads Arsenal 1-0 at half time but Arsenal eventually wins 3-1:
First Half 1X2 = 2
Full Match 1X2 = 1
These are separate bets.
Second-Half 1X2
Some operators also offer second-half-result markets.
These can be settled based only on goals scored during the second half rather than the overall match score.
For this reason, always check whether the market says:
Match Result
First Half Result
Second Half Result
or another specified period.
Half-Time / Full-Time Betting
Half-Time / Full-Time is another market based on match results.
You predict both:
the result at half time
and
the result at full time.
For example:
X / 1
means:
draw at half time
home team wins at full time.
A match that is 0-0 at half time and finishes 2-0 would satisfy X/1.
This market has more possible outcomes than a standard 1X2 bet.
What Happens if a Match Is Abandoned?
Settlement varies according to the sportsbook.
If a football match is abandoned before the required period is completed, unresolved Match Result bets may be void.
Some markets whose outcome is already mathematically determined can be treated differently.
Because operator rules vary, always check the relevant sportsbook’s settlement policy.
Is There a Best 1X2 Betting Strategy?
There is no 1X2 strategy that guarantees winning bets or long-term profit.
The objective when analysing a market should not simply be to identify which team is most likely to win.
The price matters too.
A team may be a strong favourite but still be offered at odds that do not represent attractive value relative to your estimate of its probability.
Relevant information can include:
- team strength;
- injuries and suspensions;
- home and away performance;
- expected line-ups;
- tactical matchups;
- recent performance;
- schedule and fatigue;
- motivation and competition context.
None of these factors guarantees the result.
Is the Favourite Always the Best 1X2 Bet?
No.
The favourite is simply the outcome carrying the lowest odds in the market.
That does not automatically mean the selection offers good value.
For example, a team might be genuinely likely to win but priced so short that the odds already fully reflect — or overstate — that advantage.
Similarly, a higher-priced underdog is not automatically good value simply because the potential payout is larger.
Probability and price need to be considered together.
Does Home Advantage Matter?
Home advantage can be relevant in football, but it should not be treated as an automatic reason to select 1.
Its importance can vary depending on:
- competition;
- team;
- stadium;
- travel;
- supporter attendance;
- match context.
Neutral-venue competitions are another example where the first-listed team may technically represent 1 without having a genuine home-field advantage.
Should Recent Form Decide a 1X2 Bet?
Recent results can provide useful context but can also be misleading when viewed without considering opposition strength and underlying performance.
For example:
five consecutive wins against weak opponents
do not necessarily provide the same information as:
five wins against leading teams.
Likewise, a team can lose several matches while still producing strong underlying performances.
Recent form should therefore be one part of a broader analysis rather than a standalone rule.
Common 1X2 Betting Mistakes
One common mistake is forgetting that X is a separate possible result.
Backing the home team does not give you protection against a draw.
Another is assuming that there are three outcomes, so each must have a 33.33% chance.
Football matches do not distribute their three possible results equally.
A third mistake is confusing Match Result with To Qualify in knockout competitions.
A team can draw after 90 minutes and still progress after extra time or penalties.
Finally, short odds do not mean guaranteed results, and long odds do not automatically represent value.
Final Takeaway
1X2 is the standard three-way football Match Result market:
1 = home win
X = draw
2 = away win
The market is simple, but settlement details still matter.
Check whether the bet refers to full time, first half or another period, and remember that standard football Match Result bets normally exclude extra time and penalty shootouts unless otherwise stated.
Most importantly, the shortest odds do not guarantee the result, and having three possible outcomes does not mean each has an equal probability.
Betting involves financial risk, so only stake money you can afford to lose.
