What is draw no bet?
DNB is a two-way version of the standard 1X2 football market. In 1X2 there are three results: home win (1), draw (X) and away win (2). DNB removes the X from the list of losing results for you and turns it into a refund. You still pick a side, and that side still has to win for the bet to pay.
Home and away draw no bet meaning
A home DNB bet is placed on the team listed first in the fixture, which is usually the home side. You will often see it written as “1 DNB” or “DNB 1”. Away draw no bet means the same bet on the second team, shown as “2 DNB” or “DNB 2”: 2 DNB means “away team to win, stake back on a draw”.
DNB markets on football normally cover regular time: 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalties in a cup tie usually do not count, so a match that is 1–1 after 90 minutes settles as a draw on DNB even if one team later goes through on penalties. Each bookmaker writes its own rules for this, so read the market rules before you rely on it. The same idea appears in other sports where a draw is possible, but football is where the market is listed most widely, from the Premier League down.
How a DNB bet settles: win, draw, lose
Every DNB bet has three possible settlements, and only one of them loses money. The prices below are imaginary; real prices change from match to match.
Three outcomes on one stake
Worked example
You stake ₦5,000 on Home DNB at odds of 1.60.
- Home team wins: ₦5,000 × 1.60 = ₦8,000 returned, which is ₦3,000 profit plus your ₦5,000 stake.
- Match is drawn: your ₦5,000 is refunded. Profit is ₦0.
- Away team wins: the ₦5,000 stake is lost.
Worked example
Compare that with a plain home-win bet at, say, 2.10. A home win would return ₦5,000 × 2.10 = ₦10,500, profit ₦5,500, but a draw would lose the full stake. The refund on a draw is what you pay for with the lower DNB price.
DNB legs inside an accumulator
Worked example
When a DNB selection in an accumulator ends in a draw, bookmakers usually settle that leg at odds of 1.00 and keep the rest of the slip running. Take a three-leg ₦2,000 accumulator with leg A at 1.50, leg B on DNB at 1.70 and leg C at 2.00. Leg B is drawn, the other two win: 1.50 × 1.00 × 2.00 = 3.00, and ₦2,000 × 3.00 = ₦6,000 returned. Had leg B won, the slip would have paid 1.50 × 1.70 × 2.00 = 5.10, so ₦2,000 × 5.10 = ₦10,200. The DNB leg removes one losing result for that match only, and costs you odds on the whole slip; if the DNB team or any other selection loses, the slip is still lost.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Market names | DNB, 1 DNB / 2 DNB |
| Your team wins | Paid at the DNB odds |
| Match drawn | Stake refunded |
| Your team loses | Stake lost |
| Period usually covered | Regular time including stoppage time |
| Drawn DNB leg in an accumulator | Usually counted at odds 1.00 |
Where DNB odds come from
A DNB price is not a separate guess; it follows from the 1X2 prices. Take a match priced at home 2.10, draw 3.40, away 3.60. You could build a home DNB yourself by putting most of your money on the home win and a smaller part on the draw, sized so that the draw returns your total outlay.
Building DNB from 1X2 prices
With a ₦10,000 total, put about ₦7,059 on the home win at 2.10 and about ₦2,941 on the draw at 3.40.
- Draw: ₦2,941 × 3.40 = about ₦10,000 back, so your money is returned.
- Home win: ₦7,059 × 2.10 = about ₦14,824 back, profit about ₦4,824.
- Away win: both parts lose.
That is the same shape as a DNB bet at about 1.48 (₦14,824 ÷ ₦10,000). The shortcut is: DNB odds ≈ win odds × (draw odds − 1) ÷ draw odds, so 2.10 × 2.40 ÷ 3.40 ≈ 1.48. For the away side, 3.60 × 2.40 ÷ 3.40 ≈ 2.54. Both the DNB price and the 1X2 prices include the bookmaker’s margin, so simply compare which route gives the higher number for the same outcome. Our guide to reading decimal prices and implied probability explains why the margin is part of every quote.
DNB vs double chance and handicap 0
The meaning of draw no bet is often confused with double chance, but they settle differently. Double chance 1X wins if the home team wins or draws; DNB on the home team wins only on a home win and refunds on a draw. Double chance pays something on a draw, DNB pays nothing extra. Prices reflect this: 1X is usually shorter than home DNB, which in turn is shorter than a plain home win.
Asian handicap 0 (sometimes written “0.0” or “level”) settles exactly like DNB: win pays, draw refunds, loss loses. If a sportsbook offers both, compare the two prices and take the higher one, since the bet is the same. For goal-based markets, see our page on betting over or under a goals line, which uses a different settlement logic.
When DNB fits and common mistakes
DNB fits a match where you think one team is stronger but a draw is a real possibility, for example a favourite away from home in a tight league game. It does not fit heavy favourites at very short odds: a DNB price around 1.15 returns only ₦150 profit per ₦1,000 staked, while a single upset still costs the whole stake.
Common mistakes with DNB in betting
- Counting a drawn DNB as a small win. It only returns your stake; in an accumulator it drops that leg to 1.00.
- Assuming extra time counts. In cup ties, check whether the market covers 90 minutes only.
- Mixing up DNB and double chance on the bet slip. Read the selection name before you confirm.
- Calling DNB “safe”. It removes one losing result, not the risk of your team losing.
- Not checking the rules for abandoned or postponed matches, which each bookmaker sets.
Look for “Draw no bet” in a 1win football match yourself: the market list and the house rules on extra time and abandoned games were not part of our 08.10.2026 check. More markets are covered in our football betting guide.
Pros
- Your stake comes back if the match is drawn.
- Easy to settle by hand: win, refund or loss.
- Useful when a draw is likely but you still favour one side.
Cons
- Lower odds than a straight win bet on the same team.
- You still lose the full stake if your team loses.
- Rules for extra time, abandoned and postponed matches differ between bookmakers.
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FAQ
What does DNB mean in betting?
DNB stands for draw no bet: you back a team to win, and your stake is refunded if the match ends in a draw. If the team loses, the stake is lost.
What does 1 DNB mean?
1 DNB means a DNB bet on the home team, the side listed first in the fixture. 2 DNB is the same bet on the away team.
What happens to a DNB bet if the match is a draw?
Your stake is returned in full and you make no profit. In an accumulator the drawn leg usually counts at odds of 1.00.
Does DNB include extra time and penalties?
Usually no, football DNB normally covers 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Check the bookmaker's market rules for cup ties.
Is draw no bet the same as double chance?
No, double chance wins on a draw, while DNB only refunds the stake on a draw. Asian handicap 0 is the market that settles like DNB.
Can you lose a DNB bet?
Yes, you lose the full stake if the team you backed loses. Only the draw is covered.
