Three Way Moneyline Betting

Three Way Moneyline Betting

Eric Kithinji
5 Min
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What Is Three Way Moneyline?
Three Way Moneyline Soccer Bets
Three Way Moneyline Hockey Bets

Moneyline betting is usually straightforward—just pick the straight-up winner of an event, and if you choose correctly, you win your wager.

In certain sports, ties are so common that there needs to be an additional betting option that supersedes the classic two-way moneyline. That’s why betting sites offer a three-way moneyline betting option in sports like soccer.

In this form of betting, you can still pick the winner or loser of an event, but there is an additional option that you can bet on—a tie.

However, there are certain rules that you need to keep in mind if you want to bet on the three-way line.

So read on to know all the rules associated with three-way moneyline betting, especially if you want to take advantage of the added value that the three-way line offers.

What Is A Three Way Moneyline?

In a three-way moneyline, you are given the option of selecting a tie since three possibilities are involved.

For example, if team A is playing team B, you can bet on the following options:

  1. Team A to win the game.
  2. Team B to win the game.
  3. Team A and Team B to end the game in a tie—this is also commonly known as a draw in many sports.

A three-way moneyline is often referred to as a 1X2 wager, meaning that you can bet on the home team to win (1), away team to win (2), or a tie/draw (X).

In three-way moneyline betting, the odds are usually higher since more possibilities are involved, and that’s one reason why many bettors prefer this option.

However, there is no possibility of a push in three-way moneyline betting. So if you were to select Team A to win the game and the game ended up being a tie, you wouldn’t get your money back.

You’ll find that three-way moneyline betting is mostly employed in sports where ties are extremely common during regular game time.

For this reason, betting sites mostly offer three-way moneyline bets in sports like soccer and hockey.

Three-Way Moneyline Betting in Soccer

By default, most sportsbooks settle soccer bets in regular time—90 minutes—which also includes any potential injury time.

This applies to league games, which have no overtime, and playoff/elimination matches where there is a possibility of overtime (commonly known as extra time) and penalties.

If a sportsbook includes overtime and/or penalties when settling soccer bets, the book will almost always exclusively state that. So always keep in mind that unless stated, all bets in soccer will be based on the 90 minutes of play during regular time.

Since soccer is famous for being a low-scoring sport, ties are so common that three-way moneyline betting is the default and most popular way to bet on soccer matches.

Three-way moneyline betting in soccer may sound complicated, especially if you’re new to soccer betting, but, essentially, betting on a draw is the same as choosing a specific side.

The only difference is that you’re betting on neither team to win the match, and your bet will be paid out based on that prediction.

So when you select a draw, neither team is supposed to win the game. Scores like 0-0, 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, and so on, is enough to win you your wager if you select a tie.

Ideally, you should bet on a draw when low-scoring teams are meeting each other, or when evenly matched teams are facing each other.

An example of a three-way moneyline bet for an MLS match:

Three-Way Moneyline
CF Montréal+137
Draw/Tie+260
New York Red Bulls+175

The draw is listed as one of the betting options, so you can just select it like any of the other two options. If you bet $100 on the option of a tie, you’ll win $260 if neither team manages to claim a win.

Three-Way Moneyline Betting in Hockey

There may be several hockey leagues all over the world, but the NHL is the undisputed favorite when it comes to hockey betting.

In NHL betting, you have the option of choosing the more common, two-way moneyline, but since a lot of games often end up being tied after the three 20-minute periods, you’ll find that three-way moneylines are also offered by most NHL betting sites.

When you bet on the two-way moneyline, you pick who’s going to win, regardless of whether it happens in regular time, overtime, or after an eventual shootout.

But when you bet on the three-way moneyline, only the result of the three twenty-minute periods matters. The odds for both will always be different.

Here’s how a standard, two-way moneyline wager would look like:

Two-Way Moneyline
New York Islanders-200
Tampa Bay Lightning+170

New York Islanders are the favorites while Tampa Bay lightning are clearly the underdogs. Whichever team you pick, your bet will be determined by the final result, and since overtime and shootouts eliminate the possibility of a draw, only two results are possible.

In contrast, let’s look at a three-way moneyline option for the same game.

Three-Way Moneyline
New York Islanders-125
Tie+310
Tampa Bay Lightning+280

Apart from the additional option of picking a tie, there is another obvious difference—both teams have increased value. If you were to bet $100 on Tampa Bay Lightning with the odds of the two-way moneyline, your winnings would be $170.

However, If you were to bet $100 on the same team but with the odds from the three-way moneyline option, you’d win $280.

So clearly, if you’re into value, you should opt for the three-way moneyline betting option. Plus if you’re looking to bet a tie, you can only do so on the three-way moneyline.

But keep in mind that if you were to do so, the sportsbook will only use regular time to determine your bet, which is the 3 twenty-minute periods.

Three-Way Moneyline Betting In Other Sports

Some betting sites also offer three-way moneyline betting in sports like football and basketball.

In the NFL betting, though ties are extremely rare, games can end in ties when both teams are still level at the end of the overtime period—keep in mind that this only applies to regular-season games since playoff games can’t end in ties.

Some NBA betting sites will also offer a three-way market for NBA games. Again, just like NHL games, this only applies to regular game time since overtime comes into play when both teams are tied.

So when you bet on the three-way moneyline, any result that is determined after the use of overtime won’t count.

Final Take On Three-Way Moneyline Betting

Three-way moneyline betting is a great option that provides some additional value. Three-way moneyline betting may not be applicable in all sports, but in sports like soccer where regular-season games don’t have overtime, betting on the three-way line is extremely crucial.

Additionally, three-way moneyline betting gives you the option of betting on a tie. So the next time that you want to bet on an MLS or NHL game, going for the three-way line may be the way to go, especially if you’re looking to squeeze some extra bucks from the bookies.

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About the author

Placed his first sports wager shortly after high school, and has been involved in this whirlwind of the industry since then. Fan of most of the maj...

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