The world of online sports is bursting with numerous winning opportunities. Various types of bets and strategies can help you bring the wins home. Besides picking match winners and outrights, unique strategies such as laying the draw can help you squeeze more out of your bets.
In our guide about the lay the draw strategies, we will help you see why this strategy is an excellent approach to making a substantial sum of money.
Betting on match winners and outrights is easy. You’re just picking the winner of a match or event. You can also bet on the draw or put your money on handicaps, moneylines, and other bets. Things are a bit different at betting exchanges. Have you ever heard of back and lay bets? A back stake is picking the winner (for example, a horse in a race) of an event, while the lay bet is the opposite. You’re betting it won’t win by choosing to lay a selection.
It’s the same with the lay the draw betting strategy. Contrary to putting your money on a draw, you’re betting the event will not end in a tie by laying a draw. In simpler terms, any other result makes you a winner.
This strategy is commonly used in live betting, and for a good reason. It’s almost a surefire strategy for any match, especially in football matches that are still 0-0 around the 80th minute.
For example, if you’re sure that the game you’re betting on has a high probability of goals being scored, you should employ a lay the draw strategy and make the most out of it. You can make a profit and avoid late upsets with the cash-out feature.
Choosing suitable games for lay the draw strategy is vital. Laying the draw isn’t a great bet if you have an uneventful match between 2 even opponents where nothing is happening, and a goalless draw is likely. Instead, it’s better to use it in situations where both teams are attacking and one is expected to score.
It would be great in a match where a favourite hasn’t broken the deadlock after the 70th (or so) minute and has had plenty of chances. In this situation, you could lay the bet and wait for a goal to be scored just before the end of the match. That’s why it’s best to use this strategy at in-play betting sites in competitions like the one we mentioned.
Before using this unique strategy, you will have to find a match that fits all the criteria. As mentioned earlier, this isn’t a strategy you can use in any game. Experienced bettors know they need to find a match that’s not supposed to end in a tie to profit from the lay the draw strategy.
The good news is that there are plenty of such matches in football every week. Select a game and choose the lay the draw option when you’re ready to use it. Some in-play betting sites may calculate the liability, but at others, you’ll have to do things on your own. The good news is that the system calculator will determine the return as soon as you enter the stake.
By betting on lay the draw, you’re choosing the match to end in any other result than a draw. For example, if Manchester United plays Arsenal and the game ends 1-1, you’re losing your bet. If either team wins, you’ve won your lay the bet draw.
It is essentially back and lay betting by definition, so it’s not hard to learn.
Expert tipsters will know when to trade a 1-1 or 2-2 draw result and bank a profit. Traders always seek to minimize risks and make a guaranteed profit when possible. With lay the draw trading, you can trade out of position for a profit when one team scores. Of course, you’ll need to recognize when to use a trading strategy properly and profit from your selections.
Betfair is the world’s leading betting exchange. One of the best in-play betting sites that also offers arbitrage betting, you can use lay the draw trading strategy at Betfair to profit. It’s quite a profitable trading strategy if you find suitable matches and lay the draw properly.
We recommend reading a few lay the draw tips for this to happen. They’ll give you a great idea on which matches you can apply the draw and make a profit by trading at the right time.
There’s no surefire way to minimize the risk of laying the draw. Even the best lay the draw system can sometimes fail – you can’t win all the time. Minimizing risk means choosing a perfect game for the strategy and betting in play. That should reduce the risk and liability, although there’s still risk involved, like other football bets.
There are, however, ways to add insurance to your lay the draw bets. These involve reading many tips and exit strategies by true betting experts who have used the strategy numerous times. Laying the draw is not complicated when you get the hang of it, yet you still need to pick the right match and calculate the liability before you start betting it.
There are several ways to reduce the liability of lay the draw trades or bets. The trade is an option since you’ll be trading a result for a better wager that minimizes the risk of a loss. The match must end in a tie when you back 1-1 score or back 0-0. Laying the draw, however, means any other result wins, which raises your chances of winning.
Let’s use a football example to present an exit strategy when laying a draw. Say that you’re laying the draw when Manchester United is playing Arsenal. The match is 80 minutes in, and Ronaldo scores for the Red Devils. At this point, the odds for a draw should soar sky-high. If you leave it late, you could lose your profit and liability.
In this case, it may be better to cash out or use a trading tool to take your profit. Depending on the match and the situation you’re in, it will affect the closing price. A lay the draw exit strategy is a good idea in these situations as there’s no safety net to guard your profits.
Watching the match live in these situations is a perfect decision since it’ll give you a better overview of what might happen. Paying attention to live scores will also give you an idea, but watching a match via live streams is much better. The best in-play betting sites will allow you to watch the game on your PC, laptop, or phone, so you’re always ahead of the curve with the latest developments.
Another common exit strategy is when a weaker side scores early in the game against a heavy favourite. While you’re technically winning your bet, the legal bookie assumes that the favourite will soon equalize. In this case, the draw price will not be high enough for a trade. Now you have the decision to make:
Trade for a managed loss and lay the draw again when the favorites score. It only makes sense if there’s time left to score another, not in the 96th minute. Favorites score a winning goal when they level a match against a weaker side that scored first.
If you stick to your guns, you’re essentially hoping that the underdog stays ahead for a long time so the price for a draw can go up, and you can trade. If the underdog scores another goal, you should trade for a profit.
With this bet type, you can also lay the draw with insurance. It’s that safety net most punters need when laying a draw. For example, many punters like to back 0-0, so they don’t lose anything if the match ends scoreless. These prices are usually high, but any goal scored by either side renders the insurance useless.
If you back 1-1 and lay the draw with insurance, you have more profit cover if a team scores. In this case, the profit is smaller, and this result doesn’t work on 0-0 or 2-0, for example.
Just like in blackjack, most punters will opt out against the insurance. It gives you a bit of cover but reduces your profit. Instead, it would be best to put more effort into match selection to avoid ending up in those situations.
When you plan to lay the draw, you should put considerable effort into match selection. It’s essential to pick the right match, as failing will result in no chance to trade. To choose the suitable game when you use the lay the draw strategy to make a profit, you should check the head-to-head meetings, the team’s most recent form, scores, average goal times, and scoring average. Of course, if key players, especially forwards, are missing, you should rethink your bets.
Once you learn the basics, laying the draw is one of the easiest and most profitable strategies at betting exchanges.
You will often find many opportunities to lay a draw on football games via betting exchanges like Betfair and Matchbook. Let’s check out a typical lay-the-draw football bet example.
For example, there is a match between Manchester United and Arsenal, with the former being the favorite. Let’s say that the odds offered on the tie outcome is 1.85, and you lay the draw on a betting exchange with $10. In this instance, you will incur an $8.5 liability if a draw occurs, but you stand to gain $10 in profits if either side wins the game.
The best part about this betting strategy is that it comes with an exit strategy that allows punters to protect their bets in case things seem not going as predicted. One option is to use the “cash out” function and take some profit if one team scores late into the match, and it seems like a draw may still happen.
The other option is to back the draw bet when one team scores late into the match during the live game. Here, the odds of a tie will increase, especially if the favorite finds the net, which can potentially secure a profit with the two bets. Of course, you should only engage this exit strategy if you think Arsenal (i.e., the underdog) would equalize and the game would end in a tie.
The only downside is that if Arsenal scores first, the odds on the draw may decrease as sportsbooks expect Manchester United (i.e., the favorite) to score and tie the game.
Considering the lay the draw betting options has many benefits. However, like any other strategy, it also has a few downsides. So, let’s explore the pros and cons of this option.
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If you find that the lay-the-draw bet is not for you, there are many other options that you can explore, some of which follow a similar concept. Some of the best lay-the-draw alternatives that you can check out include:
Double chance 12 is a great lay-the-draw alternative that covers the same possible outcomes that the latter also targets. With this market, a punter is betting on two out of three possible outcomes in a match, including the home team’s victory and the away team’s win. You will only win this bet if either team wins the game. If the game ends in a tie, you lose, the same as in the lay-the-draw option.
The double chance 1X and X2 bets are also great alternatives for lay-the-draw bets. This option also covers two out of the three possible outcomes in a football match. The 1X market covers the possibility of the away team winning or the game ending in a tie, while the X2 backs the possibility of the away team winning or a draw. You will win the 1X bet if the home team wins or a tie happens, and you will win the X2 wager if the away team wins or if a tie occurs. Anything that deviates from this will result in a losing bet.
This market differs from the lay-the-draw market as it completely removes the possibility of a tie. However, the double chance 1X and X2 include the possibility of a draw.
This bet alternative is usually a good option if you know which team is likely to win, but you can’t ignore the possibility of the opposing team pushing the game to a tie.
Another great alternative is the “both teams to score” bet. This market involves the goals scored during the game, focusing on whether both teams will record a goal. Here, you can bet on “Yes” if you think the two teams in a matchup will score at least one goal each, and you can select the “No” option if you think that at least one of the two contenders will not record a goal. It can be a good option when the two teams in a game are known for their attacking styles and are likely to both score.
One of the most popular football trading strategies lay the draw, and it can be profitable if you get the gist of it. To learn how to lay the draw correctly, you must be disciplined and research beforehand. This strategy works best on live betting platforms, and if you’ve done proper research, you can learn how to use it efficiently and in your favour.
There’s no lay the draw alternative that works better. Master this specific strategy at exchanges such as Smarkets or Betfair, which could prove lucrative.
This is a solid strategy! Lay the Draw seems like a fun way to mix up regular betting and boost profits, especially in those intense matches. Definitely gonna try this out soon!
Is it suitable for all football matches?
No, lay-the-draw is not suitable for all football matches. It works best in matches with clear favorites and when teams have strong defensive records. In matches with unpredictable outcomes or when both teams score frequently, it may be riskier.
I'd love to see more detailed examples, perhaps using real-world matches, to help illustrate the concept further. How does this strategy work in leagues known for fewer goals, or in games where a favorite team struggles to score? Additionally, what’s the best way for beginners to manage risk when using this strategy, especially if a game unexpectedly remains goalless?
In leagues like Serie A, if two defensively strong teams play, lay the draw when backing a favorite. For a struggling favorite, do the same to limit losses if the game is goalless. Beginners should set a budget, use small stakes, and calculate liabilities before betting.
It would be helpful to see more specific examples of how this strategy could work in less predictable games or against teams with strong defensive records. Does this work across other sports?
In less predictable games, lay the draw by backing a home team against strong defenses to minimize losses if the match ends in a draw. This strategy works in other sports too, such as basketball, where you can back a team to win while managing risks through similar tactics.
Is it possible to hedge or minimize losses with Lay the Draw?
Yes, you can hedge or minimize losses by placing lay bets against the draw outcome in a match. This allows you to cover potential losses from your back bet, effectively managing your risk in case the match ends in a draw.