You’re out: Paris Saint-Germain is going to win its next league game by force. As you add your prediction to your betting slip, that doubt nevertheless increases. Because do you really want to settle for those low odds that are now on your screen? To increase the value of your bet, you can easily change that single bet to a combo bet. But yes, such a combo bet is not always the wisest choice. To make a good decision, you first need to know exactly what the difference is between single bets and combi bets. After reading this article, single and combination bets will have no more secrets for you.
Singles and combi bets are not regular soccer bets
Even if you are just taking your first steps into the world of soccer betting, you know you have options. You can hardly ignore them, either. Because with every match you want to bet on, you see that long list of bets again. At the top by default is that 1×2 bet, followed by over/under bets, Draw No Bets, half-time/full-time bets, Asian Lines and many more such soccer bets. It doesn’t matter how far down you scroll. In fact, in that long list of bets, you never come across the terms single bet and combi bet. And yet every bookmaker offers these options.
There is a logical explanation that single bets and combi bets do not appear in the regular list of soccer bets. This is because they have a completely different function from 1×2 bets and all those other standard bets. They are not a bet type, but rather a way of betting. You can choose to add single bets to your betting slip or you can make a combination of multiple bets. It’s up to you whether you leave it at a single bet or go for a combination.
Single bets: the simplest way to bet on soccer
You don’t have to be a huge linguist to know that the term single bet translates as a single bet. Bookmakers like to use these terms side by side. With one, the term single bet appears by default on your betting slip; with the other, you will constantly see the designation single bet. For you, it makes no difference what the bookmaker chooses. This is because it is always one and the same way of betting.
A single bet is the simplest way of betting on soccer. Namely, it means that you see each prediction as a single bet. You put your money on a win for Paris Saint-Germain and you determine your stake. In addition, you might also opt for an over/under bet on the Bayern Munich – Borussia Dortmund match. Then it’s a matter of waiting to see how the matches go. If indeed that convincing win for PSG appears on the scoreboard, then the profit of that prediction is yours. What happens between Bayern and Borussia has no further influence. Although of course it would be nice if you win that bet as well.
With the bookmakers, you can simply bet on multiple matches at once, but because you choose two single bets, the bets are completely separate. You might lose your over/under bet, but that win from Paris Saint-Germain’s match will obviously stand. So you get paid money from the bookmaker. Most bookies do not require you to create a separate betting slip for each separate bet. As long as you make sure you stay in the category with single bets. Otherwise, you automatically end up in the realm of combi bets.
A first introduction to combi bets
You bet 10 euros on a win PSG. With a odds of 1.50 a payout of 15 euros awaits you. You also bet 10 euros on the match Bayern – Borussia. The odds of 1.78 are worth a payout of 17.80 euros. If both single bets yield a profit, you will receive 32.80 euros from the bookmaker. Subtracting that 20 euro bet, there remains a pure profit of 12.80 euros.
Do you feel you can get more out of those 20 euros? That’s right! A combi bet (or as some bookmakers call it: a combined bet) is then a smart idea. With a combi bet, you no longer approach the bets as separate elements. Instead, you link them together. This has two important consequences:
You have to get all the predictions from the combo right to make a profit
The odds shoot up thanks to the multiplier system
Combined betting is highly intertwined
Let’s return for a moment to the soccer matches from the Ligue 1 and Bundesliga. With two single bets, these matches were worth a payout of 32.80 euros. The point that the odds shoot up with a combo bet is certainly not an exaggeration. That same total bet of 20 euros can now suddenly give you a payout of 53.40 euros. This increases the pure profit from 12.80 euros to 33.40 euros. Almost a tripling, in other words!
This extra high profit occurs because the multiplier system comes into play. In combined betting, all individual odds are multiplied by each other. A win for PSG is good for a quote of 1.50; betting on ‘less than 2.5 goals’ in the match between Bayern and Borussia means a quote of 1.78. Collectively, these two bets come out to a odds of (1.50 * 1.78) 2.67. No wonder that that €20 bet can suddenly yield so much more money.
Before you get wildly enthusiastic about combo bets, it’s wise to think about the risks. Because of course those higher odds come at a price. In a combi bet, the bets are so intertwined that one cannot be separated from the other. As a result, all the predictions from your combination must come true. It only takes one wrong prediction among them and you get nothing at all.
Risk versus odds: what trade-off do you make?
Two or three single bets will yield considerably lower odds than if you bundle the same predictions into a combo bet. But if one prediction doesn’t come true, with a combi bet you don’t receive a cent. At least with three single bets you get a reward for the two bets you did tick the right box. Just… how much money is this safer way of gambling worth to you? The difference between the profit you make with a combo bet and that of a few single bets is very large. That’s why it’s important that you look carefully at each time what the wisest choice is.
When choosing between a single bet and a combo bet, you should carefully consider the risk involved in each single bet. Quotations play an important role here. Suppose you spot three bets that each have odds between 1.20 and 1.40. As individual soccer bets, they yield very little. Maybe even too little in your opinion. A combo bet is a smart alternative. There is a real chance that you will win each of the three bets and still benefit from a higher profit. Have you set your sights on a bet that instantly quadruples your stake if you win? Then put that combined bet out of your mind! You are already taking a risk, and that risk only increases further when you make a combo of it. Think of a combo bet as a convenient way to raise low odds. If the bookmaker has the odds set at 2.00 or higher, that bet doesn’t belong in a combo anyway.
This is how to keep control of your single and combi bets
Single bets require less thinking than a combined bet. You only have to think about that one prediction that will appear on your betting slip. Even if you make multiple single bets at the same time, you don’t have to look much beyond the statistics and current soccer news. With a combo bet, there is an additional element to that. Namely, you always have to ask yourself exactly how many and which bets you link together.
A combination of two bets already results in higher odds, but five, six or seven bets will really increase your playing balance. Still, we advise you to be careful. Even a top club like Paris Saint-Germain has its bad days. What if you confidently bet on a win for PSG AND you combine this bet with five other predictions? The Parisians turn out to have a bad night and they don’t get beyond a draw. Suddenly that profitable combo bet goes up in smoke. Our tip is to combine a maximum of three bets. That way you keep control in that always uncertain world of soccer betting.
