Draw No Bet Explained | DNB Meaning, Examples & When to Use

You like a team to win. But draws happen in 25 to 28% of football matches worldwide. That's more than 1 in 4 games ending level.

Draw No Bet solves this problem elegantly. Pick a winner. If it draws, get your money back. No complicated handicap lines, no split stakes. Just simple insurance against the most frustrating result in football betting.

Here's everything you need to know about how DNB works on Bet9ja, when to use it, and how it compares to Double Chance and standard 1X2.

What Is Draw No Bet?

Draw No Bet is a two-outcome market that removes the draw. You back either the home or away team. If your team wins, you win. If the match draws, your stake is returned. If your team loses, you lose your stake.

Think of it as Asian Handicap 0, they're mathematically identical. The difference is branding. DNB is easier for beginners to understand, which is why Bet9ja lists it as a separate market.

How DNB Works on Bet9ja

Let's walk through a concrete example with Naira stakes:

Match: Arsenal vs Newcastle

Market: Draw No Bet: Arsenal. Odds: 1.50

Stake: ₦10,000

✅ Arsenal wins 2-1 → Payout: ₦15,000 (profit ₦5,000)

🔄 Match draws 1-1 → Stake refunded: ₦10,000

❌ Newcastle wins 0-1 → Loss: ₦10,000

DNB vs Double Chance vs 1X2

These three markets all let you back a team, but the risk/reward profile is completely different. Here's a side-by-side comparison for a typical Premier League home favourite:

Market	Typical Odds	You Win If	Draw Result	Risk Level
1X2 (Home)	1.75	Home wins	Lose	Highest
Draw No Bet	1.50	Home wins	Refund	Medium
Double Chance (1X)	1.25	Home wins or draws	Win	Lowest

The trade-off is clear: more protection = lower odds. DNB sits in the middle: better odds than Double Chance, less risk than straight 1X2.

When DNB Makes Sense

Research by Koning (2000) found that draw frequency varies significantly by league. In leagues with high draw rates, DNB becomes more valuable:

League	Draw Rate	DNB Value
Ligue 1	28%	High (1 in 3.5 matches draws)
Serie A	27%	High
La Liga	26%	Medium-High
Premier League	23%	Medium
Bundesliga	21%	Lower (fewer draws)

Away games are the sweet spot. Away teams draw more often than home teams, particularly in Italy and France. Backing an away favourite on DNB in Ligue 1 means your insurance kicks in almost 30% of the time.

If things go wrong mid-match, Bet9ja's cashout feature lets you lock in profit or limit losses before full-time.

DNB in Accumulators

DNB works beautifully in accumulators. On Bet9ja, if one DNB leg draws, that leg is voided and the accumulator continues with the remaining legs at adjusted combined odds.

This means a 5-leg accumulator with one DNB draw becomes a 4-leg accumulator. You don't lose the entire bet. You just get slightly lower odds. That's far better than losing everything because one match drew 0-0.

Pro tip: Use DNB for your riskiest legs (away favourites, derby matches) and standard 1X2 for strong home favourites. This hybrid approach protects your accumulator's weakest links.

Sources

Koning, R.H. (2000). "Balance in Competition in Dutch Soccer." Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series D, 49(3), 419 to 431.
Bet9ja Help Center (2025). "Asian Handicap and Draw No Bet Markets." bet9ja.com.

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Draw No Bet Explained: How DNB Works on Bet9ja (2026)