Do Ties Lose On A Parlay
What happens to your parlay bet if one of its legs ends in a tie? This article answers that question by closely examining ties in sports betting.
Parlays are incredibly hard to win since every single leg needs to succeed. What happens if one of the matches tied to those legs results in a tie?
We answer that question in this article by closely examining ties in sports betting.
Effects of a Tie On Parlay Bets
For those familiar with parlays and concerned about ties, sports betting ties will not cancel the entire wager. However, a parlay push will still have a different payout than its original one.
To help people understand why people are concerned, we need to explain this type of wager. Parlays are a collection of sports bets within a single wager such as moneyline, spread, totals, props, and future. The collection of bets creates a new market based on the odds of its legs (bets). A significant aspect of parlays is their risk-vs-reward related to the number of legs. Adding more legs to a parlay increases its payout.
When we are talking about parlay payouts, we are talking about odds that can give you a return of more than thrice your wager. In a 2-team parlay, you will get a payout of 2.6-to-1, while a 5-team parlay will grant you a 22-to-1 payout.
The risk behind every parlay is the reason behind the large payout. You need to win all legs to see that parlay payout. Naturally, parlays with more than two teams are likely to lose. Even if every leg is made of heavily favored wagers, such as an NBA money line of -190 or a La Liga spread of +1.5, real-world factors can cause these bets to lose.
In case of a tie, one of your parlay legs does not win or lose. Because of a tie, the total parlay is recalculated according to the remaining leg. Let us illustrate with a 6-team MLB parlay wager for a single season on a $200 stake.
| Team Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Mets | -170 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +200 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | -160 |
| Miami Marlins | +230 |
| New York Yankees | -180 |
| Total Payout | $ 7749.12 |
Should a parlay tie happen between the Brewers with Cubs in their game, you will see the following payout in your betting slip.
| Team Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Mets | -170 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | -160 |
| Miami Marlins | +230 |
| New York Yankees | -180 |
| Total Payout | $ 2449.71 |
Since a tie has no losers or winners, your parlay will have a reduced payout. On the bright side, this still means you get a substantial return if all four remaining legs win this season. You can use a parlay calculator to see how a tie on a specific leg will affect your wager.
Defining a Game Tie in Sports Betting
While the term may sound simple, ties are an anomaly in sports betting. A tie in any sports match is where the game ends with participants having the same score. There are simply no winners or losers for that game.
Most games have a tie-breaker means to ensure a clear winner in each game. This is why there is overtime for basketball, football, hockey, and other sports. In the case of golf and baseball, where time is not a measure for each game, each participant plays an extra hole or innings. The UK or US sports betting site will refund your stake if you have a money line wager on a draw game.
Because of those "tie-breakers," there are only a few markets for tied matches on complete games you can use as legs for parlays. There are already wagers on whether a game will go into overtime or an extra inning, indicating that there will be a tie after the average time length of a game. Note that this is for sports that have two participants or teams.
What happens to your wagers in matches with more than two participants, such as golf? When this occurs, the original stake is divided by the number of participants and is given to the bettors. The dead heat rule is applied if there are at least two winners.
How a Tie Affects Two-Team Parlays
While ties do not void an entire parlay, they can still break one apart if that wager only has two legs.
Just as its name implies, two-team parlays only have two legs. If one of these legs becomes a tie, the parlay becomes a single bet or is voided. This scenario is a significant disadvantage if the payout of the parlay is more than twice the sum of both legs.
Take note that a three-team parlay can also be affected in the same way should two of your legs tie. In an unlikely scenario where two of the three-leg parlay end in a draw, the entire three-leg parlay becomes a single bet, which is the remaining wager.
Do Ties Lose On A Parlay: FAQ
What is a tie in sports betting?
A tie during any sport is a match where no one wins or loses. When it comes to sports betting, ties are usually indicated over time as a means of a tie-breaker to determine who is the winner. If there are still no winners during the extended period, the game ends in a draw, and all money line wagers are refunded.
What happens to your parlay if a tie occurs?
When a tie occurs, the affected leg of a parlay is removed, and the entire wagered is restructured based on the remaining portion. With this parlay push, your wager will lose one leg and have a lower payout.
Can a tie also affect teasers?
Specific US or UK sportsbooks will treat ties as a win for teasers. On the other hand, other bookies will treat ties as a push and reduce the teaser's payout if one of its legs is removed due to the match outcome.
How often does a money line get pushed?
Ties are scarce in most games since there are tie-breakers for NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, and PGA games. Because of its rarity, sportsbook usually does not have a market for draws.
Will a tie void two-team parlays?
When a tie removes one of the legs of a two-team parlay, the wager becomes a straight bet consisting of the remaining leg.
Ties are events with no winners or losers, which results in the removal of a parlay wager. Parlays ties are still active with a lower payout.
