Head to head betting is a form of sports betting whereby the bookmaker creates a market for the two possible outcomes of a match: Team A win or Team B. It is the most popular form of sports betting. In some cases, head to head bets involve three outcomes; an example of a sport where three outcomes is a distinct possibility is soccer, where the draw can be as likely as any other result.
Head to head betting is the most popular type of sports bet offered throughout the world. It purely focuses on the win or loss outcome of a match. Head to head bets are also very popular in tennis, where there can only be two outcomes: Player A or Player B.
The example above shows the head to head market for an AFL match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the GWS Giants. The price for either team winning is $1.90, so the bookmaker has assessed that both teams have an equal chance of winning. You can choose to back North Melbourne to win the match at $1.90, or you can select GWS to win at odds of $1.90.
All online betting companies provide head to head markets for customers to wager on. Visit our betting sites page, to find a company that provides head to head betting.
Most betting agencies will refund losing head to head bets on AFL matches if the match finishes in a draw. In part, this is because the draw is improbable, and including it as a 3rd outcome would potentially complicate the head to head market for punters.
To further illustrate head to head betting, we take a look at a tennis match between Fabio Fognini and Gael Monfils. Fognini is at odds of $1.65 to win the match, while Monfils is rated a $2.24 chance to win. There is no potential for a 3rd outcome. Head to head betting is simply a market that reflects the odds of a team or player winning or losing a match.
When betting agencies offer free bets to existing customers on sports events, they almost always require a bet to be placed on a head to head market to qualify for the bonus. Head to head bets are the most popular and easily understood form of sports betting and this is why agencies use them for promotions.
