The term Straight Forecast relates to a specific bet where you pick two selections and they must finish in first and second place in the correct order.
The Straight Forecast is a well-known wager in the world of horse racing and greyhound racing. It’s a single stake bet despite the fact that you are picking two horses or two greyhounds.
In order for your Straight Forecast to be successful, you must correctly select the winner and the second place, and they must be in the correct order. You can place a reversed forecast bet which allows the two horses (or greyhounds) to finish in any order, as long as they are both in the top two.
Calculating the odds of a Straight Forecast is done by a rather complex formula which involves the price of your two selections, their order (first or second), the number of runners in the field and several other factors. Fortunately, when betting online, the payout is pre-calculated in your bet slip so you can view it before staking the bet.
Here are some examples of Straight Forecast bets and their odds. All prices were taken from bet365, which is one of the world’s best online bookmakers for horse racing.
- 12:45 Fairview (SA) 8 runners
- Buzz Word 3.00
- Cyclone Jack 9.00
Odds: 19.47 (18.47/1 fractions)
- 13:55 Fairview (SA) 11 runners
- Sun Up 4.50
- Flame of Fire 5.00
Odds: 19.26 (18.26/1 fractions)
- 15:40 Fairview (SA) 13 runners
- Data Link 8.00
- Seattle Sound 4.00
Odds: 29.95 (28.95/1 fractions)
Why Place Straight Forecast Bets?
Straight Forecast bets are not easy to predict and that’s why the bookmaker must make the prices attractive enough to entice punters to have a flutter. For example, the 13:55 at Fairview, the Straight Forecast has the favourite (Sun Up) and the second favourite (Flame of Fire) as 1 and 2.
A single bet on Sun Up winning only pays 7/2 (4.50) but if you add in Flame of Fire to the forecast, the odds are boosted up to 18.26 to 1.
A Straight Forecast is a good option on races that have a heavy odds-on favourite. As there is little value in backing the horse (or greyhound) with a single win bet unless you are betting high stakes, the Straight Forecast brings the second-placed runner into play and therefore creates value in the market.
Straight Forecast on other sports
The majority of bookmakers only offer Straight Forecast betting options on horse and greyhound races. However, it is possible to forecast bet on any sport that involves a field of entrants from which a winner (1st place) and runner-up (2nd place) are defined. This can include:
- Tennis tournaments (winner and losing finalist)
- Football tournaments (Winner and losing finalist in the Champions League for instance)
- Snooker tournaments
- NFL Outright (Super Bowl winners & runners-ups)
- World Series Outright
- NBA Championships
- Rugby World Cup
While these markets are rarely advertised, a growing number of online bookmakers offer a service in which you can tweet a bet you would like using a special hashtag, such as #BuildABet., and the traders will price it up for you. This allows you to create Straight Forecast bets on any sport.