There’s nothing quite like nailing that seven-leg parlay with great odds, right? Well, how about doing it all within one game.
Same game parlays have taken the betting world by storm recently, with everyone looking to become the next Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems (maybe staying alive instead, though). Below, we explain how same game parlays work, some strategies for your bets, and if they’re worth it for smart bettors.
What Is A Same Game Parlay Bet?
The basic concept of a same game parlay is the same as any parlay bet. Combining two or more wagers, you can earn a higher total payout if all of the individual bets win. You can usually combine point spreads, OVER/UNDERs, moneyline bets and sometimes prop bets.
What differentiates a same game parlay (if the name doesn’t make it obvious) is all the legs of the parlay have to be from the same game.
How Do Same Game Parlays Work?
Let’s say you bet on three different instances from a game. If all three happen, you win your bet, with the combined odds from all three of those wagers profiting you a pretty penny.
One risk with a same game parlay (or any parlay, for that matter) is that if even one of those wagers doesn’t hit, the whole bet loses. You can go 2-for-3 or even 7-for-8 on a massive same game parlay and still lose.
Another unique thing about same game parlays is that some books give the bettor slightly worse odds on these types of parlays to make sure they aren’t losing their slight edge. With many same game parlays, there’s a correlation between legs in your bets, which the books take into account for your odds. For example, if you bet on an NBA team to win and their star point guard to score over 30 points, those are correlated and the sportsbook accounts for it. Over the long run, it can be smarter just to bet on the two events individually.
At many sportsbooks, you can bet on same game parlays for all major sports, including the NFL, Major League Baseball and the top basketball leagues.
Example: Same Game Parlay Odds
Here’s an example of a same game parlay betting slip. This example uses a few fictional wagers for a three-leg football parlay:
The above betting card shows three different bets from the same game that you could parlay together for a same game bet. While bettors can wager on these three markets individually, parlaying them together increases the profit potential. In this case, the three bets, with close to 50/50 odds, combine for a +702 wager.
If you bet $100 on the entire parlay bet, you’d get a parlay payout of $802 – your original $100 plus your winnings of $702. You can use our Odds Calculator to see how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet. We also have a Parlay Calculator to help determine your potential payout.
Like in all sports-betting parlays, if one of your bets pushes (like if Jackson throws for exactly one passing touchdown above), that bet is simply removed from the same game parlay, and your bet becomes a two-leg wager.
How To Strategize Same Game Parlays
The main takeaway for betting on same game parlays is understanding the context of your bets, while most single game bets or even standard multi game parlays are solely reliant on you doing your research or going with your gut on isolated events.
Where you can really start to rake in the profits on same game parlays is taking that research, a bit of info, or your gut hunch and using it to maximize profits across a bunch of different bets. That may seem complicated, but I’ll explain below.
What Not To Do
One way to understand good strategy around same game parlays is by looking at an example of what not to do. Let’s say we have a New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys game, and you’re looking to make a same game parlay bet, locking in the bet slip below:
Sure, all three of these bets could, on their own, realistically cash. Parlayed together, they even have the potential for some really nice profits, right?
But looking at them together, as one bet, it becomes obvious why this is a flawed parlay. If Jones isn’t passing for two scores and Prescott has three passing TDs, what are the chances the Giants cover a one-possession spread? Possible, but highly unlikely.
While this may seem like a drastic example, it shows the most important piece of same game parlay strategy advice: choose bets that work together. Or at the very least, choose bets that don’t potentially contradict one another.
The Drawbacks Of Same Game Parlays
One of the most highly discussed cons of same game parlays is that you’re probably not getting the odds. With the books moving your parlay odds depending on the correlation of your bets, it’s harder than usual to gain an edge in same game parlay betting.
As well, like with all parlays, most professional gamblers stay away altogether. Many regular sports bettors find it is more consistent and profitable to bet on individual wagers than to parlay them, and those events being in the same game doesn’t impact that decision-making. Though same game parlays can be fun, don’t bank on them to make you regular profits.
Same Game Parlay Betting Tips
After poring over team reports and betting trends, try to find something to build a same game parlay around. For example, if you know the New York Jets’ star running back is going to be out for a game, why not bet on the other team to win, the OVER on the NY backup RB’s carries, and a few passing props because the Jets will need to put the ball in the air more.
It’s rarely an exact science, but same game parlays give you the unique ability to capitalize on a few trends or pieces of news, if done correctly.