Lay the Draw | Complete Lay the Draw Strategy Guide with Tips & Examples (2024)
If you are planning on making a living on Betfair, you should read some betting guides before and even know a couple of advanced betting strategies, such as lay the draw. When used correctly, this system almost guarantees a profit, no matter what the actual match result is. This makes it one of the best sports betting strategies you can use and thousands of people are already using it for profitable football betting or tennis.
After reading our article about lay the draw strategy, you can join them. Below we explain this system in detail and give you a couple of lay-the-draw tips so you can make a fast start.
- 1How does lay the draw work?
- 2Betfair - the best exchange to use lay the draw betting strategy
- 3How to lay the draw at Betfair: A lay the draw example
- 4Matches & markets to use lay the draw system
- 5What is the best lay the draw strategy?
- 6Tips & tricks for the best way to lay the draw
- 7Lay the draw for a living: Is it possible?
- 8Should you try lay the draw betting?
- 9FAQ about lay the draw selections
How does lay the draw work?
Betfair - the best exchange to use lay the draw betting strategy
We will give an example of lay the draw betting below, but before that, we must tell you that lay the draw strategy works only at betting exchanges. You cannot use it at regular bookmakers. We will also explain why, but for now, let’s continue with the best betting exchange UK site to use this system. We highly recommend choosing Betfair because it is one of the best sports betting exchanges out there and offers several features that will make your job easier, such as:
✅ Offers far greater flexibility than traditional bookmakers
✅ You can find much more competitive odds. They are offered by bettors like you
✅ More odds mean more opportunities to use betting strategies such as lay the draw
✅ Liquidity is not an issue, especially in the football betting market
✅ New customers from UK or Republic of Ireland can get up to £100 in Free Bets
✅ Daily Free Bet offers for new and existing international customers
Top Bookmakers with the Best Odds in 18 February 2025 – Updated List
How to lay the draw at Betfair: A lay the draw example
Matches & markets to use lay the draw system
There is one problem with lay the draw football strategy: It depends on odds dropping after the first goal is scored. Thing is, if that first goal is scored by the underdog, the favorite team is much more likely to score another goal – this fact may cause the lay bet odds to increase, instead of decreasing. The whole lay the draw in play idea is based on using the increased odds of back bets after the first goal, and if this does not happen, we cannot guarantee a profit. So there are two important things to consider: how to pick the right matches and when to lay the draw. Let’s start with picking the right matches.
👉 Do not pick matches with a heavily favored team and an underdog. The favorite team is always expected to score a goal (or even the score), so the odds won’t be in our favor. (You should also check our underdog betting guide for more info.)
👉 We need the odds for the lay bet to drop (and odds for the back bet to increase). Teams known for their aggressive playstyle are the perfect choice: They will both score a lot of goals so the odds change between laying/backing will be in our favor. These teams are also suitable for BTTS bets. What does BTTS mean in betting though? It simply means that both teams need to score at least one goal during a match.
👉 Due to the high liquidity they bring, popular matches/leagues should be your preferred option.
What is the best lay the draw strategy?
And now, let’s take a look at the timing of lay the draw bet. At what point should you use this strategy and in which sports you might wonder? Well, there are several options when it comes to strategies, each coming with its pros & cons, and they can be used in various sports. The most common lay the draw strategy systems are:
Lay the draw and back 1-1
Your back bet (second bet) is about a specific score. You are betting on the match will end with a score of 1 – 1. You can get higher odds for this outcome but betting on a very specific score means taking more risk, which is against the “guaranteed profit” goal of lay the draw bets.
Lay the draw at half time strategy
If you wait until halftime to play the back bet, you’ll have a better idea of the teams’ performance (and the number of goals they can score). If you choose this option, especially if you are in-play betting, you can decide during halftime whether to play the back bet or not.
Lay the draw back 0-0 at halftime
According to official statistics, 25.5% of matches that are 0-0 until halftime end at 0 – 0. This strategy is based on this data and again asks you to bet back on a specific score, but the lay the draw back 0-0 result is more likely to occur compared to 1 – 1.
Lay the draw in the second half
You play both lay and back bets during the second halftime. The idea is simple: when you watch the first half of the match you can make a more accurate prediction of what will happen in the second half. Some say that this a good way to win at sports betting, and they are right, but since anyone can do this, the odds difference you get won’t be much.
Lay the draw at 60 minutes
The difference between back and lay odds will increase towards the end of the match. Matches usually end in the same way as their score in the 60th minute. This strategy tells you to wait until the 60th minute to place the back bet. (Alternatively, you can lay the draw at 70 minutes.)
Tips & tricks for the best way to lay the draw
You can see our lay the draw tips & tricks below:
Tip
👉 If it comes to betting for fun vs betting for profit, than lay the draw strategy is not only used to make a profit. Sometimes you can’t guarantee a profit even if you make the right choices. In such cases, focus on minimizing your losses. Place a back bet even if it won’t bring any profit, as long as you can reduce your losses.
👉 Ideally, we recommend that you choose matches that offer 3.5 – 5.0 odds for the draw result.
👉 Most exchanges offer a lay the draw software to calculate the lay and back bet amounts. If there is no such software, you can use lay the draw calculator.
👉 If the underdog scored the first goal, try to hold your position for as long as possible. In such cases, it would be better to wait until the 60th or even 70th minute.
👉 As always, do your research and find out everything there is to know about both teams before placing your bets. Injured players, home/away status, and many more factors will affect their performance (and therefore the match result).
👉 You can use free bet bonuses to place the back bet. Do not forget to check the lay the draw daily tips, the offers and promotions and also have a look at our list of reload offers for UK players.
👉 Don’t spend your entire budget on a single game. Divide your budget into at least 10 units and use each unit in a different match.
Lay the draw for a living: Is it possible?
Truth be told it is quite difficult to make a living by lay the draw betting. Although, in most cases, you can guarantee a profit, it is not possible to completely eliminate the luck factor. Lay the draw betting is similar to arbitrage betting but works in a different way. Unless the odds difference is not as large as necessary, you will not be able to make a profit. Therefore, it would be better to see the lay the draw strategy as a tactic that increases your chances of winning. It is very difficult to make a living with this method.
Should you try lay the draw betting?
PROS
- It is possible to lock-in a profit
- The basic principle is very easy to understand
- Does not require a big bankroll
- Can be used with free bet bonuses
CONS
- Some matches are not suitable for this strategy
- It may be hard to find out when to exit
FAQ about lay the draw selections
As a rule, lay the draw bets can be used in all sports where a draw outcome is possible. However, due to its rules and popularity, football is the best sport for this betting system.
The basic logic of the system is simple and beginners can easily understand what to do. However, learning when to place the second bet takes time and experience.
No, regular bookmakers only offer the cashout option. Lay the draw can be used efficiently only in exchanges such as Betfair.
Yes. Therefore, lay the draw is also a live betting system. To use this strategy properly, you can place your second bet only while the match is in progress.
One of the most common betting mistakes made by beginners is placing the second bet immediately after the first goal is scored. Whereas, holding your position for a while will allow you to get a higher profit margin.
Start with the best lay the draw strategy
Now that you have learned what lay the draw bets are you know what are the advantages they give you, so waste no time and try them. Open a betting account, choose the the lay the draw strategy that fits you best and start winning.
We are sure that you will achieve good results in a short time using our lay the draw tips. We will always be here to help you, so don’t forget to visit us often. Good luck!
Other related articles you might like:
Other Tutorials and Strategies
Top 10 Sports Betting Mobile Apps
Back in the day the very possibility of wagering over the Internet sounded far-fetched and punters were delighted when the first online bookmakers emerged. Mobile betting sites came later and for quite a while, before e-sports betting was a thing and punters were reliant on their computers for all forms of gambling. Today the sky [...]
How do Internet Betting Exchanges Work?
Conventional bookmakers are benefiting greatly from the passion for sports and they manage to stay in control by setting the odds themselves. For many years this was the only alternative for punters and the actual challenge was to find the odds that held enough value as to keep the house edge reasonable. Betting exchanges promised [...]
How to Win Sports Betting Parlays | Best Parlay Betting Strategy
Learning how to win sports betting Parlays when you bet at online bookmakers is a lot easier than you might think. The Parlay betting system is an ideal way to wager on multiple events and potentially boost the amount you can win. What types of sports betting options can use you? Can we teach you [...]
![Best Cash-Out Betting Sites [2024] – Updated List](https://www.gamblingjudge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Cash-out-betting-sites.jpeg)
Best Cash-Out Betting Sites [2024] – Updated List
Way too often betting on sports turns into a roller coaster adventure, with ups and downs and players don’t know what to expect until the final whistle. Anything can happen on the pitch and adrenaline junkies frequently make use of live betting feature to watch the games in real-time. This has the advantage of providing them [...]