HT/FT bet definition

A HT/FT bet involves a bettor predicting both the half time result and full time result in a fixture. It is a highly popular bet in football, and is also commonly referred to as a double result.

The 'double result' name is derived from the fact that a HT/FT bet is effectively two bets in one: the half time result and the full time result. Both the half time and full time selections have to be correct for the bet to be successful.

The outcome of a HT/FT bet is determined by the score at the end of normal time. This includes injury time, but does not include extra time and penalty shootouts.

For example, if a bettor had selected Barcelona to be leading at half time and full time against Manchester United in the Champions League quarter final second leg and the game finished 1-0 after 45 minutes and 1-1 after 90 minutes, before Barcelona won the game in extra time, this bet would not be successful as the full time result had been a draw and not a Barcelona win.

However, had a bettor selected Barcelona to be leading at half time and a draw at full time, this bet would have been successful despite Barcelona ultimately going on to win the match, as the game had finished in a draw after 90 minutes.

HT/FT result possible outcomes

There are three possible outcomes for a half time result and three possible outcomes for a full time result: home win, draw or away win. As a result, there are nine possible outcomes in a HT/FT bet.

Home win / home win

Home win / draw

Home win / away win

Draw/ draw

Draw / home win

Draw / away win

Away win / away win

Away win / draw

Away win / home win

How to use a HT/FT bet in betting

A HT/FT bet is a riskier bet to place than a straight forward FT result bet, as a FT result bet is a 1X2 bet and therefore has just three possible outcomes and a 33.3% chance of selecting the correct outcome. In contrast, a HT/FT bet has nine possible outcomes, and therefore just an 11.1% chance of selecting the correct outcome.

However, due to the increased number of outcomes and lower likelihood of success, HT/FT bets offer longer odds and the chance of greater returns from a smaller stake.

A HT/FT bet is a good bet to place if you are confident of one team beating another convincingly. With a HT/FT bet, you will be offered longer odds than you would with a straight forward FT result bet as there are six more possible outcomes, making selecting the correct outcome more unlikely. However, if you are confident that a team will win a match convincingly, there is a good chance that they will be leading at both half time and full time.