Half-time/full-time explained

The half-time/full-time bet, often abbreviated to "HT/FT", combines two 1X2 predictions. The first part applies to the score at the break, the second to the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. The bet only wins if both are right.

Nine possible outcomes

Three possible results at half-time and three at full-time give nine combinations: 1/1, 1/X, 1/2, X/1, X/X, X/2, 2/1, 2/X, 2/2. The notation is always "half-time/full-time". So 2/1 means: the away team lead at the break, the home team win in the end – a classic comeback.

Typical odds

For a home favourite (win odds around 1.60), the odds often look roughly like this:

• 1/1: 2.60
• X/1: 4.50
• X/X: 5.00
• 2/1: 25.00
• 1/2: 40.00

The range is wide. That is because the first half is often goalless or tight: in many leagues, around 40 per cent of matches are level at the break. Combinations with "X" at half-time are therefore more common than many people think.

The margin is high

Nine outcomes leave plenty of room for mark-ups. If you add up the reciprocals of all nine odds, the overround at many bookmakers is 15 to 25 per cent. That is considerably more than for 1X2. Half-time/full-time is therefore a market for fun and for targeted views on how a match will unfold, not a market for regular betting.

Good to know

For the first half, the score including first-half stoppage time counts. Even in knockout matches, extra time and penalties do not count towards the bet's full-time result.