What Does Parlay Mean in Betting?

Sports betting guides from Betsperts

Parlay betting is one of the many ways you can make wagers at an online sports betting site. Usually, a parlay will have two or more bets combined into one big bet. The goal is to increase the risk of the wager, leading to a much bigger potential payout. 

What is a Parlay in Sports Betting?

A parley bet combines at least two individual wagers into one bet. These can be wager on two different games or selections from the same game. To win the parlay, every bet in the split must also win. If one of them loses, the entire parlay is lost. This makes parlay bets very risky and difficult to win, which gives the better a shot at a bigger payout.  

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Parlay odds

Parlay odds are derived from the odds of individual bets in the wager. It is quite possible to do some calculations to work out your potential winnings; 

  • If you’re using American odds, convert them to decimals
  • Multiply the decimal odds together
  • Multiply the result with your bet amount to get your potential winnings

Fortunately, the sportsbook does the calculations for you. As you add selections to your parlay bet, they will automatically update the odds for the bet. 

Different types of Parlay Wagers

You can make multi or single-game parlays. Multi-game parlays are created by making selections across different games, while single-game parlays involve making selections in the same game. 

You can create a parlay by combining moneyline bets, spreads, totals, and even props. Of course, the number of each depends on the type of wager you’re making. For instance, in a single-game parlay, you can only make one moneyline, one spread, and one total bet. And in a multi-game parlay, you can make several moneylines, spreads, and totals depending on the number of games in your bet slip.   

What are the benefits of parlays?

Parlay bets carry huge potential winnings. You can turn $20 into $1000 by making the right predictions. This makes them fun to wager. 

What are the risks of parlays?

Every selection in your parlay bet must win for you to win your wager. So, if you have ten individual bets in your slip and you win nine and lose one, the entire bet is lost. This makes parlay bets incredibly risky and hard to win. You’ll probably be successful after more than a dozen.  

Thus, as any experienced handicapper will tell you, don’t make parlay bets for the money. Bet with money you can afford to lose and always do it for the challenge and the thrill that comes with making multiple successful predictions. The payout is just a bonus. 

How to Make a Parlay Bet

Making a parlay bet is quite easy. First, log into your sportsbook and navigate to the “Parlays” tab or any other relevant tab. From there, you can combine all the bets you want. The sportsbook will keep updating your odds as you add selections. 

Once satisfied with your selections, confirm and submit the bet. 

Calculating Parlay Payouts

American odds are usually based on $100. Thus, the odds for a hypothetical four-game parlay may be +1500. This means that if you wager $100 on the bet, you will win $1500. Thus, your parlay bet pay should be $1600. 

What are the odds of hitting a parlay?

Parlay bets are a high-risk high-reward wager. Overall, the probability that you’ll win parlay bets depends on the number of bets in the slip. The more bets you have, the lower your chances of winning.

Betting Sites that Support Parlay Bets

There are plenty of great sportsbooks and platforms where you can place parlay bets. Check out some of the most popular options.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel allows fans to make single and multi-game parlays for games in the MLS, NHL, NBA, NCAAF, NCAAB, and other leagues. Handicappers enjoy great odds while new users can score great promotions and offers.

Bet365 Sportsbook

Bet365 is a top-rated online gambling platform with great odds and bet variety. Here, you can make parlay prop bets and other parlays for much bigger and better odds.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings is another huge and popular sports betting platform that lets you parlay bets. You can make same-game parlays or multi-game parlays. You’ll also enjoy a wide selection of great odds across leagues and events in all the major sports and qualify for a deposit bonus of up to $1000. 

BetMGM

BetMGM comes with great beat variety and odds that can be amplified by parlay bets. You can wager on games and events across all the major leagues and tournaments. You also get great odds and excellent bet variety.   

BetRivers Sportsbook

BetRivers offers an excellent bet variety. You can make moneyline bets, spreads, totals, and prop bets or combine these into one huge parlay. There are also occasional bonuses and promos. As a new user, you get a bet match on your first deposit of up to $250.  

Caesars sportsbook

Caesars Sportsbook is one of the biggest sportsbooks in the country. It has great odds that get even better as you bet parlays across all the major leagues. New users can enjoy great promotions and rewards program.

What happens to my parlay bet in a canceled game?

Games often get canceled due to bad weather or too many injuries in the squad. If you have such a game in your parlay, it will be removed from the bet. Thus, a five-game parlay becomes a four-game parlay, a three-game parlay becomes a two-game parlay, and so on. Still, you should consult your sportsbook for details on how they handle situations pertaining to parlays.

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WRITTEN BY

Dan Weiner

Hailing from Atlanta and attending college at the University of Texas, Dan is passionate about sports, particularly college football and soccer. He's a diehard Atlanta pro sports and Texas Longhorns fan. He likes every sport and will watch anything and everything the weirder the better. He joined Betsperts after an 11 year career in television production at ESPN.

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