Combination Forecast Explained

What Is a Combination Forecast Bet?

Before going to what a combination forecast bet is, let’s recap what a forecast bet is. A forecast bet is a betting type in which you pick a certain number of selections of a team, player or a horse to finish in particular positions. You will only win if your predictions are completely right as there is no leeway or flexibility in a forecast bet. So, for instance, if you bet on team A and team B to finish first and second respectively, for you to win the forecast bet, team A and team B need to finish first and second respectively. You will lose even if they finish vice versa or if you get even one of those predictions right.

However, it is different when it comes to combination forecast bets. It gives you a little bit of flexibility. In a combination forecast bet, you need to have two of your selections finish in the top two in any order. The combination forecast bet allows you to have multiple selections. However, the bigger the number of selections you pick, the higher is the stake involved.

How Does a Combination Forecast Bet Work?

Let’s look at an example to see clearly how a combination forecast bet works. For instance, if you have teams A, B and C as your top picks or selections that you have bet on, then irrespective of which of these two teams (A, B or C) finish in the top two, you will end up winning the combination forecast bet.

So, you could have as many possibilities that could work in your favour and help you end up winning the combination forecast bet. The following are the possibilities for your combination forecast bet to turn out a winning one:

• If team A finish first and team B finish second;
• If team A finish first and team C finish second;
• If team B finish first and team C finish second;
• If team B finish first and team A finish second;
• If team C finish first and team B finish second;
• If team C finish first and team A finish second.

So, in short, if you pick three teams, players or horses, you need two of them to finish at the top and that can be in any order. Thus, there is a lower risk and with you having to get only two out of your three or more selections finish in particular positions, the probability of winning is higher as well.

Therefore, if one team, player or horse that you bet on has a bad day or is ruled out, then you still have a chance with the other permutations and combinations that could work in your favour. That’s where a high number of selections or picks comes into the picture. However, the stake involved increases as the number of selections and picks you want to bet on goes higher.

This is only the example in which you have three selections. If you are ready to involve a higher stake, then you could well have more selections and that would lead to more permutations and combinations resulting in your favour. The following list specifies the number of possibilities that can work in your favour and help you win a combination forecast bet if the number of selections you bet on is bigger.

• If the number of selections you have bet on is three, then there are six possibilities that can work in your favour.
• If the number of selections you have bet on is four, then there are 24 possibilities that can work in your favour.
• If the number of selections you have bet on is five, then there are 60 possibilities that can work in your favour.
• If the number of selections you have bet on is six, then there are 120 possibilities that can work in your favour, etc.

Pros and Cons of Combination Forecast Bets

As it has been mentioned earlier, a combination forecast bet gives you a much better chance of winning when compared to a straight forecast bet. In a straight forecast bet, you need to pick two teams, players or horses that you think will end up finishing in particular positions and they need to finish in that exact order that you bet on for you to win. However, in combination forecast bets, the order in which the teams finish doesn’t matter as long as the teams that you bet on finished in the positions that you have predicted. Moreover, in combination forecast betting, you have three or more selections and out of them, only two need to end up at the top. So, that allows you to have some flexibility and even if you get one wrong or if your pick has a bad day, you are still in with a chance of winning the combination forecast bet.

However, there are a couple of cons as well. The stake involved is higher when compared to the straight forecast bet. Also, all kinds of forecast betting methods are a little more challenging than just betting on the overall winner of a game. In addition to this, the chances of making large profits and having big returns from a small stake are not that great.

A small comparison between a straight forecast bet and a combination forecast bet is demonstrated in the following table: