System Bet Explained in 2020
Have you ever wondered how a system bet can be profitable even when some selections let you down? Well, wonder no more. Our betting systems experts will share all their knowledge with you and will give you a complete system bet rundown. We will show you how you can profit from a betting slip even when it contains losing selections without the need to hedge those bets. Read on to find out more.
What is a system bet?
If you wanted to see a system bet explained, you came to the right place. System bets are wagers that contain a combination of selections. The best thing about system bets is that not all of these picks have to be successful for bets to be winning ones.
For example, when you play a 3/5 system bet, only three selections need to be successful, for you to win some money. If four selections come to fruition, you will have a bigger profit. If all five picks are successful, you will win the maximum amount possible.
Let’s explain this with a 3/5 NFL system bet.
| Game | Bet and odds | Stake |
| Indianapolis Colts (+6.5) - Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5) | Eagles to win at -110 (1.91) | $100 ($10 per combination) |
| Carolina Panthers (+1.5) - Jacksonville Jaguars (-1.5) | Panthers to win at -110 (1.91) | |
| New England Patriots (-8.5) - Detroit Lions (+8.5) | Patriots to win at -110 (1.91) | |
| New York Jets (-2.5) - New York Giants (+2.5) | Jets to win at -110 (1.91) | |
| Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) - Las Vegas Raiders (+3.5) | Seahawks to win at -110 (1.91) |
Here’s the table of combinations for the 3/5 NFL system bet that you can use to calculate your bet’s success:
| Number of winning combinations | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 3 | - | - | 1 | 4 | 10 |
Some bettors prefer to use a system bet calculator, but most of the time a table such as the one above will do just fine. This is especially true with simple betting systems with small numbers of combinations.
To have a successful wager in the system above, a minimum of three selections have to come to fruition. If you win only one or two selections, the system bet is a losing one.
To calculate total winnings in this example is pretty straightforward. With three successful selections, you multiply the decimal odds of those three picks with the $10 stake per combination and get your total winnings of $69.7 (1.91*1.91*1.91*$10 = $69.7).
If four selections come to fruition, you multiply that total ($69.7) by 4 and you get total winnings of $278.8 ($69.7*4=$278.8).
If all five selections are successful, you will win the maximum amount possible - $697 ($69.7*10=$697).
Calculating your profit in this example was easy because all events came with the same odds. If this wasn’t the case, you would either have to manually multiply all individual combinations or use a system bet calculator.
Placing a system bet: Step-by-Step
It is often believed that system betting is only reserved for betting professionals as it is slightly more complicated. However, with the right betting advice, even a wagering beginner can play lots of successful system bets. Our step-by-step guide is just that.
- Find a top sportsbook that allows you to place system bets. Top sports betting sites let you wager on these types of bets, so locating them should be your top priority.
- Open a betting account if you haven’t already done this. You cannot place sports bets if you don't have a wagering account, so opening one is a prerequisite to betting.
- As soon as you have done this, you should deposit some money on your account.
- Select the sports and leagues that you want to bet on.
- Click on the betting selections from each sport and league.
- Choose the type of system that you want to play. You should do this by first selecting the picks that will go into the system. You then need to select the type of system you want (3/5, 4/6, 5/8, etc).
- Place your stake, but be aware that the amount will be divided by the number of combinations in your system.
- Submit your system bet.
Usual sports for system betting
One of the great things about system bets is that you can include selections from all possible sports out there. This means that you can combine picks from football, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and lots of other sports. What is more, you can include almost all betting markets in a system wager too. Point spreads, puck lines, and over/under basketball totals can all be part of a system wager.
For instance, if you are a soccer betting enthusiast, you would be able to lodge any type of system wager as long as you meet the preconditions set by the sportsbook. Your soccer system bet can look something like this:
| Game | Bet | System type | Stake |
| Inter Miami - Toronto FC | Miami to win | 2/4 (6 combinations) | $90 ($15 per combination) |
| D.C. United - Montreal Impact | BTTS: Yes | ||
| Colorado Rapids - Real Salt Lake | Over 2.5 Goals | ||
| LA Galaxy - LA FC | Galaxy Draw No Bet |
As you can see, the system bet here stipulates that you have to get two soccer picks right, if you are to have a successful wager. Furthermore, as we discussed above, all selections are from different betting markets and this is perfectly acceptable in system betting.
Examples of system bets
System bets reduce the likelihood of having a losing wager and, depending on the system you choose, can often produce successful wagers. However, as with any other betting type, they do not remove the probability of losing completely. Here’s a winning and a losing system bet example.
Winning example of a system bet
Let’s say that you are betting on the 3/5 NFL system bet from above. As we said, this type of system comes with 10 possible combinations, so you get $10 per combination from a $100 stake.
| Game | Bet and odds | Stake | System |
| Indianapolis Colts (+6.5) - Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5) | Eagles to win at -110 (1.91) | $100 ($10 per combination) | 3/5 |
| Carolina Panthers (+1.5) - Jacksonville Jaguars (-1.5) | Panthers to win at -110 (1.91) | ||
| New England Patriots (-8.5) - Detroit Lions (+8.5) | Patriots to win at -110 (1.91) | ||
| New York Jets (-2.5) - New York Giants (+2.5) | Jets to win at -110 (1.91) | ||
| Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) - Las Vegas Raiders (+3.5) | Seahawks to win at -110 (1.91) |
Even though the Seahawks failed to win, you still have a winning bet because you only needed three successful selections (you got four). Your total winnings from this system bet are $278.8 (1.91*1.91*1.91*4*$10 = $278.8) because you have four winning combinations.
Losing example of a system bet
The only way in which this 3/5 NFL system bet can be a losing one is if you fail to have at least three winning selections. In the example below only two picks came to fruition. Unfortunately, that's not enough in a 3/5 system bet.
| Game | Bet and odds | Stake | System |
| Indianapolis Colts (+6.5) - Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5) | Eagles to win at -110 (1.91) | $100 ($10 per combination) | 3/5 |
| Carolina Panthers (+1.5) - Jacksonville Jaguars (-1.5) | Panthers to win at -110 (1.91) | ||
| New England Patriots (-8.5) - Detroit Lions (+8.5) | Patriots to win at -110 (1.91) | ||
| New York Jets (-2.5) - New York Giants (+2.5) | Jets to win at -110 (1.91) | ||
| Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) - Las Vegas Raiders (+3.5) | Seahawks to win at -110 (1.91) |
In a situation such as this one, it might have been better if you went with a 2/5 system bet. In that case, you would have had the same stake per combination amount as this system also comes with 10 combinations. More importantly, however, that bet would have been a successful one.
System bets for beginners: How to bet
As we already mentioned, lots of betting novices assume that system bets are way too difficult for beginners and don't even try to understand them. However, that's not the case and especially not if you go with the right betting advice. Here are some tips that can up your system game to the level of a betting pro.
- Tip 1: Some betting markets are better for larger system bets. 2-way moneyline markets are good examples of these. They only come with two possible results (home/away win) and don’t offer a draw option. As such, they are better to include in system wagers with lots of combinations where the stakes are high.
- Tip 2: If you are including betting selections with lower odds in your system, you should avoid system bets with only few combinations. That would amount to little to no profit.
- Tip 3: In contrast, if you are betting on selections with higher odds, then you should look almost exclusively at systems with lower numbers of combinations. The goal here would be to hit that minimum system requirement, have a successful bet, and everything else that comes after that would be a huge plus.
- Tip 4: Listen to professional bettors who have years of experience in system betting. Experienced bettors such as Billy can be the difference between a losing and winning system wager. This goes double when that betting advice is free once you sign up, as is the case with Billy’s betting tips.
- Tip 5: In many system bets, you will need to place higher stakes to get a decent profit. For instance, staking $10 on a 2/10 system (45 combinations) would leave you with only $0.22 per combination and that’s not ideal.
System betting for professionals: How to bet
Betting professionals always know how to get the best out of a system bet. Let’s look at a couple of different wagering methods that betting pros use to maximize their system profits.
The first one is not system-related per se. It stipulates that to increase your system tally, you need to include a sort of a combo bet on the same slip as the system bet. This is usually referred to as a pre-system bet.
When a bettor includes pre-system selections, he places them outside of the system. This means that the rules for the system don’t apply to the pre-system picks. In other words, if one of those pre-system selections lets you down your entire betting slip (together with the system bet) is a losing one.
However, this drawback can be offset by betting on strong favorites in the pre-system selection as they will almost never let you down. You only need two or three picks with combined odds of around +100 (2.00) in your pre-system, to double your system bet profit.
Another way in which betting pros capitalize on system bets is by finding sports betting providers that offer certain system perks. For instance, many sports wagering operators allow bettors to place very low stakes per combination.
Experienced bettors can use this and can bet on system bets such as 10/20 for instance. This system comes with 184,756 combinations and if there is a betting limit of $1 per combination, you won’t even consider betting on it. However, if the sportsbook doesn’t have a minimum betting limit here, this system would be available even with a $10 stake.
System bet: Try it now at one of the top 5 betting sites
Now that you know how system bets work, you are ready to try them out for yourself. The top 5 betting sites listed here have great system betting offers and should be your first port of call. They can help you maximize your system betting profit instantly.
A system bet is when you are betting that a certain minimum number of selections will come to fruition. For instance, if you are betting on a 4/6 system, you wager that a minimum of four picks will be successful of those initial six.
First, you choose the games that you want to include in your system. Most bet types from almost all sports can be chosen here. Then you pick the system that best suits those selections. Lastly, you deposit an amount of money that is divided by the number of system combinations.
A system bet calculator tells you instantly how many combinations your system has. It also shows you the potential profit you would get if you got a certain number of games right.
Finding out the correct bet amount is quite easy if you know your combinations. You simply divide the deposit by the number of system combinations. For instance, if your system bet has 20 combinations, a $40 stake comes to $2 per combination.
Some bonus offers say that system bets don’t count towards a welcome bonus or loyalty program points. Always check whether this is the case before placing system bets.
