Lay the Draw Strategy in 2022

Lay the draw trading strategies explained by TheTrader
  • How does Lay The Draw work?
  • When should I use this strategy?
  • Is it profitable?
  • How can I hedge my bet?
  • Is it a worthwhile strategy?
  • How does Lay The Draw perform in the long run?

So many questions and so little time!

So let’s get started!

Harry TheTrader 5 minutes

Every experienced trader is fully aware of the Lay The Draw strategy.

Why?

There are several reasons. The main one is that football is the most widespread and popular sport to trade globally, with millions of pounds traded on it every day. You can check our complete guide for football trading.

The second reason it is so popular is that the LTD strategy can be very profitable, and as we know, making a profit in this profession is what it’s all about.

So what is the Lay The Draw system, and how do you go about it?

What are the pros and cons, and when should we use it?

Which LTD techniques exist, and which one should you choose?

These and other questions will be answered fully in our Lay The Draw strategy review article.

Chapter 1

How does the Lay The Draw strategy work? (In-depth guide for newbies)

How does the Lay The Draw strategy work? (In-depth guide for newbies)
  • How to place a LTD bet?
  • How much profit is there?
  • How to calculate the liability?
  • How do I choose the right match?
  • Is there software that can help us?
  • What are the pros and cons of this method?

Demonstration of the Lay The Draw technique with an example!

Let’s go!

The LTD strategy is a straightforward one.

An LTD bet consists of wagering that the draw in a match WILL NOT occur, and we do this by placing a lay the draw bet on an exchange such as Betfair.

Placing an lay bet at Betfair Exchange

To place a Lay The Draw bet, simply click on the odds highlighted in pink – in our case, they are 3.4.

Lay the draw coupon at Betfair

You will see the betting slip with your bet on the right side.

Once you have entered your chosen stake, you will automatically be shown your liability – this is the amount you will have to pay if your bet is a loser.

Your potential profit in other markets – home win or away win – will automatically appear when you enter your stake.

Our example odds

How to calculate the liability?

Simply multiply your stake by the odds and then subtract the initial stake.

Calculations:

(@3.4*£100)-£100=£24

That’s it – simple, isn’t it?

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The key is not to just place an LTD bet but to find the right match that will NOT end in a draw.

But how do you predict this, and what matches you should look for?

We cover this in the next part of the article!

How do I choose the right match?

Look for teams that tend to score

Don’t focus on placing LTD bets on matches where there is a clear favourite for two reasons:

  • The first is that the Lay The Draw odds in such matches are very high – usually, around 5.0, so the liability is higher, so you have to risk more money.
  • The second reason is that the underdog team can defend throughout the match and have no interest in scoring themselves.
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Look for games where both teams tend to score.

In this case, research is vital, and you will see that LTD bets are better on teams that have scored many goals in recent matches and have head-to-head stats that show many goals.

High liquidity

Liquidity in the market is fundamental to having your bets matched.

While this is hardly ever a problem on the Betfair Exchange, it can arise on other sports betting exchanges.

Good liquidity guarantees not only a quickly accepted bet at acceptable odds but also control over your bet.

In low-liquidity markets, as soon as you place a lay or back bet, your bet may be accepted, but due to the lack of movement at similar odds, you do not have the cash-out feature displayed and often, the only way to hedge your bet is to place a counter bet.

Example of using the strategy

Example of using the lay the draw strategy

In this example, we’ve selected a match in the Portuguese Cup between Benfica and Sporting Lisbon.

We can see that both teams previous games saw plenty of goals regardless of the competition.

Benfica and Sporting Lisbon matches history

Moreover, checking the head-to-head matches between the two teams highlights that there are usually goals when these two sides clash.

And remember, in the event of a goal for one team or the other, we will already have room to trade out for a profit.

Benfica and Sporting Lisbon matches statistics

You can check these and many more statistics on a site such as BetExplorer.com.

Place laying bet
  1. The first task is to press the odds displayed on the Lay betting side for the Draw.
  2. The second step is to enter your chosen odds and stake.
  3. The third and final step is to place the bet by pressing the ‘Place Bets’ button. You will only need to confirm your bet by selecting ‘Confirm Bets’.

Did we pick the right match, and did we have a chance to lock in a profit during the game? Check it yourselves! 🙂

That’s it! 

The only thing left is to wait for the match to start and then follow it through live stats and live streaming, keeping an eye on your LTD bet.

However, there are also strategies combined with LTD that involve backing 0-0 or 1-1, and you can read about them also on our website.

Is there any software to help?

Yes, there is such software. What’s more, LTD can be fully automated after some initial setup. 

For example, one such example is this software recommended by Betfair.

The software will place the bets itself, and you can set options such as the amount of the stake, the minimum amount of money matched in the market, the maximum and minimum lay and back odds, and when you should place your bet. 

Lay The Draw software also allows you to hedge your bets and benefit from additional insurance by backing an exact 0-0 score.

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Do you want to learn more? In this guide we’ve described how to use lay the draw with the insurance.

The only downside is that such specialised software comes with a fee, but the good news is that the price of an annual subscription to the above software is just £59.97 for 12 months which is just under £5 per month.

This is a minimal amount though, compared to the benefits it offers.

Advantages of the LTD strategyDisadvantages of the LTD strategy
Greater profits when choosing the right match and live tradingIssues if the underdog scores a goal – the odds for a draw become unfavourable, and it is hard to lock in a profit
Possibility of hedging betsIf the match reaches 70 minutes without a goal, you may have to exit with a loss or leave your bet live
Complete control over profits and lossesThe draw odds don’t always increase enough to give you a ‘green book’

Chapter 2

The Best Lay the Draw systems

The Best Lay the Draw systems
  • What can the LTD strategy be used with?
  • What matches are best for hedging by backing 0-0 and 1-1?
  • What is LTD with insurance?
  • Why is the Lay the 0-0 Half-Time Correct Score strategy so unpopular?

Let’s find out!

Lay The Draw and Back 1-1

This is a strategy to insure us against a possible draw.

In this case, we consider leagues and matches where the tendency to score goals is much higher than when selecting games for the LTD + back 0-0 strategy.

For example, such a league would be the English Premier League.

This technique involves placing a Lay The Draw bet and a pre-match back bet on the 1-1 correct score – ideally an amount to fully cover our liability if the LTD bet turns out to be a loser.

What if the match ends in a 0-0 draw, 2-2 or another high-scoring draw? And what leagues are suitable for this strategy?

We cover it all in our dedicated Lay the Draw and Back 1-1 article.

Lay The Draw and Back 0-0

This strategy also allows us to hedge our bet. We choose leagues or matches that tend to see fewer goals scored for this strategy, such as Ligue 2 in France.

As in the LTD + back 1-1 strategy, we have to place a back bet on the 0-0 correct score for a sufficient amount to cover the potential loss in case of a draw.

There is an opportunity to Lay The Draw and Back 0-0 at halftime, but does that make sense?

Find out exactly how to use this strategy and which matches it will work by reading our article on Lay The Draw and Back 0-0.

Lay The Draw with insurance

This strategy does not involve hedging our bet by placing a back bet on 0-0 or 1-1 but locking in a profit if we can.

In this case, we have to place an LTD bet before kick-off or the match’s start. After that, what profit we make will be up to us.

This method is based on trading out from the market if the odds are in our favour, for example, after a red card or a goal.

However, we reduce our profit by providing a guaranteed profit in this case.

What does this method look like in practice, and does it work in the long run?

For example, when should we hedge a bet, and when should we leave it and take 100% of the winnings?

Find out this and many other interesting facts and tips about using this strategy.

Lay 0-0 halftime strategy

This technique is based on laying the 0-0 half-time correct score – so we simply expect a goal in the first half of the match.

It seems like the perfect strategy to follow with teams like Bayern Munich, right?

In theory, everything looks perfect. However, this strategy requires a lot of patience because we have to be aware that a goal may be scored after the 30th minute of the game.

Also, one big problem with this strategy is that not all matches have correct score half-time markets available – there are very few of them!

Mostly they are only available on the most popular and largest leagues, such as the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga.

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Have you enjoyed how we explained Lay the Draw systems? Check our page with all profitable trading strategies and continue having fun with that!

Chapter 3

Should I Use Lay The Draw with insurance?

Should I Use Lay The Draw with insurance?
  • Is it worth hedging a bet?
  • What does it depend on?
  • Why is it not entirely beneficial?
  • How does it work out in the long run?

Let’s take a look at the answers

The rule is simple – if you use Lay The Draw with insurance, you are hedging your bet, thus reducing your potential winnings.

On the other hand, if you’ve already done the necessary research and picked the right match for your LTD bet, then stick to your prediction and don’t hedge your bet.

Naturally, this will be a good plan in some situations, but it depends on the match’s events, and in the long run, hedging your bet will not prove to be more profitable.

After all, hedging your bet is nothing more than a cash-out option, and that was invented by bookmakers and exchanges not to make you more profitable but to prevent you from maximising your winnings.

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