Bet Types Explained: Singles, Multibets and Common Markets

Updated: 3 November 2026

For one football match, a bookmaker offers many markets: who wins, how many goals are scored, whether both teams score, and more. Each market has its own rules, and each one carries the bookmaker’s margin. This page explains the bet types you will see most often in Kenya, with a short worked example for each, and shows why a multibet gets riskier with every selection you add.

In every example, “Team A” plays at home and “Team B” plays away. All odds are made-up examples. If you are not sure how odds work, start with our guide to odds.

Single bets

A single is a bet on one selection. If the selection wins, the bet wins.

Example: you stake KSh 100 on Team A to win at odds of 2.10. If Team A wins, you receive KSh 210 before tax (your KSh 100 back plus KSh 110 profit). If the match is a draw or Team B wins, you lose the KSh 100.

A single is the easiest bet to understand, because you face the bookmaker’s margin only once.

Multibets (accumulators)

A multibet, also called an accumulator, combines selections from two or more matches into one bet. In Kenya, people often call a betting slip, and especially a multibet, a “mkeka”. The rule is strict: every selection must win. If even one selection loses, the whole multibet loses.

How combined odds multiply

The odds of all selections are multiplied together.

Match	Selection	Odds
Match 1	Team A to win	1.50
Match 2	Over 2.5 goals	1.80
Match 3	Draw	2.00

Combined odds: 1.50 × 1.80 × 2.00 = 5.40. A stake of KSh 100 could return KSh 540 before tax. The same KSh 100 on Match 1 alone, at 1.50, would return KSh 150.

That is why multibets look attractive: a small stake, a big possible payout. But the chances multiply too, and they shrink fast.

Why each extra selection lowers your chance of winning

Here is a worked example. Suppose every selection on your slip has odds of 1.60. Those odds imply a 62.5% chance, but because the bookmaker’s margin is built in, assume the true chance of each selection is a little lower: 60%. (These figures are made up for the example.)

Selections	Combined odds	Chance the multibet wins	Average return per KSh 1,000 staked
1	1.60	60%	KSh 960
2	2.56	36%	KSh 922
3	4.10	about 22%	KSh 885
5	10.49	about 8%	KSh 815
10	109.95	about 0.6%	KSh 665

The table shows two things:

1. Your chance of winning falls quickly. With 10 selections, the multibet wins only about 6 times in 1,000, even though each selection on its own looked “safe”.
2. Your average loss grows. On a single, you lose on average KSh 40 of every KSh 1,000 staked. With 10 selections, you lose on average about KSh 335. Each extra selection adds the bookmaker’s margin again.

This arithmetic applies to every multibet, however well you know football. A bigger possible payout is the price of a much smaller chance.

Postponed or cancelled matches

If one match on your multibet is postponed or abandoned, what happens to that selection depends on the bookmaker’s own betting rules. Read them before you place a multibet, so you are not surprised.

1X2

The basic market. You pick one of three results at the end of normal time (90 minutes plus stoppage time): 1 Team A wins, X draw, 2 Team B wins. Extra time and penalties usually do not count; check the market rules.

Double chance

You cover two of the three 1X2 results with one bet: 1X (Team A wins or draw), X2 (draw or Team B wins) or 12 (either team wins, no draw). Your chance is higher, so the odds are lower.

Example: you pick 1X at odds of 1.35. If the match ends 1-1, the bet wins. If it ends 0-1, you lose.

Over/under

You bet on whether the total number of goals will be over or under a line. Lines usually end in .5, such as 2.5, so there is no draw in this market.

• Over 2.5: 3 goals or more.
• Under 2.5: 2 goals or fewer.

Example: the match ends 2-1. That is 3 goals, so Over 2.5 wins and Under 2.5 loses. Some bookmakers offer similar markets on corners or cards.

Both teams to score

You bet on whether both teams will score at least once (Yes), or whether at least one team will fail to score (No).

Example: a 1-1 result means “Yes” wins. A 3-0 result means “No” wins, even though there were plenty of goals.

Handicap

A handicap gives one team a head start or a deficit before kick-off, to even out a match where one side is much stronger.

Example with -1.5: you back Team A -1.5. Team A must win by 2 goals or more. A 2-0 result wins; a 1-0 result loses, even though Team A won the match.

There are two main kinds:

• European (three-way) handicap: with Team A -1, a one-goal Team A win counts as a “handicap draw”, which is a separate outcome you can bet on.
• Asian handicap: with a whole-number line such as -1, a one-goal Team A win usually means your stake is returned. Some lines, such as -0.75, split your stake across two lines.

Handicap rules differ between bookmakers, so read the rules before you use this market.

Correct score

You predict the exact final score, for example 2-1. It is hard to get right, so the odds are high.

Example: you pick 2-1 at odds of 9.00. If the match ends 2-1, a KSh 100 stake returns KSh 900 before tax. Any other score, including 2-0 or 3-1, loses.

Live betting

You bet while the match is being played. Odds change fast with goals, cards and the time left, and the bookmaker may suspend a market for a short time after a big moment.

Example: Team A leads 1-0 in the 70th minute and its odds to win have dropped to 1.30. If you stake KSh 100 and the score stays the same, you receive KSh 130 before tax.

Live betting moves quickly, and it is easy to place many bets without a plan. Decide your limit before the match starts, not during it.

Before you choose a bet type

• Read the market rules: most football markets cover 90 minutes plus stoppage time only.
• Compare odds with probability: high odds mean a small chance. See our odds guide.
• Remember the margin: every bet type has the bookmaker’s margin built in. No market guarantees a win.
• Fewer selections, lower risk: every selection you add to a multibet lowers your chance of winning.
• Ending a bet early: if you want to settle a bet before the matches finish, read our guide to cash out and what it costs.

Frequently asked questions

What is a multibet? A multibet (accumulator, or mkeka) is one bet that combines selections from two or more matches. The odds multiply, and every selection must win for the bet to pay.

Is a multibet with many matches better than one with few? The possible payout is bigger, but the chance of winning is much smaller and the average loss is larger. The table above shows the numbers.

What does 1X2 mean? 1 is a home win, X is a draw and 2 is an away win, at the end of normal time.

If a match ends 2-0, does Over 2.5 win? No. Two goals are under 2.5, so Under 2.5 wins. Over 2.5 needs 3 goals or more.

Is there a bet type without risk? No. Even a low-odds double chance bet can lose. Bet only what you have set aside, and read our guide to responsible gambling.