Half of all active FanDuel users for the 2021 NFL season placed a Same Game Parlay.
Same Game Parlays account for 25% of all NFL wagers made at sportsbooks that use Kambi, a major software provider. That number increases to an eye-popping 36% for island games, meaning Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football.
This is all to say — Same Game Parlays are all the craze lately.
Yet typically, they're terrible propositions for bettors. To oversimplify: you're never really getting a fair price on any SGP.
That said, there are still times when betting SGPs are +EV — namely, when attached to a promotion.
One of the most popular marketplaces involves the "Race to 10 Points" marketplace, which is only available at DraftKings and BetMGM. That wager-type also includes "Race to 15," "Race to 20," "Race to 25" and so on.
Same Game Parlay Betting Rules Explainer: What Happens if Neither Team Scores?
While the concept is simple enough, there is one notable caveat.
Let's say you slap a "Race to 25 Point" ticket into your three-leg Same Game Parlay. What happens if neither team reaches 25 points?
Typically, if you were to bet that market as a straight bet, the wager would be void and your money would be refunded.
However, in a Same Game Parlay, the odds are not in your favor.
If neither team reaches 25 points, you lose your Same Game Parlay at DraftKings and BetMGM.
How to Glean Value Out of Same Game Parlays
As aforementioned, Same Game Parlays are typically losing endeavors.
But DraftKings in particular rewards customers with Same Game Parlay bonuses, many of which involve loss-back bonuses that refund most or all of your original stake.
Those bonuses can run upwards of $500 for VIP users and those with Diamond status at the sportsbook.
Other promotions involve percentage boosts on your profit. 33% or 50% boosts can go a long way — especially over a long time horizon — in ensuring profit.
Typically, we'd recommend only betting Same Game Parlays as part of a promotion in order to safeguard long-term, positive expected value.
FanDuel has decent Same Game Parlay bonuses, but typically for a far lower maximum bet. Most of their best bonuses are pre-made. For instance, Pat McAfee sponsors a weekly Same Game Parlay that has a profit boost baked-in.
Generally, we'd avoid betting Same Game Parlays on any site besides DraftKings or FanDuel because promotions typically aren't up to scratch.
