HT/FT Betting: All 9 Half-Time/Full-Time Outcomes

HT/FT betting (half-time/full-time) is a football (soccer) bet where you predict the result at half-time and the result at full-time in a single selection. Both parts must be correct, so the odds are much longer than a standard match-result bet. In HT/FT notation 2/1 means the away team is leading at half-time and the home team wins the match.

This guide lists all nine outcomes, shows how the price is built, and explains when HT/FT is worth using.

How HT/FT notation works

Each result is written with the same three symbols used in 1X2 betting: 1 for a home win, X for a draw and 2 for an away win. The first symbol is the half-time result and the second is the full-time result. Full time means 90 minutes plus stoppage time, so extra time and penalties are excluded unless the bookmaker says otherwise.

Three half-time results combined with three full-time results give nine possible outcomes.

Code	Half-time	Full-time	In plain words
1/1	Home leading	Home win	Home side ahead at the break and holds on to win
1/X	Home leading	Draw	Home side ahead at the break, pegged back to a draw
1/2	Home leading	Away win	Home side ahead at the break, loses the match
X/1	Level	Home win	Level at the break, home side score later and win
X/X	Level	Draw	Level at the break and level at the end
X/2	Level	Away win	Level at the break, away side win it later
2/1	Away leading	Home win	Away side ahead at the break, home side come back to win
2/X	Away leading	Draw	Away side ahead at the break, home side pull level
2/2	Away leading	Away win	Away side ahead at the break and hold on to win

The four “turnaround” results are 1/2, 2/1, 1/X and 2/X. The leading side at half-time fails to win. They pay the longest prices.

A worked example: Manchester City v Brentford

These prices are illustrative and rounded. City are priced at 1.50 to win the match, which is the same price used in our double chance guide.

Code	Decimal (AU/EU)	Fractional (UK/IE)	American (US/CA)	Return on £10 / $10
1/1	2.60	8/5	+160	26.00
X/1	3.80	14/5	+280	38.00
X/X	6.50	11/2	+550	65.00
2/1	21.00	20/1	+2000	210.00

Say the match ends 2-0 to City and the score was 0-0 at half-time. That result is X/1. A £10 stake at 3.80 returns £38, a profit of £28. The same £10 on City to win at 1.50 would have returned £15, a profit of £5.

The extra profit comes with extra risk. If City had scored in the first half, the X/1 bet would have lost even though City won. A win-only bet would have paid.

How the price is built

An HT/FT price links the two halves of a match, because a team leading at half-time is much more likely to win than a team that is level, so the half-time and full-time prices cannot simply be multiplied. Bookmakers price each of the nine outcomes from the chance of the half-time result and the chance of the full-time result given that half-time result.

Here is a simple illustration with assumed figures. Suppose a bookmaker thinks City have a 45% chance of leading at half-time, and an 85% chance of winning if they do. The chance of 1/1 is 0.45 x 0.85 = 0.3825, which is 38.25%. Decimal odds are 1 divided by that probability, so the fair price is 1 / 0.3825 = 2.61. The bookmaker then shades it down to build in a margin, which gives the 2.60 shown above.

Implied probability from the prices in the table: 1/1 at 2.60 is 38.5%, X/1 at 3.80 is 26.3%, X/X at 6.50 is 15.4% and 2/1 at 21.00 is 4.8%. To convert any decimal price, divide 1 by the odds.

When HT/FT is worth using

1. A strong favourite that tends to start slowly. If the match-winner price is too short to bet, X/1 can offer a longer price for the same view that the favourite wins.

2. A high-scoring second-half side. Teams that score late create more X/1 and X/2 results than their pre-match price suggests.

3. A matchup between two cautious sides. X/X is the natural result when both teams protect a 0-0 start. It is worth checking how often each side has drawn at both half-time and full-time.

4. A small stake for a bigger return. HT/FT suits a small stake that you can afford to lose, since each bet needs two things to go right.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Backing 1/1 on a heavy favourite. The price is close to the match-winner price but you carry the extra risk of the half-time result.

• Chasing turnaround results. 2/1 and 1/2 pay big prices because they rarely happen. A long price is not a reason to bet.

• Covering several outcomes without checking the maths. If you split your stake over 1/1, X/1 and 2/1 you have backed a home win at a lower blended price than the match-winner market.

• Ignoring half-time rules. The first-half result settles at 45 minutes plus first-half stoppage time. Check the operator rules.

Frequently asked questions

What does 2/1 mean in HT/FT betting?

2/1 means the away team leads at half-time and the home team wins the match. The first number is the half-time result and the second is the full-time result.

How many outcomes are there in HT/FT betting?

There are nine: three half-time results (home, draw, away) combined with three full-time results.

Does extra time count in HT/FT bets?

Usually no. Most bookmakers settle HT/FT on the first 45 minutes and the full 90 minutes with stoppage time. Always read the market rules.

Is HT/FT harder to win than a match-result bet?

Yes. A match-result bet needs one correct call and HT/FT needs two, so the strike rate is lower and the prices are longer.
What is the difference between HT/FT and a half-time result bet?

A half-time result bet settles on the score at 45 minutes only. HT/FT settles on both the half-time and full-time results together.

See today’s selections on our 1X2 and HT/FT predictionspage. Other markets: first-half goal predictions, draw predictions, correct score predictions and over 1.5 goals. Browse the Matchplug blog or see our VIP tips. Related: Double chance betting explained | Asian handicap explained | How to read betting odds

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