If you enjoy the challenge and flexibility of the accumulator bet but with less inherent risk, the system bet may be for you. This is because the system bet shares many of the characteristics of the accumulator but with more advanced options. You also do not need all your system bet predictions to be correct in order to cash in on your system bet wins.
However, the system bet is considered by many to be more advanced and therefore only suitable to more experienced sports bettors. This has to do with the complex betting systems that many sports betting providers set up, specifically for their system betting options.
If you’re interested in having the system bet explained, or to create a complete system betting strategy, our easy guide to system betting will break it down. We give you all the ins and outs, advantages and disadvantages, plus tips and system bet example scenarios so you can make the most out of your system bets.
Essentially, you can think of the system bet as the more advanced and diverse cousin of the accumulator. Its core features and structure closely resemble those of the accumulator bet, but with additional features that may make it a more ideal option for serious sports bettors.
Another way to look at the system bet is as a stack of several accumulator bets all in one. In this context, you’ll often find betting sites as well as other bettors, refer to these as a betting series. There are hundreds of betting systems and you can decide for yourself just how your system bet is going to run, based on:
Some of the more popular system bets that you will certainly encounter at your online sports betting provider, will be the two of three (system) bet, also known as the 2/3 or the 2 out of 3 system bet, and the three of five, 3/5 or 3 out of 5 system bet.
System bets are designed to include a wide range of sporting events, giving you the most out of your sports betting session. While the two listed above give you an idea of how system bets are structured, many more possibilities exist. Depending on which system bet you choose, you’ll be betting on at least three markets (3 bets) or anything up to 35 or more bets per ticket.
The following table will give you a better idea of how bets work within a system bet:
System bet | Number of bets made |
2 of 3 | 3 |
2 of 4 | 6 |
3 of 4 | 4 |
2 of 5 | 10 |
3 of 5 | 10 |
4 of 5 | 5 |
2 of 7 | 21 |
3 of 7 | 35 |
The first set of numbers in the left-hand column each has a specific meaning. The first number represents the number of tips required to be hit, while the second number indicates how many tips need to be made.
Generally speaking, most sports betting providers will offer up to 9 tips in a given system bet. System bets can, by nature, become extremely complex, which is why they are usually recommended for experienced bettors only.
The following real-world example shows a slightly less complex 2 of 3 system bet, based on three events in a league championship:
Let’s say you are betting on three teams to win: Team A, Team B and Team C.
You place your bets to win on:
The system bet will look like this from your betting provider:
So, now let’s suppose that Team A and Team B both win but Team C result is a draw.
You will end up with the following:
If you had placed a stake of €10 on each leg of your system bet, that would give you a total stake of €30. In the above scenario, your total winnings would amount to €42 (€10 x 2.0 x 2.1), with a profit of €10 (€42 - €30 = €10)
System bets are a great option available at your sports betting provider. However, we recommend that you practice with simpler bets first before taking on the complexity of a system bet. For experienced bettors, system bets offer the advantages of accumulators with less risk, since you do not have to win all legs in order to still turn a profit.