What is a Same Game Parlay?
With sports betting becoming more and more popular each year, a new form of wagering has become the latest craze: same game parlays. Parlaying multiple wagers from the same sporting event was outlawed until recently, but same game parlays have now become one of the most popular bets.
What is a same game parlay?
Essentially, a same game parlay is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of bettors placing a traditional parlay bet, which consists of nailing multiple picks from different sporting events, a same game parlay allows you to get the same increased payout potential across a single contest.
Same game parlays can be placed for big standalone events like the Super Bowl, World Series, or NCAA Finals, but they’re also available in basically every major event in professional sports.
The big benefit of a same game parlay is that it allows you to build a correlated wager within one game. If any one of those events were to happen, it would then greatly increase the probability of the others happening as well.
For example, you could place a same game parlay betting on over 2.5 passing TDs for the QB, over 0.5 TDs for the star WR, and over 45.5 total points scored in the game.
Oct 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) speaks with quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
If Joe Burrow were to throw for three TDs in a game, it's likely that Ja'Marr Chase would account for at least one of those scores. And if the Bengals were to score three or more TDs in a game, it's then likely that their opponent would be forced to keep up and thereby send the total points scored over 45.5.
The positive correlation between the outcomes within each individual wager makes them very attractive options for those looking to turn a small amount of money into a big sum.
This represents a pretty drastic change from how sportsbooks used to view parlays. They never wanted to offer any sort of correlation potential to professional bettors, but things have changed since betting became legal in more and more states.
There has been a drastic increase in the number of casual bettors, and the same game parlay is an easy way for them to get their foot in the door. Think of same game parlays like slot machines in the sports betting casino: they have a low cost of entry but offer the potential to win life-changing amounts of money.
Of course, sportsbooks aren’t in the business of giving away free wins. With that in mind, you have to pay a slightly higher premium for a correlated same game parlay as you would with a traditional parlay.
For example, a three-team parlay with -110 sides will pay +595 on DraftKings Sportsbook, but a same game parlay with three -110 sides nets just +500. That’s a pretty drastic difference, and it’s actually pretty fair as far as same game parlays go!
That said, the math can often skew much more drastically in the sportsbooks’ favor, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before placing any wagers.
Where can you bet a same game parlay?
While same game parlays, otherwise known as single game parlays, one game parlays, or SGPs for short, were once considered taboo, they are now widely available across the betting landscape.
Almost all the major sportsbooks have adopted same game parlays, so if you’re already signed up with one of them, there’s a good chance that they’re available. As of March 2023, the following sportsbooks offer same game parlays:
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- Caesars Sportsbook
- Bet365
- BetMGM
- PointsBet
- WynnBET
- Betway
- BetRivers/SugarHouse
- Unibet
- Barstool
- SI Sportsbook
That said, just because there are plenty of locations to choose from doesn’t mean that you’ll get the same price at each location. Far from it. You could enter the same five-leg same game parlay at 10 different locations at get 10 different sets of odds.
Shopping around for the best price is a must if you’re looking to be a winning sports bettor, and line shopping is arguably most important when placing same game parlays compared to any other type of bet.
When you placing a traditional bet, one site might offer -105 while the rest of the industry is offering -110. That represents five cents of value, which adds up over time.
However, when we’re talking about parlays, the differences in payouts can be massive. Instead of saving five cents, you might be able to save closer to a full dollar depending on the size of your parlay.
While getting +2500 might feel like a great price for a correlated wager, getting +3000 for the same wager would feel a whole lot better.
Additionally, there are some other important differences between the sites. One of the reasons that FanDuel Sportsbook has emerged as the leader in same game parlays is that they have a wide variety of prop bet offerings.
You’re going to find more players available to bet on than you will on a site like DraftKings, and you’re going to find more prop offerings available for each of those players. That can include alternate totals, which can greatly increase the odds of your parlay.
Mar 8, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Kristaps Porzingis (6) shoots the ball as Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
For example, the highest over you can take on Kristaps Porzingis’s points prop on the day I’m writing this is 29.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook, which is available at +120. However, on a night when Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma aren’t playing, you might want to take a bit more risk.
On FanDuel, you can take Porzingis to go over 33.5 points at +270, to score at least 35 points at +350, and to score at least 40 points at +850. That gives you three separate options for Porzingis’s total points, all of which offer more potential upside than the best offering at DraftKings. That matters.
FanDuel Sportsbook is also one of the only locations that don’t make you click on a separate “Same Game Parlay” tab. You can simply go to the game, find the bets you like, and it will tell you what the odds would be if you wanted to parlay all of those wagers together. That’s another very user-friendly touch.
The Action Network has a great article detailing some of the pros and cons associated with placing same game parlays at five of the major online sportsbooks.
What other factors impact where you should place a same game parlay?
Shopping for the best odds and grabbing the most attractive lines are the most important factors, but there are some other things to consider as well.
For starters, have you signed up for all of the different sportsbooks that offer same game parlays in your state? If not, assuming you have the funds available to do so, you should consider taking advantage of any potential sign-up bonuses that may be available.
Most sportsbooks will give you something for opening up an account, and you should never be leaving free money on the table. If you’re going to be betting anyway, grabbing all the available deposit bonuses should be a top priority.
Additionally, there are plenty of additional bonuses offered by the various sportsbooks related to same game parlays. These are most commonly offered as odds boosts, where they will increase the payout of your wager by a specific amount.
These are traditionally offered as a percentage boost. For example, a 50% boost on a same game parlay that would typically pay out at +1000 would be increased to +1500. A boost that large would almost certainly make placing the wager at that specific sportsbook the best option.
Sportsbooks will also occasionally offer a bet credit for same game parlays. It’s usually for a small amount, something like $10 or $15. However, if you place a same game parlay that loses, they will add a bet credit of the same amount to your account.
Those credits have expiration dates, so make sure to use them while you can. But as long as you stay on top of using your bonus bets before they expire, taking advantage of these promos is a sharp move.
Speaking of bonus bets, few sportsbooks are more generous than DraftKings with their welcome offers. By signing up and placing a $5 bet on any pre-game moneyline (regardless of odds), you can get $150 in bonus bets if your moneyline bet wins.
What types of bets can you use in a same game parlay?
Basically, the world is your oyster when it comes to same game parlays. They won’t let you stack wagers (e.g., betting the same player to go over 50, 75, and 100 rushing yards), but other than that, there aren’t a ton of limitations. If the sportsbook is offering a line for a given contest, it can typically be added to a same game parlay.
The most logical starting point is the point spread or moneyline. You don’t have to include these wagers in a same game parlay, but if you have a lean one way or the other, there are various ways to play it.
You can select the traditional lines, or you can consider alternate spreads. If you think that a seven-point NFL favorite is going to win by three TDs, you can select an alternate spread like -13.5, -16.5, or even -20.5. Those are going to have significantly higher payouts, which will increase the odds for your same game parlay.
The same is true for totals. I personally love using totals in my same game parlays because they correlate well with individual player props.
Taking an over on the QB's passing TDs? That might make you lean towards an over for the game total. Taking the under on a star NBA player’s scoring prop? That could point you towards an under for the game as a whole.
Just like with the point spread, you’re not limited to the given lines either. You can go with alternate totals in either direction, and the further away from the listed number you go, the better (or worse) the potential payout.
Oct 16, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass the ball to wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of player props, those are what the majority of my personal same game parlays entail. These are some of the easiest props to correlate, with assists leading to points scored in the NBA, passing yards leading to receiver yards in the NFL, and RBIs leading to runs scored in the MLB.
These types of wagers are also very easy to digest for casual bettors who have a background in fantasy sports. If you have a trusted source of projections, props can be some of the easiest bets to win at most sportsbooks.
The limits on props are relatively low, which keeps a lot of the bigger bettors away. That means that sportsbooks typically have far less liability on props, so they don’t have to worry about their lines being as accurate.
Finally, you can go with game or team props as part of a same game parlay. These props can include the number of total TDs for the Rams in an NFL game, the number of home runs the Yankees will hit in a matchup against the Red Sox, or the total number of threes the Lakers will knock down against the Celtics.
Ultimately, you can put together as few as two legs in a same game parlay or as many as 10 to 15 (depending on location). How wild you want to get is up to you.
What sports can I bet with a same game parlay?
Same game parlays are available in basically every team sport, including but not limited to football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer. Of course, the options differ for each specific sport, with the most popular sports having the most choices.
The greater the number of individual lines available for each contest, the greater number of combinations that are possible with a same game parlay.
Football
Same game parlays are available for both NFL and NCAA football, assuming that college wagering is allowed in your state. There are some restrictions depending on where you’re located throughout the country, even if wagering is legal in your state.
For football, the most common same game parlay choices include:
- Point spreads or moneylines
- Totals
- Passing yards
- Rushing yards
- Receiving yards
- First TD scorer
- Anytime TD scorer
- Passing TDs
- Completions
- Pass attempts
- Receptions
- Sacks
- INTs thrown
TD scorer props can be particularly lucrative. These props can be available at significantly better than even money, occasionally eclipsing +1000 for an anytime TD scorer. If you manage to put a few of them together and hit, the payout can potentially be massive:
Even though that’s a nice payout, I would argue that this bettor still missed out on some money. If you’re building a proper same game parlay, those four players scoring TDs should’ve also been attached to a bet on the Chiefs to win and possibly the over as well.
Remember, it’s all about building correlation, and I can’t think of many scenarios where the Chiefs would lose when all four of the players above score TDs. That’s just nitpicking, though, and I’m sure that whoever placed that wager didn't complain about the payout.
Basketball
Just like with football, you can utilize same game parlays in both NBA and college basketball. There are also tons of potential categories to include in your wagers:
- Point spreads or moneylines
- Totals
- Points
- Rebounds
- Assists
- 3-pointers
- Blocks
- Steals
- First-basket scorer
- Double-doubles
- Triple-doubles
These bets can also typically be broken down by half or by quarter, so the number of possibilities here are plentiful. The NBA is personally my favorite sport for attacking same game parlays. The rotations and scoring in NBA games are more predictable than in the NFL, where random RBs and WRs always seem to score TDs every week.
When it all comes together, the upside is also just as high:
Baseball
Next up is the MLB, which is another great sport for same game parlays. There are decent correlation possibilities, especially with batters in the same lineup. That said, pairing the over for a pitcher’s strikeouts with a moneyline or an under is another possibility that offers some correlation.
There are plenty of categories to consider in MLB same game parlays as well:
- Moneylines or run lines
- Totals
- Pitcher strikeouts
- Pitcher number of outs recorded
- Yes/No run first inning
- Home runs
- Total bases
- Hits
- Stolen bases
- RBIs
- Runs scored
You can even use a specific type of hit, like a double, which is what this user did on FanDuel to turn $1.60 into more than $1,000 during the World Series.
Hockey
After the “Big Three” US sports, the same game parlay options are a bit thinner. At one point, it appeared that FanDuel Sportsbook didn’t offer same game parlays for NHL contests, but that option has been brought back by popular demand.
Hockey is not my forte – we all have our weaknesses, and the only ice I like is in a beverage – but there are plenty of options to consider when betting NHL same game parlays:
- Moneylines and puck lines
- Totals
- Goals
- Assists
- Points
- Shots
- Blocked shots
- Saves
There are probably a few more niche categories as well, but these are where the meat of the same game parlays are going to be built in the NHL streets. Similar to the NBA, things like shots and blocks are pretty predictable on a night-to-night basis, so there are plenty of opportunities for success:
Strategies for winning a same game parlay
It’s important to keep in mind that same game parlays are not easy to win. Heck, winning a single bet is difficult enough, let alone combining multiple selections into the same wager.
The house also gets a significant advantage in terms of the vig in same game parlays, so SGPs shouldn’t be the bread-and-butter of your sports betting strategy. There is always room for a responsible long-shot wager, but you should not be putting a large portion of your bankroll into these kinds of bets.
That said, there are some things you can do to increase your success with same game parlays in the long run.
As previously discussed, make sure that you’re shopping around with your same game parlays. It can be very easy to just lock in on one book when you’re placing a long shot, but every cent matters.
FanDuel Sportsbook's same game parlay features are some of the most comprehensive in the industry and you can get up to $1,000 paid back in bonus bets if your first bet does not win with their No Sweat First Bet Offer. Claim yours below.
Your hit rate on these bets is going to be minimal, especially when you’re adding five-plus legs, so you want to make sure that you’re maximizing your profit when you’re successful.
As for the bets themselves, correlating your wagers is the easiest way to build winning same game parlays. It may sound obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many SGPs feature conflicting wagers.
Maybe it’s including the favorite to cover the spread but having three players on the underdog team score TDs. Maybe it’s taking the over on a point guard’s assist total and pairing it with an under on his favorite teammate’s scoring prop. I’m not saying that it’s impossible to win in those scenarios, but it’s the equivalent of playing the game on hard mode with zero extra upside.
Same game parlays in sports betting equate to guaranteed prize pool contests (GPPs) in daily fantasy sports (DFS). If you’re familiar with GPPs, something you’ll hear often is that you want to “craft a narrative” with your lineup.
You want your lineup selections to tell the same story, and that means pairing players that figure to do well in the same scenario. If you’re building a lineup with Patrick Mahomes and three Kansas City pass-catchers, the narrative you’re creating is that Mahomes is going to have a monster performance.
It works the exact same way with same game parlays. You want to build a narrative that makes sense. If one of your bets is going to hit, you want that to increase the chances of your other wagers hitting as well.
Another way to gain an edge is by paying attention to news updates. This is easier said than done, but it can occasionally pay huge dividends.
Dec 25, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates with guard Klay Thompson (11) during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Let me tell you a story. January 9, 2022 is a date that may not mean anything to you, but it's a date that will send shivers down the spine of the sportsbooks.
Klay Thompson was making his return to the court after missing more than two full seasons, and it was a spectacle that everyone wanted to be a part of. That included Draymond Green.
Green wasn’t originally going to play that night, but he wanted to be a part of the lineup for Thompson’s return. Green ultimately started the game, fouled an opponent on the first possession, and then checked out after less than 30 seconds of game time.
The books got absolutely slaughtered in that situation. They were slow to adjust their same game parlay odds, and those who reacted quickly were rewarded in a massive way. I don’t think it’s a reach to say it was one of the bloodiest days in history for sportsbooks.
Things have changed since then, and the books are now much quicker about adjusting their same game parlay lines. Even so, you can still gain an edge if you’re willing to take on a bit of risk. For example, if you make some wagers while a player is still questionable, you can gain a big edge depending on whether he ultimately plays or not.
One final note, though. Keep in mind that taking advantage of this edge is one of the easiest ways to get limited at a particular sportsbook. The bettors who reportedly cleaned up on the Draymond fiasco were likely unable to bet at those sportsbooks again.
Summary
Same game parlays are one of the fastest-growing aspects of the sports betting industry. Bettors love them for the long odds, and operators love them because they can skew the math even further in their favor.
There’s nothing wrong with having fun with some same game parlays, and they can even be extremely profitable if you're consistently finding success. Correlating your wagers so that if one part hits, it increases the probability that the others will as well is the best way to consistently win same game parlays.
Still, same game parlays are not a get-rich-quick scheme. There’s a reason that the sportsbooks promote them so heavily, and it’s because they aren’t easy to win.
That means that same game parlays should be a small part of your overall betting strategy. Brad Pitt said in Moneyball that the Athletics needed to be like card counters at the blackjack table to compete with the Yankees, and that’s how our approach should be as sports bettors. Don’t get lost at the penny slots on the way to the tables.
