What Is a 3-Way Moneyline in Sports Betting?

3-way moneyline bets are most common in sports where draws are a frequent occurrence, such as soccer (often called a "1X2" bet) or hockey (betting on the result at the end of regulation time).

If this doesn’t make any sense to you, don’t worry, as I’ll delve into how you can place 3-way moneyline bets on some of your favorite sports in this article.

3-Way Moneyline Basics are available at most of the top sports betting sites, a 3-way moneyline allows you to bet on three specific outcomes: a Home Win, an Away Win, or a Tie.

• Risk vs Reward: Because the "Tie" is a separate losing outcome for team bets (rather than a "push"), these wagers carry higher risk than standard moneylines but offer significantly better odds in return.

• Best Used For: Low-scoring sports where draws are common, like soccer.

• Avoid For: Sports where ties are rare (NFL) or impossible (NBA), as the third option rarely offers value.

Now, let’s look at how these bets apply to specific major sports.

3-Way Moneyline in Football

If you want to bet on America’s favorite pastime sport and use a 3-way moneyline, you should probably know a few things before putting any of your hard-earned dollars on the line. When using a 3-way money line in an NFL or a college game, you are choosing between betting on either team winning or placing a bet on the game ending in a draw. 

When betting on regular-season games, you will have some pretty insane odds on the game ending in a tie. Here are some hypothetical odds using a 3-way moneyline on a regular-season NFL game:

• New York Giants: +380 

• Tie: +6500

• Philadelphia Eagles: -450

In this scenario, the Eagles are the favorites, with -450 odds, meaning that if you bet $450, you would only net $100 profit if the Eagles won.

If the game ended in a draw, which is highly unlikely, betting $100 would yield $6,500 in your pocket, given the odds of +6500. 

The underdogs in this game are the Giants, meaning you would see more return on your bet if they won the game. If you placed a $100 bet, you would take home $380 in profit. 

Check out some of the best NFL betting sites to get started with betting on the NFL. Or check out our betting guide on how to bet on the NFL.

3-Way Moneyline in Soccer

Soccer is arguably the safest sport to place a 3-way moneyline wager on, seeing as many matches end in a draw. In fact, 25% of all MLS games in 2025 ended with this outcome. It is very common for league games to end in draws, but in stages of specific tournaments, such as the quarter finals of the World Cup, this outcome is impossible, as someone needs to advance to the next stage. 

In these situations, 3-way moneyline markets will relate to regulation time only, meaning things like extra-time and penalty shootouts won’t count towards it in this situation. Here is how a 3-way moneyline bet would result in a hypothetical MLS game:

• LA Galaxy: +125

• Tie: +225

• Inter Miami: +240

If LA Galaxy won the game and a $100 bet was placed, you would win $125 in profit and a return of $225.

The game could end in a tie, resulting in a profit of $225 and a return of $325, if a bet of $100 were placed.

Inter Miami could take the game, and if $100 was on the line, you could benefit from a profit of $240 and a total return of $340. 

See our guide for how to bet on soccer.

3-Way Moneyline in Hockey

As of 2006, the NHL implemented an overtime shootout rule, meaning that one team will always win the game. You may wonder how to bet on a game ending in a tie if it is impossible, but for the purpose of a 3-way moneyline, a tie means both teams have the same points at the end of regulation. 

If you can place a 3-way moneyline on a hockey game, it will be determined by the score (win for one team/tie) at the end of 60 minutes, and will not take into account the score after overtime. This is what a 3-way moneyline would look like with a 60-minute moneyline wager:

• Toronto Maple Leafs: -125

• Tie: +310

• Florida Panthers: +130

The Maple Leafs are the favorite in this game, so if a $100 wager were placed, with -125 odds, you would profit $80 and get a return of $180.

If regulation were to end in a tie, bettors would receive a $310 profit and a return of $410 if $100 was wagered.

The Florida Panthers, as the underdogs with +130 odds, would grant players $130 profit and a total return of $230 should they win the game.  

3-Way Moneyline in Baseball

Just like hockey, a tie is impossible in baseball, so a 3-way moneyline bet would relate to the score after nine innings had taken place and before any extra innings had commenced. Here is what a market would look like if you placed a 3-way moneyline on an MLB game:

• New York Yankees: -200

• Tie: +400

• Baltimore Orioles: +180

The Yankees are the favorites in this hypothetical game with -200 odds. If a $100 bet were placed, $50 would be won in profit, and a return of $150 would be granted to the bettor.

If both teams have the same score at the end of the regulation nine innings, bettors could win $400 in profit from a $100 wager and take home a net total of $500.

Bookmakers expect the Baltimore Orioles to lose this one. If $100 is put down, a profit of $180 would be won, and a return of $280 would be rewarded to the player. 

3-Way Moneyline in Basketball

In the same vein as other sports that cannot be decided without overtime, 3-way moneylines are in effect in basketball until 48 minutes of regulation time have been played. This would be the outcome of a 3-way moneyline wager placed on an NBA game:

• Los Angeles Lakers: +450

• Tie: +750

• Oklahoma City Thunder: -500

After a $100 wager was placed on the LA Lakers to win the game, the bettor would receive a return of $550, meaning a profit of $450 was made.

If the end of regulation saw both teams with the same amount of points and a $100 bet was made, you’d walk away with $750 profit, and the bettor would see a total return of $850.

The OKC Thunder are the favorites to win this game, and $20 would be made in profit with a total return of $120 if a $100 wager were placed.e

See more details on how to bet on the NBA.

3-Way Moneyline in Boxing

Boxing is a sport that can end in a tie if all three judges score the fight a draw, or two of the three judges come to that conclusion. Although it is rarer for judges to make this decision, it does still happen, with Manny Pacquiao drawing against Mario Barrios in July 2025. Here is what a 3-way moneyline could look like on a hypothetical future fight: 

• Jake Paul: +1200

• Tie: +2500

• Canelo Álvarez: -3000

Jake Paul is the obvious underdog in this fight, and if a $100 wager were placed on him, the bettor would receive $1,200 in profit and would see a return of $1,300 if he were successful.

A tie in this situation would be even more unlikely than Paul winning, and a $2,500 profit would be made, with a return of $2,600 from a $100 wager.

Álvarez is the clear favorite to win, and if a $100 wager were placed, a small profit of $3.33 would be received, with a total return of $103.33.

See our list of the best boxing sites to get started.

A 3-way moneyline is a great way to see some huge returns on the wagers you place on a sporting event.

However, it is always best to research the events before predicting the most likely outcome, or risk it if you’re feeling the underdog could come out on top.