The World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world, with more than a billion viewers taking in the once-every-four-years soccer tournament that captivates the globe.
Online sportsbooks also capitalize on the action by enticing prospective bettors, both in the U.S. and around the world, with attractive offers like risk-free bets, first-deposit matches and bet and gets. Bettors, in turn, can win big by cashing in on all the great action.
But with a sporting event like the World Cup, which can feature lopsided group-stage matches, parlay betting becomes a major strategy. Parlay betting is when a gambler combines multiple outcomes, in hopes that both hits, to get longer odds instead of single bets.
If you want to bet parlays for the upcoming World Cup but don’t know where to begin, we’re here to help.
How World Cup Parlay Betting Works
World Cup parlay betting is when a user combines multiple outcomes from World Cup matches to try and get a larger payout. Each leg of the parlay needs to hit in order for the wager to be successful.
For instance, if I were interested in parlaying Group B matches, I could combine England and the United States to win their first group-stage matches. England to defeat Iran has odds of about -300, but combining that match with the United States to win would lead to odds of +240, which is a profit of $24 on a $10 bet as opposed to needing to bet $30 to win $10 in profit.
Parlays can be of any length, and with larger parlays bettors will get much larger payouts due to the fact they are less likely the bet is to hit — especially in soccer, where there are three possible outcomes: Team A wins, Team B wins or they draw.
Parlay payouts are reliant on the odds of each outcome hitting. For instance, if I bet England and Iran to draw (+400) and the U.S. and Wales to also finish in a tie (+240) that would have odds of +1400 for a two-leg parlay.
However, most parlay bettors choose to combine outcomes with odds like England winning just to get more lucrative odds. That way you win just for that team winning.
Best World Cup Parlay Betting Sites
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook is a great option for parlay bettors since it was the inventor of the same-game parlay, where bettors can combine multiple markets — like totals, props and others — from one game to get bigger odds. Same-game parlays have become standard practice across the online betting landscape, but FanDuel still lets users have the most options when determining theirs.
FanDuel also upped the ante with the Same-Game Parlay+, which enables users to combine multiple markets from multiple events, which is tailor-made for World Cup betting. You can combine England and the U.S. to win, plus add props like over/under a number of shots on target or a player to score and get a huge payout when it hits.
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook is super option for parlay betting because, like FanDuel, it offers a robust number of markets that can be combined in a same-game parlay. All a user needs to do is toggle an icon to get to the DraftKings SGP interface then choose the market he or she prefers to combine.
DraftKings has great promos too like parlay insurance, where bettors will be reimbursed with a free bet if exactly one leg does not hit, and profit boosts for parlays of a certain length. Plus, DraftKings has a great user interface that is great for betting all sports, not just World Cup soccer.
BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM Sportsbook has a specific window for same-game parlays, or One-Game Parlay as it refers to them, where bettors can combine their favorite outcomes and props from the same game. Plus, BetMGM gives bettors odds for every World Cup match and lets them parlay those to get great odds.
The BetMGM Online Sportsbook is one of my favorites to place bets, especially parlays, since it gives bettors great odds and offers a robust number of markets for all sports, but especially soccer. Plus, BetMGM rewards loyal users with free bets and other perks like parlay profit boosts and more and is one of the most widely available online sportsbooks in the country.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers Sportsbook is one of the best options for new and novice sports bettors because it provides a helpful glossary of terms that cuts through the intimidation factor for bettors. Plus, BetRivers has an interesting feature called Jackpot Parlay, which provides eight randomly selected longshot bets that are combined to create a large potential payout.
We break it down even further if you are interested in more parlay betting sites.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars Online Sportsbook became a big player in the sports gambling space thanks to its purchase of popular British-based sportsbook William Hill. Caesars put forth an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at putting itself on the radar of sports bettors in states across the nation.
Caesars is a great option for parlay betting since it offers elite odds, which means you’re likely to get a terrific payout for your parlay betting. Also, every bet, win or lose, comes with Caesars Rewards, the company’s loyalty rewards program that gives bettors credits that can be redeemed for hotel and dining credits at Caesars properties, free bets and more.
How To Pick the Best World Cup Parlay Betting Sites
- Welcome Bonus: The best sites enable bettors to use their new-player bonus funds as site credit without restrictions, but some don’t. Using bonus funds on parlays at the World Cup is a great way to play with those funds and also learn which website is your preferred one.
- Parlay Insurance: Parlay insurance is a great for parlay bettors since it reimburses your qualified parlay bet if one leg is unsuccessful.
- Cash-out: Cashing out is an option for bettors who are anxious about one of their legs hitting. Sportsbooks will typically let users cash out for part of the original stake, or for significant profit, depending on the parlay’s possibility of hitting.
- Same-Game Parlays: Custom same-game parlays aren’t universally accepted at online sportsbooks, but the best ones will indulge you.
World Cup Parlay Betting Promotions
Jackpot Parlay (BetRivers). BetRivers will dream up a specific multi-leg parlay that you can either go ahead with or leave to customize.
Parlay Insurance (DraftKings, FanDuel). If you place a four-leg parlay and only three legs hit these sportsbooks will reimburse your initial stake up to about $25. Given the fact many parlays fall just a single leg short, this is a great bonus for parlay bettors.
Parlay Profit Boosts (DraftKings, BetMGM) Place a qualifying parlay bet, typically at least three legs, and you can get a certain percentage of profit boost that will make it pay out as a longer wager.
Best World Cup Parlay Bets
The best parlay bets are the ones we really, really like, lest we end up feeling bullied into placing a wager that we’re only lukewarm about. Otherwise, do your homework. Many sportsbooks will give bettors trend analysis, like how nations are playing entering the tournaments. Are there notable injuries to consider? Is a specific impact player out due to a red card or two yellows?
Do certain countries have a hard time in certain conditions? Or do certain players play better against other nations?
There are always draws so make sure to sprinkle in a draw bet into your multi-leg parlay.
Also if you’re angsty about combining markets in three-outcome games, you can include wagers that are “Draw, no bet" which means if the game ends in a tie that leg pushes rather than being a loss.
World Cup Same-Game Parlays
What are Same Game Parlays and how do they work?
Same-Game Parlays are when a bettor combines multiple markets from the same game. Same game parlays are perfect for marquee events like the World Cup, especially later rounds where there is only one game per day.
Combining a team to win and other props and totals is a fun way to cash in, again, when there is a game that looks lopsided on paper. For instance, you can take England to win at at -300 and add over 2.5 goals to advance that parlay to about +154, which is $154 in profit on a $100 bet.
Given the prospect of England winning 3-0, or more, that would be a great way to get more lucrative odds on a bet that seems likely to hit.
How to Place a World Cup Parlay Bet Online
- Determine your preferred sportsbook, sign up using our custom link, deposit your initial funds and take advantage of the new-player welcome bonus
- Sign in to your account
- Click the “Soccer" or “World Cup" tabs in the sportsbook’s sports list
- Peruse betting options and pick leg one,
- Choose a second leg. Repeat for as many legs as you wish the parlay to be
- Enter your stake in the “Parlay" spot on the betslip page
- Press “Place Bet"
- Root for all legs to hit
World Cup Parlay Betting Strategy
The best bets are the ones we love, so sticking to your guns is really the best strategy. But otherwise parlay betting strategies can be tricky in a sport like soccer, where 0-0 games are not only plausible but likely.
Still, the best strategy for World Cup parlay betting is to combine a few, three-or-more, legs that are likely to hit — meaning -200 or shorter. If you’re squeamish about having your hard-earned money tied to a nation you’ve never heard of winning a soccer game, take advantage of the draw-no-bet feature at some sportsbooks. Your odds won’t be as lucrative, but you’ll have greater peace of mind.
The best advice is to do your homework and have fun. Gambling on sports makes the games more exciting, but losing more than we can take can put a damper on all that. Be responsible.
Benefits of World Cup Parlay Betting Online
Betting the World Cup online is truly the best option for so many reasons. For starters, the 2022 tournament is in Qatar, which is seven hours ahead of Eastern Time Zone and 10 from the Pacific, which means the matches are likely to be played early in the morning or afternoon in the U.S.
Hanging out in a sportsbook in the morning, for a game other than the U.S., is generally frowned upon, especially if you have a job. But with online sports betting, your bed, couch, bathroom or car can be your sportsbook — though we don’t recommend sports betting while you’re driving. That means you can place your bets at any time, day or night, and then go back to living your life.
Plus, you can take advantage of lucrative new-player bonuses like risk-free bets, first-deposit matches or bet and gets, which brick-and-mortar sportsbooks do not offer. Plus, you can live-bet, or bet while matches are ongoing, which again is not an option at an in-person sportsbook.
The best part is betting online enables users to shop for the best odds across multiple sportsbooks, which again is impractical since in-person sportsbook odds are typically aligned to a single operator.
Where Can I Legally World Cup Parlay Bet Online?
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
Choose More Than One World Cup Parlay Betting Site
Parlay betting online is tailor-made for having money in multiple accounts. For instance, you can take advantage of new-user bonuses that can double your playable funds upon sign up and first deposit. You can shop for odds by perusing them at multiple sportsbooks rather than being confined to a single sportsbook’s numbers.
But the best reason to have funds in multiple accounts is to take advantage of parlay promos and boosts that only certain online sportsbooks offer. If DraftKings is giving me a profit boost on any three-leg parlay I choose, that’s worth taking advantage of over the curated three-leg parlay that a different sportsbook is boosting. If FanDuel is offering same-game parlay insurance, or parlay insurance in general, this gives me a better chance at winning over the other sportsbook that isn’t giving me insurance.
With dozens of legal online sportsbooks available at a bettor’s fingertips, there’s no reason not to try them all — especially to take advantage of the new-user offers that are generally the best available promo a sportsbook will provide.
