{"id":1585,"date":"2022-09-05T10:18:58","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T10:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.top10bettingsites.co.uk\/?page_id=1585"},"modified":"2022-09-05T10:20:06","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T10:20:06","slug":"what-is-a-combination-forecast","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/articles\/what-is-a-combination-forecast\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Combination Forecast?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1588\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/combination-forecast-400px.jpg\" alt=\"Combination Forecast\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/combination-forecast-400px.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/combination-forecast-400px-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>As a punter, you may already be aware that there are stacks of different multiple-style bet types that you can place.<\/p>\n<p>But for the uninitiated, these can be a minefield to navigate through \u2013 what does this bet type mean? How do I win? How many individual bets do I need to place?<\/p>\n<p>A combination forecast can be filed under this heading, especially as it\u2019s a bet type that often gets overlooked by punters \u2013 particularly in horse racing, where it can yield value in renewals where you believe longer-odds horses can thrive.<\/p>\n<p>So here\u2019s your quick guide to combination forecast betting.<\/p>\n<h2>The Basics of Combination Forecast Betting<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1593\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/horses-heading-for-the-finsih-765px.jpg\" alt=\"Horses Heading for the Finish\" width=\"765\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/horses-heading-for-the-finsih-765px.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/horses-heading-for-the-finsih-765px-300x174.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So, first things first, what is a combination forecast?<\/p>\n<p>Quite simply, a combination forecast requires you to pick the <strong>first and second-placed finishers in any order<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>But in contrast to other types of forecast betting, here you can decide how many runners you want to add to your betslip in order to find that magical 1-2 \u2013 you can back anything from three to six horses in your combination forecast.<\/p>\n<p>You will have to place the requisite number of bets in order to cover all of the possible outcomes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Three Selections \u2013 6 Bets<\/li>\n<li>Four Selections \u2013 12 Bets<\/li>\n<li>Five Selections \u2013 20 Bets<\/li>\n<li>Six Selections \u2013 30 Bets<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you can probably guess by this definition, combination forecast bets are most popular with horse racing and greyhound racing punters, although they can also be used in golf betting \u2013 picking the winner of the tournament and the runner-up \u2013 as well as other outright markets.<\/p>\n<p>The takeaway point is that you need to back the runner that finishes first and the runner that comes second\u2026 but you\u2019ll be getting a payout no matter which order that happens in.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Place a Combination Forecast<\/h2>\n<p>So the first thing to do is head to the race that you want to bet on, and then click on that \u2018forecast\u2019 tab if your bookmaker\/betting app has it (sometimes, you simply add your selections to your betslip and then the available multiple bet types autogenerate).<\/p>\n<p>We add our chosen selections as normal by tapping on the odds (or, as in this example, ticking the box underneath the \u2018any\u2019 heading):<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1586\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/haydock-765px.jpg\" alt=\"Haydock\" width=\"764\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/haydock-765px.jpg 764w, https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/haydock-765px-300x106.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You will then see how many bets you need to place in order to satisfy all of the possible permutations (in this case, we have three picks so six bets are required in total \u2013 6x unit stake).<\/p>\n<p>You should also be able to see on screen the different odds and payouts for each of the 1-2 combinations that are available:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/combination-forecast-765px.jpg\" alt=\"Combination Forecast\" width=\"765\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/combination-forecast-765px.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/combination-forecast-765px-300x216.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In our example here, we can see that the combinations involving Colinton and Love Is Golden are the best-paying at around 54\/1, while the Colinton-Sea Speedwell combis pay out at around 36\/1. The reason is that Colinton and Love Is Golden are priced at 7\/1 in the race winner market, while Sea Speedwell was available at 9\/2.<\/p>\n<h2>Fixed Odds Payout vs Computer Straight Forecast<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1591\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/3.jpg\" alt=\"Fixed Odds\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/3.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/3-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>The payout from your combination forecast will ultimately be determined by the method used by your bookie to calculate dividends \u2013 some, like Paddy Power, opt for the fixed odds option.<\/p>\n<p>But other firms such as bet365 go for the Computer Straight Forecast (CSF), which uses a complex algorithm to calculate the fair odds for each possible combination on your betslip.<\/p>\n<p>There has been great debate over which option is the best for punters, and the truth is that there isn\u2019t a definitive answer to whether fixed odds or CSF is the true value choice.<\/p>\n<p>As such, punters are advised to hold accounts with at least two bookmakers \u2013 that way, you can set up your combination forecast bets and then compare the odds you will receive for guessing the 1-2, placing your wager with the better-paying option.<\/p>\n<h2>When Should You Place a Combination Forecast Bet?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1590\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/placing-combination-forecast-bet-400px.jpg\" alt=\"Placing a Combination Forecast bet\" width=\"400\" height=\"268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/placing-combination-forecast-bet-400px.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/placing-combination-forecast-bet-400px-300x201.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>As always, betting success can be yours in the long term if you are able to spot value opportunities \u2013 that is, where you believe the true odds on a runner should be shorter than those offered by the bookies.<\/p>\n<p>You only need to spot one value horse in a field to place a combination forecast if you believe at least two others are fairly priced, i.e. the odds offered are about \u2018right\u2019 for those particular horses.<\/p>\n<p>That way, you can maximise your edge by backing your value pick in combination with at least two other horses \u2013 usually those towards the head of the market.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, a combination forecast is a useful option when you think that the favourite and next best are weak, but you don\u2019t know which of the rest of the field will beat them.<\/p>\n<p>Here we can add three or more outsiders to our betslip, and not really worry about which order they finish in\u2026.as long as it\u2019s the 1-2. Placing a combination forecast in this way can often be a better value option than laying the favourite or a couple of market protagonists on the exchanges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a punter, you may already be aware that there are stacks of different multiple-style bet types that you can place. But for the uninitiated, these can be a minefield to navigate through \u2013 what does this bet type mean? How do I win? How many individual bets do I need to place? A combination [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":69,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-1585","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1585"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1597,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1585\/revisions\/1597"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/69"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}