What Does ‘Win to Nil’ Mean in Sports Betting?
‘Win to Nil‘ is a popular sports betting market, especially in soccer, where you are placing two bets in one:
- Your selected team must win the match.
- Your selected team must not concede a goal (i.e., they must keep a clean sheet).
“Nil” is a common term in sports, particularly British English, that means zero or nothing.
How a ‘Win to Nil’ Bet Works
Let’s say you place a “Win to Nil” bet on Arsenal in a match against Tottenham.
- ✅ Winning Scenarios: Your bet wins if the final score is 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, etc., to Arsenal.
- ❌ Losing Scenarios: Your bet loses if:
- Arsenal loses (e.g., 0-1, 1-2).
- The match is a draw (e.g., 0-0, 1-1).
- Arsenal wins, but Tottenham scores (e.g., 2-1, 3-1, 4-2).
Why Place This Bet?
The main reason to place a “Win to Nil” bet is to get better odds.
Betting on a strong favorite (like Arsenal in this example) just “To Win” might offer very low odds (e.g., -200 / 1.50). By adding the extra condition that they must also keep a clean sheet, the bet becomes riskier, but the potential payout is significantly higher (e.g., +150 / 2.50).
It’s a popular bet when you’re confident that a strong team is not only going to win but also has a solid defense that can shut out their opponent.