How If Bets Work in Sports Betting Explained (If Win or Push)

Sports betting has plenty of quirky wager types, and one you might encounter is the “if bet.”

Don’t let the name confuse you – it’s not you being wishy-washy with your bet (“I’ll bet if I feel like it”).

In betting terms, an if bet is a special multi-part wager that only continues if your first pick wins.

It’s a tool bettors use to link bets together conditionally, helping manage risk while still shooting for a bigger payout than a single bet.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what if bets are, how they work (with examples), the difference between “if win” and “if win or push” bets, plus the pros, cons, and smart strategies for using them.

What Is an If Bet?

An if bet allows you to connect two or more bets in sequence, almost like a parlay, but with a crucial twist: each subsequent bet only goes forward if the previous bet wins.

Think of it as a chain of bets linked by “if” conditions.

You choose two or more wagers (often 2-6 picks), and you also choose the order of the bets.

Your first bet is placed as usual. If that first bet wins (hooray!), then and only then does the sportsbook automatically place your second bet.

If the first bet loses, the sequence stops right there – the second bet doesn’t happen, sparing you from risking more money after a loss.

Essentially, the outcome of each bet determines whether the next bet in line has action (i.e. gets placed).

This conditional structure means an if bet gives you a bit of a safety net compared to a traditional multi-team parlay.

In a parlay, all your picks have to win together or else the entire wager busts.

With an if bet, one loss can halt the remaining bets, potentially saving part of your stake. However, it also means that if your very first pick loses, none of the others even get a shot – your whole if bet is done right away.

If Win vs. If Win or Push (Single-Action vs. Double-Action)

When placing an if bet, you’ll usually have two format options: “If Win Only” (sometimes called single-action) and “If Win or Push” (also called double-action or “if action”).

These refer to whether the chain continues in the event of a push (tie) or no-action game:

If Win Only (Single-Action): This is the stricter version.
Your next bet only goes forward if the previous bet wins.
If the previous leg loses or even pushes (ties), the chain stops right there.
In other words, a push is treated like a non-win (since it’s not a win, you didn’t technically “win” the prior bet), so the next bet will not be placed.
Most sportsbooks default to if-win-only unless you specify otherwise. It’s a conservative approach: any result short of a win halts the remaining bets.
If Win or Push (Double-Action): In this more forgiving option, the chain continues if the previous bet wins or pushes (or is canceled).
A push isn’t a loss, so the sportsbook will still give your next bet “action.”
Only an actual loss will stop the sequence in a double-action if bet.
This is why it’s nicknamed “double action” – it takes two conditions (win or push) to keep the bet alive, essentially only a loss will kill the chain.

To illustrate: Suppose your first bet ends in a push (a tie against the spread, for example).

If you chose if win only, the second bet won’t be placed at all – your whole if bet just ends with no gain or loss on that push.

But if you chose if win or push, that push is treated as “no harm done” and your second bet still goes through as if the first part had won (you carry your stake forward).

The only difference between these two types is how they handle non-winning but non-losing outcomes on a prior leg.

If-win-only = stop on anything but a win; if-win-or-push = stop only on a loss.

Knowing this difference is important so you’re not caught off guard.

Many bettors prefer the double-action style because a push in the first game won’t ruin the chance to still win something on the later bet.

Just remember that if-win-or-push (double action) gives your sequence a bit more breathing room, whereas if-win-only is a tad more strict.

Always double-check which one you’re selecting on the bet slip!

How If Bets Work: Step-by-Step Example

It can help to see an if bet in action.

Let’s walk through a simple example to make the mechanics crystal clear.

Say you want to link two NFL bets in an if bet:

- Bet 1: $110 on Team A at -110 odds (to win $100).
- Bet 2: $110 on Team B at -110 odds (to win $100), if Team A wins.

When you place this if bet, you’re essentially saying: “Bet $110 on Team A. If Team A wins, then automatically place $110 on Team B. If Team A loses, don’t place the Team B bet.” Now, let’s consider the possible outcomes:

- - Both Team A and Team B win: Your first bet wins, returning $210 (your $110 stake + $100 profit).
    That $110 stake then goes onto Team B, which also wins for another $100 profit.
    In total, you’ve won $200 in profit and get back your $110 stake.
    You risked only $110 of your own money to begin with, but by winning two in a row you more than doubled it.
    (For comparison, a regular parlay on these two would have paid a bit more – around $264 total on a $110 risk – but we’ll get to that later.)
  - Team A wins, but Team B loses: Your first bet wins (so you gain $100), but your second bet loses (you lose $110).
    Net result?
    You’re down a tiny amount: essentially you lost only the ~$10 in vig.
    In our example you’d be out $10 overall (won $100, lost $110).
    In other words, you went 1-1 on your picks and only paid the bookmaker’s juice.
    Not a profit, but not a total loss either – about the same outcome as if you had simply bet those two games separately and split them (one win, one loss typically costs you the vig).
  - Team A loses (regardless of what Team B does): If your first bet fails, the if bet is over.
    The second bet never happens.
    You lose your initial $110 stake and that’s it.
    Even if Team B would have won, it doesn’t matter because that bet was never placed once Team A lost.
    This is the painful part of an if bet – you could be right about the later game, but if your first pick was wrong, you don’t get a chance to benefit from the others.
    Essentially you’ve gone 0-1 and lost $110 (like a normal lost bet).

(If you had an “if win or push” bet and Team A pushed, then the second bet would still be placed on Team B as if nothing happened on the first. In an “if win only,” a push by Team A would stop the sequence, and you’d just get your $110 back with no Team B action.)

As you can see, an if bet only charges your account for the first bet initially.

You don’t need to put up the stake for both bets upfront.

The second bet’s stake is essentially contingent on the first bet winning – often using those winnings or your freed-up stake to roll into the next wager.

This can be a bankroll-friendly way to bet on multiple games.

For example, to normally bet $110 on Team A and $110 on Team B separately, you’d need $220 in funds.

With an if bet, you only need $110 on hand; the same $110 rolls over to the second bet if you win the first.

If the first loses, you’ve saved yourself the extra risk of losing another $110 on the second game.

Key point: All legs of an if bet still need to win for you to cash in fully, similar to a parlay.

If any bet in the chain loses, the remaining bets are never placed (or, if it was mid-chain, the sequence ends at the loss).

So you do ultimately need a clean sweep to win the whole thing.

But unlike a parlay, an if bet can soften the blow if not all picks win – you might escape with only a small loss (or even break even) instead of losing your entire stake.

If Bets vs. Parlays vs. Straight Bets

How does an if bet stack up against the more common ways to bet, like parlays or just making straight bets on each game?

Let’s break down the differences in risk and reward:

Payout Potential: Parlays typically offer higher potential payouts than an if bet with the same selections. This is because parlays multiply the odds together. In an if bet, each bet is essentially a separate straight wager, so you’re winning sequentially rather than exponentially. For example, a $10 two-team parlay at standard -110 odds might pay out roughly $26 (a $16 profit). The same $10 in an if bet on those two teams would return around $18.18 total ($8.18 profit) if both win. The parlay nearly doubles your money, whereas the if bet profit is a bit smaller. Why take the smaller payout then? Because of what happens if one pick loses…
What If Not All Win: A parlay is all-or-nothing – if any leg fails, you get $0 back. Your entire stake is lost. With an if bet, you have a chance to salvage something if not every pick hits (depending on order). If your first bet wins but second loses, you only drop a tiny amount (as we showed, basically the vig ~$10 on a $110 stake, or even under $1 on a $10 stake ). By contrast, that parlay would’ve lost your whole stake. However, note that if your first pick loses in an if bet, you also lose your whole stake (and the second bet isn’t placed) – same as a parlay’s result in that case. The difference is in scenarios where you win some picks and lose some: a parlay treats any loss as total failure, whereas an if bet can at least lock in wins up until the loss occurred.
Risk Exposure and Bankroll: With a parlay, you’re staking money on all games upfront. If you bet two games separately (straight bets), you’re risking two units (e.g. $110 twice). An if bet only requires one unit at risk at a time. This means if the first part loses, you haven’t risked more on the others. It’s a way to limit the risk to your initial stake while still having action on multiple games. Straight betting each game gives you full control (and you could stop after one win, etc.), but you would have to put up more total money to do so. If bets are a more controlled, pre-packaged approach – one stake riding on conditional bets.
Sequence Matters: Neither parlays nor straight bets care about the order of your picks – a parlay just needs all to win, and straight bets are independent. If bets do care about order. The first bet is crucial because it gates the rest. This introduces a strategic element: you have to decide which wager goes first (more on that soon). It also means that if you go 1-1 on two picks, an if bet’s outcome can differ from just betting both separately. With two straight bets, going 1-1 will typically cost you a few bucks (one win minus one loss). With an if bet, 1-1 can result in either that same small loss or a full loss of your stake – it hinges on which game you won. For example, two separate $110 bets that split will lose about $10 total (because you won one, lost one). An if bet on those two games could similarly lose ~$10 if your win came first, but would lose the full $110 if your win came second (since the loss came first and stopped the chain). This highlights that if bets offer protection in some cases, but can punish you in others compared to independent bets.

In short, parlays have higher upside but higher risk (you need perfection, or you get nothing). Straight bets have lower risk (each bet stands on its own) but no combo payoff. If bets sit in between: they require perfection for the full reward (like a parlay), but if you fall short you might not lose everything (part of your stake or winnings might be saved if the loss isn’t early). The trade-off for that safety net is a lower overall payout than a parlay if you do win all picks.

Pros and Cons of If Bets

Every betting strategy has its advantages and drawbacks. Let’s sum up the pros and cons of using if bets:

Pros:

Limits Your Risk: You only put up one initial stake to potentially cover multiple bets. You’re not doubling or tripling your upfront cost like you would placing multiple straight bets. This limits the maximum money at risk to your first bet amount. If you’re on a losing streak or have a tight bankroll, an if bet can protect you from dropping a lot on several bets at once.
Some Safety Net if Not Perfect: Unlike a parlay, you don’t automatically lose everything if one pick fails. If your first few picks win and then one loses, you keep the winnings from the earlier wins and only lose on the leg that failed. In other words, you “get to keep a percentage of the payout even when some selections fail”. This can mean the difference between losing just the vig versus your whole stake, depending on when a loss occurs.
Flexibility and Control: If bets offer a flexible structure for multiple bets. You decide the sequence of wagers, which gives you control over which game’s result will dictate the next. This lets you craft a strategy (for example, starting with the bet you’re most confident in). It’s a more controlled way to chase a bigger return than just throwing all picks into a parlay. You can also mix different sports or bet types in one if bet, which adds variety to your wagering.
Higher Potential Payout Than a Single Bet: While not as lucrative as a parlay, an if bet can still yield more profit than a lone straight bet if you hit multiple winners. It’s a way to use a single wager to bet on multiple matches and compound your gains modestly. Essentially, you’re aiming for a “big win” day without risking as much as a parlay would require.

Cons:

All Depends on the First Bet: The first selection is key. If your first bet loses, the entire wager is done and you’ve lost your stake with nothing to show – even if your later picks were right. That makes ordering vital and can be a bit unforgiving. It also means a bit of an arbitrary element: you might go 1-1 on the day but still lose money if the win wasn’t first (whereas 1-1 with straight bets might just cost a few bucks).
Lower Payouts Than Parlays: The trade-off for that safety net is a smaller payout when you do win every leg. If bets only pay out the standard winnings from each bet consecutively, rather than multiplying odds. So the profit for a perfect ticket will be less than what a parlay with the same picks would pay. If you’re swinging for maximum profit and don’t mind higher risk, a parlay might appeal more.
Complexity & Planning: If bets add complexity. Beginners can find them confusing at first – there’s the whole if win vs if win or push thing, and you have to plan the sequence of bets ahead of time. You’re essentially ranking your picks by confidence (which isn’t always easy if you like them equally). Making those decisions adds an extra layer of thinking, and a poor sequence choice can cost you. Also, not every sportsbook prominently features if bets, so placing them might require navigating the bet slip carefully (and mistakes in setup can happen if you’re not familiar).
Must Ride It Out: Once you place an if bet, you’re locked in. You can’t change or cancel the second (or third, etc.) bet if you win the first. For instance, if your first game wins but you start having second thoughts about the next game, too late – that bet is automatically placed as originally planned. You lose the flexibility to evaluate later games after seeing earlier results or new information. In contrast, if you were betting games one by one, you could always decide to not bet the second game if you got cold feet. With an if bet, you’re essentially pre-committing in advance.
Not Ideal for Long Chains: While you can string several bets (some books allow 3, 4, up to 6 teams in an if bet), the longer the chain, the higher the chance something goes wrong. The risk increases with each additional leg – remember, one loss ends everything. It’s generally not recommended to go crazy with many selections in an if bet. Chasing a big payout with, say, a 5-team if bet can be very risky (and the payout still won’t match a 5-team parlay’s). Most experienced bettors stick to two or maybe three teams in an if bet to keep it manageable.

When to Use an If Bet (Strategic Situations)

If bets are a niche tool, but they can make a lot of sense in the right situations. Here are some times when using an if bet might be strategically smart:

Bankroll Protection or Limited Funds: If you’re low on funds or just want to minimize how much you have in play, an if bet is useful. It lets you have action on multiple games without fronting the money for all of them. For example, if you only have $50 left in your account, you could still bet two games (as an if bet) for $50 each sequentially, something you couldn’t do with two separate $50 bets (you’d need $100). Bettors on a tight budget or those trying to guard against a losing streak use if bets to stretch their bankroll and avoid laying out too much at once. It’s a way to say “I’ll bet on the second game only if I’ve won the first and have extra bankroll from it.”
Staggered Confidence (Ranking Your Picks): If you have multiple games you want to bet, but feel more confident in one than the others, an if bet allows you to rank your bets by confidence and leverage that. You put the pick you feel strongest about in the first position. If it wins, great – you not only profit from it, but now you essentially “freeroll” some of that profit (or your initial stake again) on the next bet. If it loses, you cut your losses and walk away without touching the other bets. This is why veteran bettors often say to “start with your most confident pick first, as the success of your if bet hinges on it”. Using an if bet in this way is a way to ensure you only risk money on your lower-confidence picks if your higher-confidence pick proved itself first. It’s a form of self-discipline.
Sequential Games / Day-Long Action: If you’re watching a full day of games and want to roll winnings from one into the next, an if bet can automate that for you. For instance, during football season you might have an early afternoon game and a later game you like. You could plan: “If my 1 PM bet wins, I’ll take those winnings and bet the 4 PM game.” You could do this manually, of course, but if you won’t be around to place the second bet, an if bet does it automatically. It’s also just convenient – your second bet is set to go only if you’re flush from the first win. This can be part of a strategy to progressively build profit through the day while stopping the bleeding if you start with a loss.
Avoiding All-or-Nothing Parlays: Maybe you’ve been burned by parlays where you hit the first game and lose the second, ending up with nothing. If bets provide a middle-ground strategy. You’d use an if bet when you like the slightly reduced risk compared to a parlay. It’s for times you think, “I have a decent shot at winning both, but if I only get one right, I’d rather not lose it all.” It’s a hedge against the scenario where you go, say, 2-1 on a trio of picks – an if bet would let you profit from the first two wins before the third loss stopped the chain, whereas a parlay would give you zilch for the same 2-1 performance. In this sense, if bets are strategic for maintaining some return on a partially successful set of bets.
Discipline and Bankroll Management: Some bettors use if bets as a discipline tool. It forces you to pre-plan which bets you’ll make and in what order, which can prevent impulsive adding of bets later. And since only the first bet is risked initially, you can’t accidentally chase losses on the second game if the first loses – it just won’t bet the second game at all. If you have a tendency to chase or overextend, structuring your plays as if bets can impose a limit: you only continue betting if you’re winning. This can save you from yourself on a bad day.

In summary, use an if bet when you want a controlled way to link bets together – typically when you’re confident in one pick and cautiously optimistic on another, or when funds are limited.

If bets shine for bankroll management situations and when scheduling or personal preference makes a conditional bet attractive.

They add a strategic layer to your betting that, if used wisely, can tilt risk-reward in your favor for multi-bet plays.

Pitfalls and Common Mistakes to Avoid

While if bets can be useful, there are some pitfalls and rookie mistakes to watch.

Putting Picks in the Wrong Order: Because order matters so much, a common mistake is not placing your strongest pick first. If you list a shakier bet first and it loses, your if bet ends and you miss out on a potential win from the bet you actually liked more. It feels awful when your second bet would have won, but your first bet (which you weren’t as confident in) lost and killed the whole thing. Avoid this by always ranking your if bet selections wisely – basically from most confident to least confident. If you truly like two picks equally, you might consider just betting them separately or even doing a parlay, because guessing the “right” order is an unnecessary risk in that case.
Not Understanding “If Win” vs “If Win or Push”: Make sure you know which type of if bet you’re placing. Some bettors accidentally assume that a push will carry over when they actually have an if-win-only bet (or vice versa). The sportsbook bet slip usually has a dropdown or option for this. If you select the wrong one, you might be puzzled when your bet either continues or stops on a push unexpectedly. Double-check that setting so your bet behaves as you intend. Remember: single-action stops on a push, double-action continues on a push .
Overloading Too Many Teams: As mentioned, packing a long list of teams into an if bet is generally not a great idea. The more legs, the more chances it dies before the end. While it might be tempting to string 5-6 games in hopes of a big payout, that’s usually counterproductive – you’re taking on parlay-like risk without parlay-like reward. Keep if bets to a reasonable number of selections (2-3, maybe 4 max) to maintain a decent chance of success. If you find yourself wanting a huge multi-team score, a parlay might ironically be better; or break your bets into smaller if bet groupings.
Ignoring the Vig and Net Outcomes: Some people mistakenly think an if bet guarantees profit if you win more games than you lose. Not necessarily – you have to consider the sequence. For example, going 1-1 in two picks could still net a small loss (the vig) even in the best case (win-then-lose sequence). And going 1-1 in the wrong order (loss-then-win) is a full loss of your stake. So don’t assume you’ll automatically break even if you “split” games. If bets are not some magic hack to eliminate losing days; they just redistribute when and how you risk your money.
Getting Locked In Without Flexibility: Be cautious about the fact you can’t undo the second bet once the first wins. This isn’t exactly a mistake, but it’s a limitation to be mindful of. If there’s rapidly changing information (like a star player injury late before the second game) or you just change your mind, you can’t pull back an if bet. One way to mitigate this is only include later games that you’re going to be comfortable sticking with. Or, if you’re unsure, maybe an if bet isn’t the right call – you could manually bet the first game, then decide on the second after.
Not Considering a Reverse Bet: A more advanced pitfall is the order bias of if bets. If you hate the fact that an if bet hinges entirely on which game is first, there is a wager type called a reverse bet (action reverse) which essentially plays your selections in both orders (it’s like two if bets, one with A→B and one with B→A). A reverse bet costs more (since it’s two bets), but it covers you so that if either sequence would win, you get paid. Many beginners don’t know about this and either get burned by the order or accidentally double bet trying to “reverse” manually. While a full explanation of reverse bets is beyond our scope here, just know it’s an option if you want to avoid the arbitrary nature of picking which team goes first. The downside is you double your initial risk (because you’re essentially placing two if bets), so use with caution. If you find yourself constantly second-guessing your order or saying “I wish I had the other way around,” consider reading up on reverse bets.
Forgetting to Account for Game Times: One minor logistical note – you don’t actually have to worry about the times of the games when placing an if bet (the sportsbook will still grade them in the correct sequence even if one starts later). However, the sequence is fixed as you enter it, so don’t assume the book will automatically order them by start time or anything. You might place an if bet with a night game as the first leg and an afternoon game as the second leg – that’s allowed, and it just means the second leg won’t be decided until earlier (which is a bit unusual, but possible). The key is that settlement order matters, not start time. Generally, it’s simpler to order them chronologically (and many bettors do), but it’s not required. Just be deliberate in how you list your bets to avoid confusion.

By watching out for these pitfalls, you can use if bets more effectively and avoid unpleasant surprises.

An if bet can be a great tool in the right scenario, but only if you execute it with a clear strategy and understanding of how it works.

What Is an If Bet in Sports Betting?