A deep dive into System Bets

Confused about System Bets in sports betting? You might not be alone. Keep on reading to find out the meaning of System Bets and discover some real-world examples of these type of bets, including their benefits and disadvantages.

What is a System Bet?

A System Bet is a type of Parlay bet that creates smaller Parlays, with usually between three and 10 different combinations, from a list of individual bets or events. System bets are similar to Parlay betting but with one significant difference.

Unlike Parlay betting, in a System bet, you don’t need all your bets to be correct to make a return. Instead, you need a few winning combinations to receive a return on your initial stake.

A System bet can be as big as you want, it all depends how many selections you choose. When you add an extra selection, the name of the System bet changes. Some classic examples of System Bets include:

Trixie bets - three selections and consisting of four separate bets
Yankee bets - four selections and consisting of 11 separate bets
Lucky 15 wagers - four selections and consisting of 15 separate bets.

But System bets don’t end there. That’s because you can create even larger System bets such as a Heinz 57 and Lucky 63 with some sportsbooks. Now you know what System bets mean, it’s time to find out how they’re formed in practice.

How System bets are constructed

Let’s start with a small System bet comprising of three components; at least one double bet, one treble and one four-fold Parlay. As a reminder, these components are defined as such:

A double bet - a bet comprising two selections from different events. Both selections must win for the bet to pay a return.
A treble bet - a bet comprising three selections from different events. All three selections must win for the bet to pay a return.
A four-fold Parlay - a bet with four or more selections from four different events. All selections must win for the bet to pay a return.

To guarantee a return, every selection of at least one component say either the double, treble or four-fold Parlay needs to hit, i.e., be correct. However, only the following scenarios can occur:

No double, treble or four-fold Parlay hits
Only the double bet hits
Only both the double and treble hits.

If the four-fold Parlay is successful then, by default, so will the treble and double bets.

Examples of a Wildz Sports System bet

Let’s consider four individual events such as two NHL games and two Premier League fixtures with the following odds:

Philadelphia Eagles (-127) @Baltimore Ravens (+115)
San Francisco 49ers (-233) @New York Jets (+170)
Arsenal (-2,500) vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (+1,100)
Newcastle (-385) vs Southampton (+1,600).

With a Wildz Sports System bet, a punter like Granny will need to create a System bet similar to the one below with the following bets:

A double bet on Eagles (-127) and 49ers (-233) winning
A treble bet on Eagles (-127) , 49ers (-233) and Arsenal (1.04) winning
A four-fold Parlay on Eagles (-127), 49ers (-233), Arsenal (-2,500) and Newcastle (-385) winning.

At Wildz Sports, when Granny clicks on the System bet option, all possible double and treble variations will be displayed and check marked. To create the System bet above, she needs to simply uncheck the doubles and trebles she wishes to exclude from the System bet until only the required ones remain.

Let’s imagine that Granny puts down $10 on each bet, i.e., $30 in total.

If the treble bet hits, Granny would win $26.62, plus the $25.60 from the double, resulting in a return of $52.22 and a profit of $22.22.
If the four-fold Parlay bet hits, Granny would win $85.76 with a profit of $55.76. That $85.76 is the highest possible return when all selections turn out right.

In summary, from a $30 stake, Granny would walk away with $103.58.

The pros of System bet wagers

The main benefit of System bets is that they’re an easy way to instantly create a bunch of longshot Parlays, while offering some upside if one or more Parlays don’t hit.

Even better, System bets often allow punters to break-even. That’s because if one or two System bets don’t hit, but three others do, there’s a chance of making a tiny profit or at least breaking even.

Finally, System bets are a simple way to build multiple related Parlays without individually recreating each option.

The disadvantages of System bets

The major downside is that System bets can get costly very quickly, as the more teams you add, the more Parlay bet combinations are generated, and the more you have to bet.

What’s more, System bets come with a lot more risks. In some cases, punters can avert some of the uncertainty by creating smaller System bets, but then they’re sacrificing potentially larger returns.

In summation, System bets are only really advisable in specific scenarios with well-researched and knowledgeable picks. In other words, If you’re a Baseball nerd, then stick to MLB betting. If you’re a hoops expert, keep your System bets NBA-related. Good luck!