Same Game Parlay Guide

Another day, another same game parlay! The world of legal sports betting continues to expand at a rapid rate, and sportsbooks are looking for ways to separate themselves from the pack. As such, one of the latest trends in this expansion is the promotion of same game parlays on many online sportsbooks.

To no one’s surprise, bettors absolutely love it!

You’ve seen them advertised, and you’ve surely seen screenshots of their massive payouts go viral on social media. It’s safe to say that same game parlays have taken over, and are here to stay.

Now it’s time to get in on the action. In this same game parlay guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about sports betting’s biggest craze. We’ll show you where to bet them, and more importantly, give you our best tips and strategy for winning same game parlays.

What Is a Same Game Parlay?

Also known as single-game parlays or one-game parlays, a same game parlay allows bettors to parlay multiple bets from the same game together to increase the payout. 

Depending on the bettor’s appetite and risk tolerance, same game parlays can pay well into the hundreds-to-one. Which, obviously, means they are difficult to hit.

But have no fear, my gambling brethren, because with great risk comes great reward.

This new trend of same game parlays are an exciting way to get heavily involved in a single game on any given night. Same game parlays allow you, the sports bettor, to combine the spread, point total and even player props into one single bet in hopes of a massive payout.

Where Can I Bet a Same Game Parlay?

While they aren’t yet available at all online sportsbooks, you can find same game parlays currently at the following sports betting sites:

FanDuel Sportsbook was the first to offer the same game parlay, and to this point, their model for these types of bets is the best in the market.

With time, we can expect to see same game parlays available on more and more platforms. Most recently, Caesars Sportsbook app added SGPs to their litany of betting offerings, joining the likes of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and PointsBet as early same-game parlay adopters.

What Are ‘Correlated Bets?’

What makes a same game parlay so appealing, is that it allows bettors to combine a series correlated bets into a single, potentially massive (in terms of legs AND payout) wager.

Correlated bets are those in which the success of one pick increases the likelihood of success of another pick.

For example, parlaying the first half over and the full game over together. If the first half over hits, naturally the full game over hitting is more likely. This used to be a big no no for sportsbooks, and they would often block attempts to combine correlated legs into a parlay. But that has certainly changed with the implementation of same game parlays.

You can even take it a step further with player props.

Let’s say you’re looking at a football game, and you think it’s going to be a high-scoring affair. Maybe you take the over, plus over on the QBs passing yards as well as the over on the top targets receiving yards. Maybe one of the teams runs the ball well, so you add over on rushing yards for their top back. You could even pick a player or two that you think will reach endzone during the game and you could have something that looks like this:

With odds like these, same game parlays offer an opportunity to risk minimal money with hopes of a sizeable return if everything goes right. Even if the parlay at hand is far-fetched, it certainly makes the three hours spent watching the game that much more exciting.

Same Game Parlay Example

Here’s an example of a same game parlay one bettor placed for the 2022 Super Bowl along with the analysis that went into the wager.

• Rams -4
• Cooper Kupp O 104.5 receiving yards
• Cooper Kupp Anytime TD
• Matthew Stafford O 281.5 passing yards

Payout: +561

This exact parlay on FanDuel offered +561 odds. As you can see, the bettor was all about the Rams in this matchup. Let’s go over the thinking that went into this parlay to show you how much preparation goes into same-game parlay wagering and how often that preparation turns out to be incorrect.

Prediction: Rams -4

The Bengals were two games removed from allowing NINE sacks against the Tennessee Titans, and now they have to deal with the likes of Aaron Donald in the middle and Von Miller coming off the edge. I see the Rams being able to get enough pressure to slow down the Bengals attack. It’ll also be a lot of fun to watch Chase and Jalen Ramsey battle it out on the outside. Though the Bengals do have other really good weapons, if Ramsey can hold his own, the Rams will be able to allocate the other resources in the secondary to shutting down the likes of Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. For this reason, the Rams should cover the 4 points.

Result: Rams won by 3, 23-20. The analysis and predictions were pretty much correct, but the predicted outcome was not. The Rams did hold Higgins and Boyd to limited production and the Rams D sacked Joe Burrow an impressive 7 times, but they did not cover the spread.

Prediction: Cooper Kupp Over 106.5 Yards & TD

This NFL season has also taught us there are three things guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and Cooper Kupp. The guy, in a word, is inevitable. He’s already caught four touchdowns and is averaging almost 129 yards per game in these playoffs, and that includes a sub-par wild card round where he only totaled 61 yards. He is an integral part of the Rams offense and they make it a point to get him the ball as often as possible week in and week out. I expect it to be no different on Sunday.

Result: Cooper Kupp was outstanding in the game, even winning MVP. But he only had 92 receiving yards, far under the 106.5 needed to hit the over, which was a big surprise to the many people who picked the Over on this player prop bet. He did have 2 TDs, so that leg of the bet hit.

Prediction: Matthew Stafford Over 281.5 Yards

Taking the conversation back to correlated bets, if Cooper Kupp does go over his receiving yards total, that would make it more likely that Mathew Stafford would surpass his passing yards total, and vice versa. So, why not pair the two together?

Stafford has been hot over the past two games averaging over 350 yards per game and the Rams have struggled to run the ball at times which means they could have to rely on his arm to have success in this game. Plus, Stafford came to L.A. with something to prove. He wanted to show that he belongs in the conversation with some of the elite names in the game. A standout performance in the biggest game of his career would certainly put him in those talks.

All this talk about the Rams, but somebody’s gotta score for the Bengals right? If you’d like, why not add Joe Mixon anytime TD to the mix at +110. He a pivotal part of their offense, whether it be the running game or the passing game. If they can get down close to the goal line, he’s a good bet to punch it in and find paydirt. Adding that play to the parlay bumps the payout up to +1553.

Result: Stafford ended up with 283 yards, which was the ultimate sweat for all the Over bettors. Joe Mixon had 72 rushing yards but never scored a TD, so that prediction was a bit off.

Final result: 2 out of 4 legs Correct

A lot of thought went into this same-game parlay wager, but it didn’t pay out, with only two of the four legs hitting. This is a good example of analysis being informative and relevant but the predicted outcomes not materializing. That’s why they play the games, as the saying goes.

Pros and Cons

Just like with anything else, there is good and bad with SPGs:

The Good

The good is obvious: the potentially large payout on a relatively small investment that catches our eye. Most player props and game outcomes will be close to even money which requires a much larger bet if you play them straight. But, if you match those plays up in a same game parlay, the potential payout can become drastically higher. It makes the game much more exciting knowing you have a potential lottery ticket on the line if things go the way you expect them to.

The Bad

The bad: same game parlays are often difficult to win. That’s why the sportsbooks are so enthusiastic to promote them to customers, and also why the potential payout is seemingly so high. Unsurprisingly “the house” makes sure to keep its edge, and things are no different when it comes to their same game parlay offerings.

Parlays are where sportsbooks make the majority of their money, not only because they’re hard to win, but because everybody loves them despite their difficulty.

In October of this past year, books reportedly held on to 56.3% of their parlay dollars which is by far a larger percentage than any other bets.

Another issue with same game parlays is there’s really no way to know the true odds of correlated wagers, and therefore the odds, of a same game parlay hitting. So no, our parlay calculator won’t be of much help.

The sportsbooks use their own proprietary algorithms and do their best to come up with their odds, with added juice/vig of course, but it’s hard to know what the true price of the parlay should pay out.

SGP Tips and Strategy

If you’re looking bet on a same game parlay, make sure you do your homework. Pick a game you’re confident in and you can predict how it’s going to go, and place bets that correlate with that outcome. If you think a favorite, like the Rams for example, will dominate the underdog, then parlay the overs on props you like for the favorite with the unders you like from the underdog. At least that’s one approach.

Think the game looks like an all-around shootout? Take the overs from stars from both teams. Look at the matchups and decide which players should have big nights and why.

Most importantly, bet small and within your personal bankroll. Bankroll management is key and same game parlays, and sports betting in general, should be treated as entertainment first and foremost.

Remember, it’s an uphill battle to hit all of your legs in a same game parlay, and not a basket you want to put a lot of eggs in. But they sure are fun. Do your research, make your picks, strap in and enjoy the ride.