Parlays are a common betting option, but you may be wondering what a same-game parlay bet is?

Same-game parlays work similarly to regular parlays. You select two or more events on a single ticket and need all to be successful in order to win your wager. Where same-game parlays differ, however, is that the parlay is built of multiple events from just one game.

If one or more events on the parlay are incorrect, the whole ticket is lost.

Same-game parlay bet examples

Same-game parlays allow you to mix markets, which means you can wager on point spreads or moneylines, and totals or props.

For example, let's say the Toronto Maple Leafs have an upcoming game against the Ottawa Senators. If you believe Toronto is a strong bet on the moneyline, will score a lot of goals, and that Auston Matthews will record one of them, you could combine the three to make a same-game parlay.

Here's how that parlay would look:

Maple Leafs moneyline, Maple Leafs over 3.5 goals, Matthews anytime goalscorer.

This same-game parlay features a moneyline, team total and prop bet.

Although each of the events has its own set of odds, the odds and payout increase when combined. In this example, the parlay's odds are +200. A $100 wager on this same-game parlay would win $200. That would likely at least double the return you could make by betting any of those three events individually.

The plus-odds are the appeal of the parlay. But needing three outcomes, as this example would need, to all be correct is more difficult than successfully predicting one. That makes it riskier.

Why bet a same-game parlay?

Instead of betting on a moneyline, team total and goalscorer from three separate games, there are actually fewer variables for all three from the same game winning. For instance, it's more likely that Toronto wins a game if Matthews scores and the team scores four-plus goals.

Secondly, it's increasingly likely that the over will hit if Matthews finds the back of the net.

Let's say, on the other hand, that you parlay a Maple Leafs puck line, a Washington Capitals over 3.5 goals team total and a Brad Marchand anytime goal. For this bet to win, the Maple Leafs need to win by two-plus goals, the Capitals have to score four or more and Marchand must bury one.

The three isolated events have nothing to do with one another and have a smaller chance of all coming through. In short, the odds for three isolated events may be equal to the odds of three same-game bets hitting, but the chance of all three happening is better in a same-game parlay because of causation.

This also works for a sport like the NFL.

NFL same-game parlay

If you feel strongly about the Buffalo Bills winning their upcoming game, you probably also feel really good about Josh Allen's chances of going off. To further that point, you may also feel that if Allen is going to do well, his No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs will likely have a big game.

This could present a good opportunity to same-game parlay the three events.

This is how a same-game parlay including these three events could look:

Bills moneyline, Allen over 288.5 passing yards, Diggs over 74.5 receiving yards.

Let's say the odds for this same-game parlay are +371. That means a $100 wager would win $371. You wouldn't win nearly as much at the same $100 stake if you bet each event on its own.

Similar to the NHL example, these three legs are more likely to collectively hit than three isolated events.

For example, if you were to parlay a Green Bay Packers moneyline bet, a Matthew Stafford passing yards prop and a Jonathan Taylor rushing yards prop, you'd need three completely separate events, that have absolutely nothing in common, to come through.

With the Bills parlay above, each event has some form of correlation. Buffalo is more likely to win a game where Allen throws for over 289 yards, while Diggs is more likely to go over his receiving total if Allen has a massive outing.

In the second example, Stafford having a good or bad game has nothing to do with Green Bay or Taylor's performance if neither side is playing against each other.

Note: Not all same-game parlays must involve bets from one team.

NBA same-game parlay

Let's use the Toronto Raptors as an example. If the Raptors are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers, you may believe the team could pull off an upset at home. Additionally, if you think Toronto's defence is the reason, you may think LeBron James and Russell Westbrook will struggle.

This could present an opportunity to bet Toronto's moneyline and the under for both James' and Westbrook's point total.

The parlay would look like this:

Raptors moneyline (+135)
James under 29.5 points (-110)
Westbrook under 17.5 points (-105)

The combined odds for this same-game parlay are +776. Therefore, a $100 wager on this ticket would win $776. Evidently, Toronto's chances of winning the game would appear to be much better if neither James nor Westbrook has a particularly strong outing.

To sum up, same-game parlays still take on the larger payouts and risks incorporated with regular parlays. But they do have a better likelihood of all events winning due to causation and correlation.