The correct score market asks you to name the precise result of a match. Unlike 1X2 or BTTS, it has many possible outcomes, which is why its odds usually run high: each precise score corresponds to a lower implied probability than a broader outcome. A high odd means a low implied probability, not an impossible score.
What is the correct score market?
The correct score market asks you to name the precise result of a match, digit by digit — 2-1, for example — rather than a broader outcome like the winner or the total goals.
Every possible score combination is a distinct selection, with its own odd.
Why are correct score odds high?
The market contains many possible outcomes, and each precise score usually corresponds to a low implied probability.
Unlike a three-way market like 1X2, or a two-way market like Over/Under, correct score spreads the entire probability across a large number of possible results. Each individual score therefore receives a smaller share of that total probability, which translates into a higher odd than on a market with few outcomes.
Number of outcomes and price structure
A market with many outcomes doesn't necessarily share the same price structure as a binary market. The level of margin built into the odds depends on several factors — liquidity, competition, how difficult the market is to assess — not just the number of outcomes on offer. The general mechanism behind the margin, valid for any market, is explained on the page dedicated to bookmaker margin: it isn't repeated here.
The misconception worth correcting
"A very high odd means the bookmaker thinks the score is impossible."
A high odd corresponds to a low implied probability, not to an impossibility. The score remains a possible result, simply judged less likely by the market than other scores.
A score like 4-3 remains an achievable result, even though its odd is markedly higher than a 1-0 or a 2-1. The odd reflects a probability estimate, not a judgment on whether the event can happen at all.
Worked example: odds on a correct score
A bookmaker quotes the following prices on the correct score market for a match, which shows concretely how probability spreads across the outcomes.
| Score | Odd | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1-0 | 7.50 | 13.3% |
| 1-1 | 6.50 | 15.4% |
| 2-0 | 8.00 | 12.5% |
| 2-1 | 9.00 | 11.1% |
| 4-3 | 67.00 | 1.5% |
On a €10 stake placed on 2-1, a final score of 2-1 returns €90.00 (€10 × 9.00), a net profit of €80.00. The same match ending 1-1 loses that €10 stake in full, even though 1-1 carried a lower odd — meaning a higher implied probability — than 2-1.
Edge cases: regulation time and abandoned matches
The correct score market generally covers regulation time only, stoppage time included; goals scored in extra time generally don't count, unless stated otherwise by the operator. A 2-1 scoreline after 90 minutes settles the market as 2-1, even if the score changes further in extra time.
If a match is abandoned or stopped before full time and isn't replayed the same day, correct score bets are generally voided and stakes refunded — the partial score at the time of the stoppage is never used for settlement, unlike a market such as an in-play 1X2, which can sometimes settle on the score already reached.
Margin and implied probability on correct score
Correct score converts to an implied probability the same way as any other market: divide 1 by the odd. An odd of 9.00 on 2-1 corresponds to an implied probability of roughly 11.1%, calculated exactly as on a 1X2 market — the detail of this conversion, with a fuller table of examples, is covered on the implied probability page. The implied probabilities of every outcome on the correct score market usually add up to more than 100%, just as on markets with few outcomes: that's the bookmaker's margin, whose general mechanism is explained on the bookmaker margin page. With dozens of possible scores on offer, that margin is spread thin across many small prices rather than concentrated on two or three, which is part of why comparing correct score odds across bookmakers is harder than comparing a 1X2 line.
OddScore and the correct score market
The correct score market isn't among the markets tracked by OddScore. This page is part of the Academy and explains a common sports betting mechanism, even when the market isn't analyzed on the platform.
See all the markets and their families →
Dig into the market
Odds movements are only part of the story. Here are the next topics to read.
Types of sports bets
Market, selection, line, odd: the main families of markets.
See the guideBTTS: do both teams score?
A two-way event market, simpler to read than correct score.
See BTTSBookmaker margin
How the margin is built into odds, market by market.
Understand the marginFrequently asked questions
What is the correct score market?
A market where you pick the precise result of the match — 2-1, for example — rather than a broader outcome like the winner or the total goals.
Why are correct score odds high?
Because this market contains many possible outcomes, and each precise score usually corresponds to a low implied probability compared to broader markets like 1X2 or Over/Under.
Does a high odd on a correct score mean that score is impossible?
No. A high odd corresponds to a low implied probability, not to an impossibility. The score remains a possible result, simply judged less likely by the market than other scores.
Does a market with many outcomes automatically carry more margin than a two-way market?
Not necessarily. A market with many outcomes doesn't automatically share the same price structure as a binary market: the level of margin depends on several factors, not just the number of outcomes.
Does OddScore track the correct score market?
No. Correct score isn't among the markets analyzed by the platform. This page explains how it works, independently of what OddScore tracks.
Sources & methodology
This page combines standard correct score market vocabulary and settlement rules published by Betfair, a licensed operator.
- Explain the link between the number of outcomes and the odd level without generalizing about the margin level, with a fully settled worked example.
- Explicitly correct the most common misconception about this market, cover edge cases (regulation time, abandoned matches) and connect the market to margin and implied probability.
- Betfair — Exchange general rulessupport.betfair.com
- Betfair — Charges and commissionbetfair.com
- UK Gambling Commission — Definitions of terms