What are Same Game Parlays, where can you place a SGP, and are they good bets to place on sports? Here’s everything you need to know.
Parlays are the roulette wheels of sports wagering.
It’s never easy to win, but depending on the bets you make, you can score anything from an inflated payout (a two-team parlay at -110 odds pays +260) to a jackpot victory (a six-team win pays in the area of 50:1, or $5,000 on a $100 bet.)
The only drawback to traditional parlays is the need to pay attention to so many games. But along with legalized sports wagering has come the advent of a new and potentially game-changing option: the same-game parlay.
Same game parlays allows bettors the opportunity to build their own wagers from numerous options within a single contest. Now, you can focus on the game of your choice and still enjoy an opportunity at that jackpot payout!
Sportsbooks Offering Same Game Parlays
DraftKings Sports SPECIAL OFFER
FanDuel Sports SPECIAL OFFER
PointsBet SECOND CHANCE
Caesars Sports SPECIAL OFFER
How Do Same-Game Parlays Work?
Experts within the industry largely credit FanDuel as the first to offer the same-game parlay back in 2019.
Fast forward three years and these wagers are available just about everywhere. Some sportsbooks call them single-game parlays; still others opt for one-game parlays. They’re even referred to as SGPs by some. But the idea remains the same – combine a number of events to happen in the same contest for a chance at a big payout.
Same-game parlays have quickly become one of the most popular options in sports wagering. On just about any given night, you can find a sportsbook promo, bonus, or enhanced odds on a same game parlay.
So, How Do they Work?
It depends on the sport, and that’s the best news of all – these wagers are available on all NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA contests at FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, PointsBet, Caesars and other popular sportsbooks. Let’s try an example on DraftKings from a Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Major League Baseball game.
Same Game Parlay Example
After clicking on the game itself within the MLB menu, right underneath the names of the teams is a slider button for ‘same game parlay.’ Slide the button so it turns green, and a new menu will appear with the different eligible options to include in your wager.
So let’s start with a few relatively simple bets:
| WAGER | ODDS | TOTAL PARLAY ODDS |
| New York Yankees to win | -160 | |
| Over 9.5 total runs scored | +115 | +250 |
Technically, you’ve got a parlay right there, one with a nice little payout. But as we said, these are like roulette wheels with larger potential payouts. So let’s keep building…
Building Out the Perfect SGP
| WAGER | ODDS | TOTAL PARLAY ODDS |
| New York Yankees to win | -160 | |
| Over 9.5 total runs scored | +115 | +250 |
| Aaron Judge (NYY) to get a hit | -290 | +310 |
| Gerrit Cole (NYY) to throw 6 or more strikeouts | +120 | +700 |
You could stop right there and have a nice play based on the following: the Yankees to win a high-scoring game, with the star player (Judge) getting at least one hit and the starting pitcher (Cole) recording a good number of strikeouts. But let’s get a little more daring:
| WAGER | ODDS | TOTAL PARLAY ODDS |
| New York Yankees to win | -160 | |
| Over 9.5 total runs scored | +115 | +250 |
| Aaron Judge (NYY) to get a hit | -290 | +310 |
| Gerrit Cole (NYY) to throw 6 or more strikeouts | +120 | +700 |
| Anthony Rizzo (NYY) to hit a home run | +390 | +2200 |
| Rafael Devers (BOS) to record at least one run batted in (RBI) | +135 | +6500 |
Rizzo’s home runs come predominantly against righties, and Boston starting pitcher Nick Pivetta gives up his share of long balls. And unless you’re betting the Yankees to win by shutout, someone needs to drive in runs for Boston – why not their leading power hitter?
And there you have it. A simple guide to building a same game parlay that, on the surface, looks like a pretty good deal at 65:1 odds. These sportsbooks must be giving money away… right?
Are Same Game Parlays Good Bets?
Parlays are a rare breed in the world of sports wagering in that they are loved equally by bettors and sportsbooks alike.
Bettors love the excitement of watching each result come in, moving closer and closer to that bonanza of a payout (Admit it: you’d be locked into this Red Sox-Yankees game, cheering on every Rizzo at bat, every Cole strikeout, as that +6500 number looks more and more realistic).
Sportsbooks love parlays because they are by far the most profitable wagers accepted. Sports wagering at large has the smallest ‘house edge’ of any casino-based game, but parlays win at a much lower percentage (again, look at those 65:1 odds they’re offering).
Put it another way:
- Sportsbooks love parlays because of their high-percentage chance of victory.
- Bettors love parlays because of their high return on investment in exchange for a lower percentage chance of victory.
So the answer is that no, statistically speaking, SGPs aren’t good bets. No one would recommend risking half your bankroll on the parlay outlined above.
However, if you have a spare $20 or $50 in your account, or perhaps in the form of a free bet, it’s one heck of a fun way to watch a game. On an excitement level, same game parlays ARE good bets!
Sportsbooks Offering Same Game Parlays
DraftKings Sports SPECIAL OFFER
FanDuel Sports SPECIAL OFFER
BetRivers Sports SECOND CHANCE
Bet365 Sports SPECIAL OFFER
PointsBet SECOND CHANCE
