{"id":9331,"date":"2025-10-31T17:38:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/?p=9331"},"modified":"2025-10-31T19:09:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T19:09:33","slug":"what-is-a-forecast-bet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/matched-betting\/what-is-a-forecast-bet\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is A Forecast Bet?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A forecast bet is another form of multiple that requires the bettor to predict the top two finishes in the race, and it is known to be one of the most popular bets within the horse racing industry. Similar to a tricast, this bet can be quite hard to predict, making it popular due to the higher odds and potential returns associated with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here, you will learn all you need to know about forecast betting, how it works, the variations and how to calculate the potential returns.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Does A Forecast Bet Work?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similar to what we have discussed in our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/matched-betting\/each-way-betting-work\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">each-way betting guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, bettors are effectively placing two bets rolled into one. In a straight forecast, you can bet on which horse will finish first and which one will finish second. These types of bets can only be placed on a single race and cannot be spread across multiple races.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the same fashion as tricast bets, you only pay the total stake that you put on a straight forecast bet. The stake does not multiply as it would in a trixie bet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is only possible to place forecast bets on races with a minimum of three runners. If there are fewer than three competitors in the race, the bet will be voided.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Types of Forecast Bets<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Throughout sports betting, three main types of forecast bets are frequently used: straight forecasts, reverse forecasts, and combination forecasts. However, there are a handful of lesser-known forecast bets that we will go through in this piece.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lesser-known variations are more suited to experienced bettors, so we recommend novice bettors stick to the basic ones until they are confident with how they work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Straight Forecast:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The straight forecast bet is the simplest version, and it allows you to predict the two horses that finish the race first. Bettors must place the two horses in the correct order for the bet to be successful.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reverse Forecast:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Very similar to the straight forecast bet, you must also predict the two horses that finish in the top two; however, the order does not matter, and the stake is therefore doubled.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combination Forecast:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this bet, you need to select a minimum of three competitors, and you need two of your choices to finish in the top two. The stake will increase even more in this bet as you are placing a minimum of three straight forecast bets into one bet.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exacta Forecast:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exacta forecast is the exact same as the straight forecast, with the only difference being that the prize is funded by Tote. This means that the total prize fund is driven by the stakes placed on the Exacta market.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Straight Forecast Double:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here, you are essentially placing two straight forecast bets within one bet. So, you will be betting on horse A to finish first and horse B to finish second in one race, and the same to happen in a different race.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Straight Forecast Treble:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Very similar to the Straight Forecast Double bet, this one features three races this time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reverse Forecast Double:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This bet is made up of four doubles, and it consists of a combination of the reverse forecast and the straight forecast double. With your initial stake being quadrupled, here is an example of how the bets are made up:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 = 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B \/ Race 2 &#8211; 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 = 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B \/ Race 2 &#8211; 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 = 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A \/ Race 2 &#8211; 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 = 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A \/ Race 2 &#8211; 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reverse Forecast Treble:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same as the Reverse Forecast Double, but this time the total stake is multiplied by eight, and there are eight different outcomes:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 \u2013 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B; Race 2 \u2013 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D; Race 3 \u2013 Horse E, 2nd Horse F<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 \u2013 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B; Race 2 \u2013 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C; Race 3 \u2013 1st Horse E, 2nd Horse F<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 \u2013 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 \u2013 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D; Race 3 \u2013 1st Horse F, 2nd Horse E<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 \u2013 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B; Race 2 \u2013 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C; Race 3 \u2013 1st Horse F, 2nd Horse E<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 \u2013 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 \u2013 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D; Race 3 \u2013 1st Horse E, 2nd Horse F<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 \u2013 1st Horse B 2nd Horse A; Race 2 \u2013 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C; Race 3 \u2013 1st Horse E, 2nd Horse F<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 \u2013 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 \u2013 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D; Race 3 \u2013 1st Horse F, 2nd Horse E<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Race 1 \u2013 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 \u2013 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C; Race 3 \u2013 1st Horse F, 2nd Horse E<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Place a Forecast Bet<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similar to creating <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/what-is-matched-betting\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">matched betting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> scenarios, there are different ways to place forecast bets, and this is due to the variety of bets available throughout the market. To place a straight forecast bet, let\u2019s look at an example from Bet365.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9335\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image3-5-1024x521.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image3-5-1024x521.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image3-5-300x153.png 300w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image3-5-768x391.png 768w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image3-5.png 1151w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using an example from 4.10 at Newmarket, we can see that the forecast section is available at Bet365, located in the \u2018More Markets\u2019 section. To place the forecast, simply press on the labelled tick symbols for which horse you want to finish first and second, and then add this to your bet slip.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once this has been added to your bet slip, the odds will be shown for your selection, and you can choose your stake here and place the bet. If you are someone who enjoys <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/value-betting\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">value betting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, then you can use these odds to work out where you think they represent how likely the selection is or not.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9336\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image4-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"440\" height=\"206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image4-3.png 440w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image4-3-300x140.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 440px) 100vw, 440px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As this is only an example from Bet365, some other bookmakers may have a different layout on their site, but the forecast option will be available with most reputable bookmakers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to placing a reverse forecast bet, you can do this in the same section; however, you will be using the \u2018Any\u2019 column. Just like straight forecasts, you can simply add this to your bet slip once you have chosen two options.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9334\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image2-7-1024x524.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image2-7-1024x524.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image2-7-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image2-7-768x393.png 768w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image2-7.png 1158w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, by placing the reverse bet, your stake will be doubled, and you will have to click on \u2018show odds\u2019 to display the odds that are used.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, for a combination forecast, you need to repeat the same process with the reverse forecast, but this time you can choose three horses. The stake needs to be multiplied by six due to the combination of bets which are covered in this market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image1-8-1024x534.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image1-8-1024x534.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image1-8-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image1-8-768x401.png 768w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image1-8.png 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How To Calculate A Forecast Bet?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When calculating forecast bets, it is not as straightforward as you think, and many use the Starting Price, meaning the dividends aren\u2019t declared until after the race finishes. Therefore, bettors do not know what returns they might expect if they are successful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Straight Forecast<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = Stake x Forecast Odds = Return<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Reverse Forecast<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = Stake x Forecast Odds (for one of the combinations) = Returns &#8211; Original Stake = Profit<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Combination Forecast<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = Stake x Forecast Odds (for one of the combinations) = Returns &#8211; Original Stake = Profit<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For combination forecasts, there can be 5 other combinations that will return a potential profit<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Sports Can You Use A Forecast Bet On?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whilst we have only been speaking about horse racing, there are plenty of other sports for which the forecast betting selection can be used. Other sports tend to offer fixed odds for Forecast and Tricast bets, and here are some sports that you can place Forecast bets on:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Golf &#8211; With straight and reverse forecasts in most tournaments, they are definitely available in the 4 major events, like the Masters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Football &#8211;\u00a0 Straight and reverse forecast bets are available in popular tournaments such as the Premier League and FA Cup.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Formula 1\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tennis<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rugby<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are interested in any of these sports, we have specific guides available for each one, including our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/sports-betting-guides\/golf-betting-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">golf betting guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/sports-betting-guides\/football-betting-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">football betting guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advantages &amp; Disadvantages of Forecast Bets\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advantages \u2705<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705Large Odds &#8211; Due to the difficulty of the bet, the odds can be higher than standard selections, as predicting the top two horses can be very rare.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705Requires Skill &#8211; Whilst all bets require luck, and there is the chance that a horse racing novice could successfully predict the two horses, this type of bet requires research. With research being needed, this can reward knowledgeable horse racing fans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705BOG &#8211; Most bookmakers these days offer the Best Odds Guaranteed, and these are also seen in Forecast bets too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disadvantages \u274c<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u274cDifficulty &#8211; Whilst the potential rewards can be great, it is incredibly hard to predict the correct outcome of a forecast bet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u274cCost &#8211; Depending on the type of forecast bets, the stake can increase as some bets, such as combination bets, need six times the stake to be placed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u274cProbability &#8211; Users can spend hours studying horse races, and the horse you are sure on could trip at the first jump. As this betting method involves sports, nothing is ever certain, and a degree of luck is required.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forecast Betting In Sports\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To stand any chance of success with forecast betting, you need to know your research and understand the market very well. Not recommended for novice bettors, but they can offer great odds!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are looking to learn more about horse racing, check out our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/sports-betting-guides\/horse-racing-betting-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">horse racing guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or you can look through our many guides in our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">matched betting blog<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A forecast bet is another form of multiple that requires the bettor to predict the top two finishes in the race, and it is known to be one of the most popular bets within the horse racing industry. Similar to a tricast, this bet can be quite hard to predict, making it popular due to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9331"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9331"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9338,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9331\/revisions\/9338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9331"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=9331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}