Parlay
You stack two or more bets into one ticket; the odds multiply, so the payout jumps, but every single leg has to win.
A parlay (pari combiné) puts several picks on one ticket. Every leg has to hit. If one misses, the whole thing is gone. Before August 2021, combos were the only legal way to bet sports through the province, so if you grew up filling Mise-o-jeu slips at the dep, you already know the drill. Now singles are allowed too.
Example: two-leg combo
- Canadiens to win at +120 (2.20 in decimal)
- Over 5.5 goals in Ottawa's game at -110 (about 1.91)
Multiply the decimal odds: 2.20 × 1.909 = 4.20. A $10 ticket pays $42 back, $32 profit, if both hit.
Add a third leg at 1.80 and it becomes 7.56, so $10 pays $75.60. Tempting, right?
The catch
The book takes its cut on every leg, and those cuts multiply. If each leg gives back about 95% of a fair price, two legs give back 90.25% and three give back about 85.7%. That's why sportsbooks push parlays so hard.
Before you build one
- A pushed or voided leg usually drops out and the rest still counts (see void bet).
- Legs from the same game are a different product: that's a same-game parlay.
- Set a budget. Long combos are fun, but they lose most of the time.