Reviewed by TipsterCheck Editorial TeamLast checked 29 October 2026MethodologyCorrections
Betting glossary · Football
What is Win to Nil?
What is Win to Nil?
How Win to Nil Works
A Win to Nil market is essentially a two-part condition rolled into a single bet. You back a named team to win the game while also keeping a clean sheet — meaning the opposition must not score at any point during the 90 minutes of normal time. Extra time and penalty shootouts are generally not included, but settlement rules vary between bookmakers, so always check the individual terms before placing.
The odds for a Win to Nil selection are always longer than a straightforward match-winner bet on the same team, because you need an additional condition to come true. For example, if a team is priced at 1.50 (1/2) to win a match outright, their Win to Nil price might be 2.10 (11/10) or higher, reflecting the extra requirement of not conceding. The exact price depends on the perceived defensive strength of the team and the attacking threat of the opponents.
Worked Example
Suppose Arsenal are playing at home against a side struggling to score. You back Arsenal Win to Nil at odds of 2.25. Arsenal win the match 2–0, keeping a clean sheet throughout the 90 minutes — your bet settles as a winner and a £10 stake returns £22.50. However, if Arsenal win 2–1, even though they won the match, the bet loses immediately because the opposition scored.
The same logic applies however early or late the opposing goal arrives. A 90th-minute consolation goal for the opposition is enough to void your Win to Nil selection, regardless of the final scoreline or margin of victory. This is the key risk attached to the market and is why even strong favourites can lose this type of bet against modest opposition.
Why It Matters When Judging a Tipster
Win to Nil tips can look attractive on a results sheet because the odds are higher than basic match-winner tips, which can inflate a tipster's yield figures over a short run. However, the bet is inherently volatile. A tipster may correctly identify the stronger team but still record a string of losses simply because their selection conceded a late or fortunate goal. Evaluating Win to Nil tips in isolation without a sufficient sample size can give a very misleading picture of a tipster's actual ability.
When reviewing a tipster who regularly advises Win to Nil bets, look at how the underlying match predictions perform versus simply backing the same teams on the match-winner market. If the results are broadly similar but with higher variance, the extra odds may not genuinely compensate for the added losing conditions. Check the sample size carefully — a run of five or six winners in this market tells you very little, and a drawdown caused by a handful of late conceded goals should not be treated as evidence of poor judgement.
Example: A £20 Win to Nil bet on Chelsea at 2.50 returns £50 if Chelsea win 3–0, but loses if Chelsea win 3–1, because the single conceded goal breaks the clean sheet condition regardless of the winning margin.
FAQs
Does a Win to Nil bet include extra time?
Settlement rules differ between bookmakers. Most settle on 90 minutes of normal time plus added time, excluding extra time and penalties. Always read the specific market rules before placing, as a goal scored in extra time may or may not affect the outcome depending on the operator.
What happens if the match ends 0–0?
A 0–0 draw means neither team wins, so any Win to Nil bet on either side loses. The clean sheet condition is irrelevant if the win condition is not met. The bet requires both a win and a clean sheet; a draw satisfies neither requirement.
Is Win to Nil the same as Clean Sheet?
Not quite. A Clean Sheet bet requires only that your selected team does not concede, regardless of the result. Win to Nil requires your team both to win and not to concede. Clean Sheet can be won even in a 0–0 draw; Win to Nil cannot.
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