In traditional sports betting, you cannot place a bet on both teams to win in the same game within a single standard bet, as this would essentially guarantee a win, which is not how sportsbooks operate. Bookmakers set odds to make a profit, and allowing such a bet would be a losing proposition for them.
However, there are some variations of bets that might give the appearance of betting on both teams:
1. **Parlay Betting**: In a parlay, you can combine multiple bets into one. But you cannot parlay two outcomes from the same game that are mutually exclusive (like Team A winning and Team B winning). If one of the legs of the parlay is a push (a tie or a no-action result), the parlay might still pay out on the remaining legs depending on the sportsbook’s rules.
2. **Teaser Betting**: Similar to parlays, teasers allow you to adjust the point spread in your favor for multiple games. But again, you cannot include both teams to win in the same game.
3. **If Bets**: An if bet involves two or more straight bets that are linked together, but the second bet only comes into play if the first bet wins or pushes. You cannot use an if bet to bet on both teams in the same game.
4. **Reverse Bets**: This is a variation of the if bet where if the first bet loses, the second bet is automatically bet. But this also does not allow betting on both teams to win in the same game.
5. **Prop Bets**: Some sportsbooks offer proposition bets (props) that can be on individual player performances or specific game events. While you might find props that seem to indirectly bet on both teams winning in some form, you won’t find a straightforward prop that allows you to bet on both teams to win the game.
6. **Live Betting**: In live betting, you can bet on the outcome of a game while it’s in progress. However, you still cannot bet on both teams to win.
7. **Insurance Bets**: Some sportsbooks might offer insurance on certain bets, like giving you a refund if a team loses after leading at halftime. This is not the same as betting on both teams to win, but it can mitigate some of the risk.
Ultimately, if you want to bet on both teams to win in the same game, you would need to do so through two separate bets, each with its own stake. However, this is not typically advisable because it negates the whole purpose of betting, which is to select the winner of an event. If you bet on both teams, you’re essentially guaranteeing a profit that is less than your total investment, which is not profitable in the long run.