Both teams to score (BTTS, also GG/NG) is a bet on whether each team scores at least one goal in the match. "Yes" wins with a score such as 1-1 or 2-1; "No" wins if at least one team fails to score. The winner and the total number of goals do not matter.
The BTTS bet looks simple, but it is often misjudged: people look at how many goals a match should produce and at the last few results. Below is what each outcome means, how the market differs from totals and how to estimate the probability yourself.
BTTS meaning: what "Yes" and "No" stand for
The market has two outcomes:
- Yes (BTTS Yes, GG) — both teams scored: 1-1, 2-1, 3-2;
- No (BTTS No, NG) — at least one team failed to score: 0-0, 1-0, 0-2, 3-0.
Labels depend on the bookmaker: "BTTS", "both to score", "GG" (goal/goal) and "NG" (no goal) all name the same market.
A common mistake is to read "both teams not to score" as a goalless draw. It is not: a 4-0 win and a 0-0 draw are both "No" for this market. BTTS No covers any score where at least one side fails to score, including a comfortable clean-sheet win for the favourite.
Which rules to check
The bookmaker sets the exact terms, but they usually look like this:
- regular time plus stoppage time counts; extra time and penalty shoot-outs do not;
- a penalty scored during regular time is an ordinary goal;
- an own goal counts for the opponent of the player who scored it;
- for a cancelled or abandoned match, settlement depends on the rules of the specific bookmaker.
How BTTS differs from totals
A total counts the goals in the match, while BTTS looks at how they are split between the teams. That is why the two markets diverge:
| Score | BTTS | Over 2.5 goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Yes | No |
| 2-1 | Yes | Yes |
| 3-0 | No | Yes |
| 1-0 | No | No |
A high total alone does not mean "Yes". A game with a clear favourite can produce plenty of goals, all of them scored by one side.
How to predict both teams to score
Predicting BTTS comes down to two questions: how likely are the hosts to score, and how likely are the visitors? The Poisson distribution gives a simple approximation. If a team is expected to score λ goals, its chance of scoring at least once is 1 − e^(−λ). The probability of "Yes" is the product of those values for the two teams.
Compare two hypothetical matches. The numbers are examples for the calculation, not statistics:
| Expected goals | Goal sum | Hosts score | Visitors score | Probability of "Yes" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 and 1.1 | 2.6 | 77.7% | 66.7% | 51.8% |
| 2.5 and 0.6 | 3.1 | 91.8% | 45.1% | 41.4% |
The second match should have more goals, yet a lower chance of "Yes": the weaker attack decides. So the first thing to judge is whether the underdog can score, not how good the favourite is.
Expected goals can come from the teams' home and away xG, adjusted for the opponent's defence, and the Poisson calculator does the arithmetic. It is an approximation: the formula treats the teams' goals as independent, although the game changes after the first goal. Treat the result as a guide, not an exact figure.
Comparing your estimate with the odds
Odds of 1.80 on "Yes" imply a probability of roughly 1 / 1.80 ≈ 55.6%. That number includes the bookmaker's margin, so the "Yes" and "No" probabilities add up to more than 100%. With odds of 1.80 and 2.00 the sum is 55.6% + 50% = 105.6%. Dividing each figure by that sum gives the market's margin-free view: 52.6% and 47.4%.
Two different numbers matter here. The margin-free probability shows what the market thinks, while the break-even point comes from the odds themselves: for a price of 1.80 to pay off over the long run, the true probability has to be above 55.6%. The 51.8% estimate from the first example is below both, so at that price there is no edge.
What data to check
- Home scoring and away conceding. Full-season averages smooth out the picture: a team can score in almost every home match and rarely score away.
- The league's BTTS rate. Leagues differ noticeably, so it helps to compare a team with its competition. The share of matches where both teams scored is shown in the season profile of each competition page; find them in the competitions catalogue.
- Chance quality, not just goals. A side that creates plenty of chances but has not converted them tends to score more in the coming matches. Conversely, a run of "both scored" games caused by goalkeeping errors is not necessarily sustainable.
- Head-to-head record. Useful when squads and playing style have not changed much; with a new coach or system, old meetings are a weak argument.
- Absences and line-ups. Without the main striker the chance of scoring drops; without the first-choice goalkeeper or a centre-back the chance of conceding rises. What matters is which of the two factors changes.
- Motivation and style. Teams that must win play openly; with evenly matched, cautious sides "No" becomes likelier, especially in decisive knockout games.
Result and BTTS, BTTS and over 2.5: combined bets
Bookmakers often combine this market with another outcome. Such a bet wins only if both parts land:
| Market | Example of a winning score | Example of a losing score |
|---|---|---|
| Home win and BTTS | 2-1, 3-2 | 1-0 (away side did not score), 1-1 (draw) |
| Draw and BTTS | 1-1, 2-2 | 0-0 |
| Double chance 1X and BTTS | 1-1, 2-1 | 1-2 (away win), 1-0 (away side did not score) |
| BTTS and over 2.5 goals | 2-1, 2-2 | 1-1 (only two goals) |
| BTTS No and home win | 1-0, 3-0 | 2-1 (away side scored), 0-0 (draw) |
| BTTS in the first half | 1-1 at half-time | 1-0 at half-time, even if it ends 2-2 |
The odds on a combination are higher than on each part, but the probability is lower, and the parts are rarely independent. If both teams score, two goals are already there and over 2.5 needs only one more, so this pair cannot be priced by simply multiplying the two probabilities.
Common mistakes
- Backing "Yes" just because both teams scored in the last three games: the sample is too small.
- Inferring "Yes" from a high total without checking whether the weaker team can score.
- Confusing "No" with a goalless draw.
- Ignoring the line-up: a single missing goalkeeper or centre-back can change the picture.
- Not comparing your probability with the price: even a frequent event can be poor value.
Is there a BTTS strategy
There is no guaranteed strategy: any run of good results may be chance, and the outcome depends on the gap between the true probability and the price. The working routine is the same every time: estimate each team's chance of scoring, multiply, check the line-ups and compare the result with the break-even point. If your estimate is not above it, skip the match.
How this works on xG.Football
The BTTS market appears in the odds block of the match page, next to 1X2 and totals. The model's both teams to score probability for every match of the day comes from the expected goals of the hosts and the visitors, and it is collected on the BTTS predictions today page. It is an estimate of the chances, not a selected pick: selecting matches by team form and head-to-head records did not beat the bookmaker's line on played games, so there is no separate prediction for this market at the moment. How the model works overall is explained in how the prediction model works, and past results are open on the prediction statistics page.
See data on today's matches on the football predictions page. If a term is unclear, check the football betting glossary.
Quick recap
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What does BTTS mean in betting | "Both teams to score": the bet wins if each side scores at least once, whatever the result |
| What does both teams not to score mean, is it 0-0? | At least one team fails to score: 0-0 and 3-0 both count |
| What are GG and NG | Other names for the same market: GG is "Yes", NG is "No" |
| What does result and both teams to score mean | A combined bet: the chosen team must win and both teams must score, for example 2-1 |
| How to predict both teams to score | Multiply the hosts' and the visitors' chances of scoring, derived from expected goals |
| Is there a strategy for both teams to score | No guaranteed one. Estimate each team's chance of scoring and compare the result with the break-even point from the odds |