How Goliath Bets Work in Sports Betting

How Goliath Betting Works

When placing a Goliath bet with your chosen bookmaker, your stake is spread equally across each possible combination.

So, with 247 combi bets, a £0.10 Goliath equates to a total stake of £24.70. If you want to stake more/less per bet, your total stake will be altered accordingly. 

As for your returns, these are based on how many of your selections win. If you’re betting each way, then place finishers are also included – remember, if you strike an each way Goliath, your stake will be doubled.

(Credit: Paddy Power Sportsbook – Screenshot captured by Richard Trenchard on 20 May 2026 – 07:45)

Here are a few examples. Let’s imagine from my screenshot above that the first six of the eight horses from my bet win at the odds taken:

• £24.70 stake -> Total Return of £3,134.14
  Now what if only the first four of my selections win?
• £24.70 stake -> Total Return of £126.60
  What if only my first two selections win?
• £24.70 stake -> Total Return of £2.50
  As you can see, the payout pathway is structured as such that you need multiple winners to really make a Goliath bet count. But if you can find winning picks, your potential prize can snowball in size.

Best Sports for Goliath Betting

One of the other things that must be stressed about Goliath betting is that for the numbers to work, you need to be betting at odds that have a meaningful accumulative effect.

If you were to bet on eight selections at odds-on prices, you would need at least six of them to win to make any kind of profit. 

That’s why sports like horse racing, where longer odds are available, are better for Goliath than the standard set of Premier League football fixtures.

Drivers of Value in Goliath Bets

A Goliath is a low probability bet; that is the reality.

So exposure should be managed accordingly. Those huge potential payouts are alluring, but your likelihood of landing eight winning selections is minuscule – albeit not impossible.
To increase your value, be sure to back independent selections that have no impact on one another, i.e. same game bet builder. 

Remember that odds ranges matter – you need a minimum of 2/1 per pick to make a Goliath work, but the higher the odds of the individual selection, the lower its implied probability. 

Risk & Bankroll Management

If your regular bet size is £5, remember that a Goliath bet would cost you £1,235 (£5 x 247 bets). 
Clearly, this isn’t viable. But a £0.02 Goliath works out at a stake of £4.94, so you can still partake in this bet type without disrupting your normal staking structure.  

Break your overall bankroll into units to maximise longevity. If you have a £100 budget, that £4.94 outlay equates to 20 Goliath bets in total – that could sustain you for weeks or even months of betting.

When Goliath Betting Works

Goliath betting is a viable option when:

• You back independent, non-correlating selections
• You back selections in the mid-range, e.g. 2/1 to 5/1
• You are disciplined in your staking
• You understand the low probability nature of the bet

When to Avoid Goliath Betting/Common Mistakes

You should steer clear of these common errors:

• Chasing huge wins (unless staking the minimum amount)
• Adding weak selections just to bump up your odds
• Betting on correlated outcomes
• Staking more than 5% of your bankroll on a single bet

Never underestimate the cost of exposure in a Goliath, and remember that you’ll need a certain number of winners just to break even.
And remember, no matter what you bet on, there’s no such thing as a ‘safe’ favourite! 

Goliath Betting Checklist

So, before you place your first Goliath, ask yourself:

1. Is my stake size appropriate to my bankroll?
2. Are the selections independent of one another?
3. Are the odds taken appropriate and realistic?