Have you ever placed a bet on a soccer team that took a strong 2-0 lead, only to end up drawing or losing the game? Some sportsbooks now offer a special promotion called early payout, which settles your bet as a win the moment your team goes two goals ahead, no matter the final result. But can you consistently make a profit from this?

Using the right strategy can turn these offers into profitable opportunities. Even if the profit comes when your team makes a 2 goal advantage, you can use matched betting tools to minimize and even eliminate any loss in case your team doesn’t go 2UP.

How is that possible? Stay with us to find out. In this article, we’ll explain how early payout (2UP) offers work and how you can make the most out of them.

What Are Early Payout (2UP) Offers?

Early payout offers, also called 2UP promotions, are special deals from sportsbooks. If a soccer team you bet on takes a two-goal lead, your bet is instantly settled as a win, even if the team later draws or loses. For example, if you bet on Barcelona to win, and they go up 2:0, the sportsbook will pay you as if they have won, even if the game finishes 2:2 or they lose 2:3.

Similar early payout promotions are available for other sports like basketball, and tennis. Depending on the sportsbook conditions, the early payout can be at 18 or 20 points in basketball or 2 sets in tennis.

How Do Early Payout Promotions Work?

If you place a single bet on a team and they take a two-goal lead, the sportsbook settles your bet as a win immediately. For parlay bets, if one of your selected teams goes two goals ahead, that particular selection is settled as a win while the rest of your bet continues. The key takeaway is that once the two-goal lead is reached, you get paid regardless of how the rest of the match unfolds.

Another point to consider is if the market you bet on includes the early payout promotions. Sometimes sportsbooks offer boosted odds and these exclude the early payout. Make sure you check that before placing the bet.

Why 2UP Offers Are Valuable for Matched Betting?

Matched betting is a strategy where you place opposing bets to remove risk and guarantee a profit from the sportsbook’s bonus offers. With 2UP offers, you can take advantage of the early payout to create an opportunity for additional winnings. The process begins by placing a back bet at a sportsbook offering a 2UP promotion, betting on a team to win. At the same time, you place another back bet on a betting exchange, like ProphetX, on the opposite outcome. If your team goes 2-0 up, the sportsbook pays your back bet as a win immediately. If that team later fails to win the match (e.g., draws or loses), your opposing bet also wins, meaning you get a profit on both sides. This method allows you to secure guaranteed earnings with the right calculations and strategy.

Step-by-Step Guide to Profiting from Early Payouts

To profit from early payout offers, the first step is to find a sportsbook that offers the 2UP promotion, such as bet365 in the US. Once you have identified a suitable sportsbook, choose a match featuring a strong attacking team that has a high chance of taking a two-goal lead. 

Then, place a back bet on that team to win while simultaneously placing another back bet on the opposing outcome using the market Double Chance. If your team plays at Home, the correct opposing bet is X2. It stands for Away team to Win OR Draw.

For example, you place a $100 bet on Barcelona to win their next home game at the odds of +100. The odds for the opposing outcome are -102. Using the Calculator you see that with the second sportsbook you have to place $101 on the Away team to Win OR Draw. 

If Barcelona doesn’t go two goals up in the game, you will have a minor loss. In our example that is $1.

If Barcelona goes two goals up, your back bet has won. You already have $200 in your bet365 account. Now you have two options for the second bet:

1. To cash it out. If you can earn between 10 and 30% of your initial bet, then you should strongly consider that option.
2. Wait for the opposing team to score a goal or equalize. If you wait until the end and the other team makes a draw or wins, you win on both sides, ending up with a balance of around $400.

Best Strategies to Maximize Profit from 2UP Offers

• Pick High-Scoring Teams – Teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Napoli, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich often go 2-0 up.
• Look for Close Odds – The closer odds, the better. This way you minimize any loss if your team doesn’t go 2 goals up.
• Use a Betting Calculator – Tools like the Dutcher help you easily find the best games and do the necessary calculations.
• Be Patient – Some bets won’t trigger early payouts, but over time, the strategy pays off.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Early Payouts

• Not Checking Terms & Conditions – Some bets may not qualify for the promotion. Make sure you place your bet on the market that is marked as Early payout.
• Picking the Wrong Matches – Avoid betting on teams unlikely to take a two-goal lead.
• Poor Money Management – Don’t stake more than you can afford to cover on exchanges.
• Panic Selling on the Exchange – If your team goes 2-0 up, don’t rush to cash out too early.
• The Draw Doesn’t Have an Early Payout – It might be obvious, but only Home Team Win (1) and Away Team Win (2) are part of the Early payout promo.

Sportsbooks Offering 2UP Promotions in the US

One of the US sportsbooks that has a 2UP offer is bet365. The offer is available not just for soccer but also for:

• Basketball where the early payout is at 20 points for the NBA
• Ice hockey at 3 goals advantage
• Baseball at 5 runs advantage
• Tennis at 2 sets advantage

Another sportsbook that has a 2UP offer is BetMGM. Their promotion is generally available only for the English Premier League and during major soccer tournaments like the World Cup, Euro etc.

FAQs About Early Payout Offers

Do early payout offers apply to all soccer matches or just specific leagues?

Most sportsbooks limit early payout promotions to major leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga. If a match is eligible for an early payout, just open the game on the sportsbook website and look for the Early payout information. If you are uncertain but want to place a bet on that game, ask the support team of the sportsbook.

Are early payout offers available for both pre-match and in-play bets?

In most cases, early payout promotions apply only to pre-match bets. Some sportsbooks may allow in-play bets to qualify, but this is rare. 

What happens if my team doesn’t go two goals up?

In that case you are left with the profit or loss from the qualifying bet. To minimize risk, it’s recommended that you do this strategy only for the games that have little to no loss for the qualifying bet.

Does the early payout promotion apply to parlay bets?

Yes, if one of the teams in your parlay bet goes two goals up, that selection will be settled as a win. However, the rest of your parlay will continue as normal.

What happens if I bet on a draw or other markets, do early payouts apply?

No, early payout promotions typically only apply to bets placed on a team to win. Other markets, such as draws, over/under or both teams to score, do not qualify.

How can I find out if my sportsbook has an early payout promotion?

The best way is to check the promotions section on your sportsbook’s website. You can also contact customer support or look at betting forums where users track which sportsbooks are currently offering 2UP promotions.

Is the early payout strategy and matched betting the same thing?

Not exactly. In this article, we’ve discussed how early payout promotions can be used within a matched betting strategy, but they are just one of many opportunities available. Matched betting typically focuses on bookmaker welcome and recurring offers, where profits are guaranteed with the right approach. Early payout offers add an extra dimension, they don’t always result in a win, but they provide another way to gain an edge. With our tools and tutorials, you can take advantage of both risk-free promotions and strategies like 2UP to maximize your earnings.

To give you an idea, here you can find out more about the expected profits from the welcome and recurrent offers we have available.

Conclusion

Early payout (2UP) offers are a fantastic way to enhance your matched betting strategy. While they don’t provide the same guaranteed returns as standard welcome offers, consistently finding good qualifying bets with little to no loss can make a big difference over time. With the right approach, you can turn these promotions into a reliable source of profit.

In February 2025, for example, we saw a great performance by Barcelona and Atletico Madrid during their Spanish Cup semi-final. Atleti went ahead at 0:2 early in the first half. Then, Barcelona scored 4 goals in a row for 4:2. And then Atletico came back to equalize 4:4. In that game all bets placed on Atletico to win and Barcelona to win, had an early payout. Everyone who used that strategy made a great profit, right?

To make the process easier and more efficient, our odds matching and calculation tools can do the hard work for you, helping you find the best bets quickly and ensuring accurate calculations. Want to see how it works? Join us for FREE and start earning through matched betting today!