Features
1UP Explained: How BetKing’s Exciting New Sportsbook Feature Can Help You Cash Out In 2026
by Chike Nwoye
30 Jan 2026
They say football is a game of 90 minutes. But what if you only needed one moment?
That’s exactly what BetKing’s 1UP feature delivers to our online betting community.
In a sport where late equalizers, red cards, and last-minute heartbreaks are part of the script, 1UP gives you a way to win before the drama even begins. Pick your team, and the moment they go just one goal up at any point in the match, your bet gets settled as a winner. Instantly. Final scores are irrelevant here. UCL games or EPL games, you're good to go.
But first, let’s break it down.
What is 1UP?
To further cement our position as the best betting site in Nigeria, BetKing introduced 1UP, an early payout market designed to reward bold picks with instant wins. With 1UP, your selected team doesn’t need to win the match. They don’t even need to hold on to the lead. They just need to go one goal ahead at any point. Of course, we offer the best odds you can imagine with this market.
Now, once that happens, your bet is settled as a win. Whether the match ends in a draw, your team collapses later, or the village people show up in the final 10 minutes (yes, I’m looking at you, Manchester United), with 1UP, you get paid for leads.
That’s it. No stress.
“Abeg, no be normal ‘Over 0.5 Goals’ be this?”
Nope. They’re very different things.
With the ‘Over 0.5 Goals’ market, you’re simply betting on a team to score a goal. The ‘Over 0.5 Goals’ market is used against teams that have leaky defenses and can’t keep clean sheets. So, if you’re betting against a team like Wolves, West Ham, Fiorentina, Girona, you can go for that because they’re likely going to give up goals.
With 1UP, you’re betting that a team takes a one-goal lead… from 0-0 to 1-0, or 1-1 to 2-1… you’re done and dusted. Betting stake multiplied. Winnings secured.
How to Strategically Use 1UP
Knowing the feature is one thing, using it smartly is where the money is. With the 2025 AFCON around the corner and other league fixtures coming thick and fast, here are some practical ways the online sports betting world can take advantage of the 1UP feature.
Back Big Teams That Score First (But Don’t Always Finish Strong)
Some teams love to start fast, but have a habit of switching off later.
Think high-pressing sides that dominate the early stages, score first, then manage the game poorly. Liverpool have been guilty of this which has led to their poor title defense. With 1UP, that weakness doesn’t concern you. Once they score first, you’re paid. Whatever happens after that, na dem sabi.
On Monday, 15th December, 2025, Manchester United and Bournemouth played out a thrilling 4-4 draw at Old Trafford. If you had bet on Man Utd using the 1UP, your bet would have won because, while Amorim’s boys blew two leads, they took a 1-goal lead in the 13th minute and that would have been enough for your bet to enter.
1UP is especially useful when backing teams that:
- Score early at home
- Control possession
- Create lots of chances in the opening 30 minutes
Even if they concede late or draw the game, your bet is already settled.
Use 1UP on Heavy Favourites in Tricky Away Games
Away games are unpredictable. The pitch is smaller, the crowd is hostile, and anything can happen late in the game. Instead of sweating a full 90-minute win, 1UP lets you cash in the moment your favourite goes ahead. One moment of quality is all you need. So when a big team travels to a difficult ground, 1UP gives you protection against:
- Late equalizers
- Defensive mistakes
- Last-minute chaos
Score once. Get paid. Simple.
Earlier this season, I used this strategy, and it worked. In October, Man City traveled to Monaco for what I figured would be a difficult Champions League fixture for Pep Guardiola. I thought hard about going with a straight win for Man City, but I just couldn't go ahead with it. Last season, Monaco beat Barcelona, Aston Villa, Marseille and Lyon at home.
So, I had doubts of a Man City win. In the end, I settled for a 1UP because Erling Haaland, one of the UCL top scorers, was banging in goals for fun (as always) and I figured he’d get on the scoresheet early.
Sure enough, after just 15 minutes, Man City went 1-0 up through the Norwegian and my money entered. Cha-Ching! Man City would draw the game 2-2 after giving up a heart-breaking 90th minute penalty.
I found out about the penalty and the full-time score the next day because, after that 15th minute goal, I had no business with the game. Turns out my instincts were right.
Target Fast Starters and Early Scorers
Teams that consistently score in the first half are gold for 1UP. Look at:
- High-tempo teams
- Sides with aggressive wingers
- Clubs that press from kickoff
The earlier the goal, the quicker your payout. No need to wait for VAR drama, late penalties, or added-time madness.
Lean on Teams With High xG
I’ve saved one of my best betting tips for last. My go-to move with the 1UP feature is to use it on teams that have generated high xG so far this season. For those who don’t know, xG (expected goals) is a stat that measures how likely a shot is to result in a goal based on factors like distance, angle, and type of chance.
It helps show how many goals a team or player should have scored, not just what they actually scored. Teams leading the xG chart create the most chances and, more often than not, score the most goals. So, it makes sense that those teams are the likeliest to take leads in a game.
With a third of the season already gone, I think we have a large enough sample size to make some informed decisions with xG. Let’s look at the English Premier League here. So far this season, the five teams leading the xG chart per game are Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea.
Let’s stick with Man Utd there. We all know how inconsistent they’ve been this season. So, no need to talk about that. However, in front of goal, they’ve been good. Actually, they’ve been better than good. They’ve been incredible.
The Red Devils lead the league in xG and only Man City has scored more league goals than them in the league. After 16 league games played, they have just 7 wins. However, they have held leads in 12 games. That means in 75% of their games, the 1UP market has hit. For Man City, they’ve held leads in 13 games (81.3%). This is proof that whether a team is actually good (like Man City) or inconsistent (like Man Utd), the xG is a good indicator for teams you’d want to use the 1UP market for.
How to Use 1UP on BetKing
Using the 1UP feature is straightforward:
- Log in to your BetKing account via Mobile or Web.
- Select an eligible football match
- Click on the Popular tab
- In the options marked “1X2 1UP”, select the team you believe will take a lead.
- Add it to your bet slip (single or Acca) and place your bet
Once your team goes one goal up, the bet is settled immediately.
Final Thoughts
Football will always be unpredictable. Late goals will happen. Shock comebacks will ruin tickets. Making full-time predictions can be very tough, but with 1UP, you don’t have to sit through all that stress.
So next time you’re backing a team to win and want extra insurance, go with 1UP because in this market, a one-goal lead is all it takes
They say football is a game of 90 minutes. But what if you only needed one moment?
That’s exactly what BetKing’s 1UP feature delivers to our online betting community.
In a sport where late equalizers, red cards, and last-minute heartbreaks are part of the script, 1UP gives you a way to win before the drama even begins. Pick your team, and the moment they go just one goal up at any point in the match, your bet gets settled as a winner. Instantly. Final scores are irrelevant here. UCL games or EPL games, you're good to go.
But first, let’s break it down.
What is 1UP?
To further cement our position as the best betting site in Nigeria, BetKing introduced 1UP, an early payout market designed to reward bold picks with instant wins. With 1UP, your selected team doesn’t need to win the match. They don’t even need to hold on to the lead. They just need to go one goal ahead at any point. Of course, we offer the best odds you can imagine with this market.
Now, once that happens, your bet is settled as a win. Whether the match ends in a draw, your team collapses later, or the village people show up in the final 10 minutes (yes, I’m looking at you, Manchester United), with 1UP, you get paid for leads.
That’s it. No stress.
“Abeg, no be normal ‘Over 0.5 Goals’ be this?”
Nope. They’re very different things.
With the ‘Over 0.5 Goals’ market, you’re simply betting on a team to score a goal. The ‘Over 0.5 Goals’ market is used against teams that have leaky defenses and can’t keep clean sheets. So, if you’re betting against a team like Wolves, West Ham, Fiorentina, Girona, you can go for that because they’re likely going to give up goals.
With 1UP, you’re betting that a team takes a one-goal lead… from 0-0 to 1-0, or 1-1 to 2-1… you’re done and dusted. Betting stake multiplied. Winnings secured.
How to Strategically Use 1UP
Knowing the feature is one thing, using it smartly is where the money is. With the 2025 AFCON around the corner and other league fixtures coming thick and fast, here are some practical ways the online sports betting world can take advantage of the 1UP feature.
Back Big Teams That Score First (But Don’t Always Finish Strong)
Some teams love to start fast, but have a habit of switching off later.
Think high-pressing sides that dominate the early stages, score first, then manage the game poorly. Liverpool have been guilty of this which has led to their poor title defense. With 1UP, that weakness doesn’t concern you. Once they score first, you’re paid. Whatever happens after that, na dem sabi.
On Monday, 15th December, 2025, Manchester United and Bournemouth played out a thrilling 4-4 draw at Old Trafford. If you had bet on Man Utd using the 1UP, your bet would have won because, while Amorim’s boys blew two leads, they took a 1-goal lead in the 13th minute and that would have been enough for your bet to enter.
1UP is especially useful when backing teams that:
- Score early at home
- Control possession
- Create lots of chances in the opening 30 minutes
Even if they concede late or draw the game, your bet is already settled.
Use 1UP on Heavy Favourites in Tricky Away Games
Away games are unpredictable. The pitch is smaller, the crowd is hostile, and anything can happen late in the game. Instead of sweating a full 90-minute win, 1UP lets you cash in the moment your favourite goes ahead. One moment of quality is all you need. So when a big team travels to a difficult ground, 1UP gives you protection against:
- Late equalizers
- Defensive mistakes
- Last-minute chaos
Score once. Get paid. Simple.
Earlier this season, I used this strategy, and it worked. In October, Man City traveled to Monaco for what I figured would be a difficult Champions League fixture for Pep Guardiola. I thought hard about going with a straight win for Man City, but I just couldn't go ahead with it. Last season, Monaco beat Barcelona, Aston Villa, Marseille and Lyon at home.
So, I had doubts of a Man City win. In the end, I settled for a 1UP because Erling Haaland, one of the UCL top scorers, was banging in goals for fun (as always) and I figured he’d get on the scoresheet early.
Sure enough, after just 15 minutes, Man City went 1-0 up through the Norwegian and my money entered. Cha-Ching! Man City would draw the game 2-2 after giving up a heart-breaking 90th minute penalty.
I found out about the penalty and the full-time score the next day because, after that 15th minute goal, I had no business with the game. Turns out my instincts were right.
Target Fast Starters and Early Scorers
Teams that consistently score in the first half are gold for 1UP. Look at:
- High-tempo teams
- Sides with aggressive wingers
- Clubs that press from kickoff
The earlier the goal, the quicker your payout. No need to wait for VAR drama, late penalties, or added-time madness.
Lean on Teams With High xG
I’ve saved one of my best betting tips for last. My go-to move with the 1UP feature is to use it on teams that have generated high xG so far this season. For those who don’t know, xG (expected goals) is a stat that measures how likely a shot is to result in a goal based on factors like distance, angle, and type of chance.
It helps show how many goals a team or player should have scored, not just what they actually scored. Teams leading the xG chart create the most chances and, more often than not, score the most goals. So, it makes sense that those teams are the likeliest to take leads in a game.
With a third of the season already gone, I think we have a large enough sample size to make some informed decisions with xG. Let’s look at the English Premier League here. So far this season, the five teams leading the xG chart per game are Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea.
Let’s stick with Man Utd there. We all know how inconsistent they’ve been this season. So, no need to talk about that. However, in front of goal, they’ve been good. Actually, they’ve been better than good. They’ve been incredible.
The Red Devils lead the league in xG and only Man City has scored more league goals than them in the league. After 16 league games played, they have just 7 wins. However, they have held leads in 12 games. That means in 75% of their games, the 1UP market has hit. For Man City, they’ve held leads in 13 games (81.3%). This is proof that whether a team is actually good (like Man City) or inconsistent (like Man Utd), the xG is a good indicator for teams you’d want to use the 1UP market for.
How to Use 1UP on BetKing
Using the 1UP feature is straightforward:
- Log in to your BetKing account via Mobile or Web.
- Select an eligible football match
- Click on the Popular tab
- In the options marked “1X2 1UP”, select the team you believe will take a lead.
- Add it to your bet slip (single or Acca) and place your bet
Once your team goes one goal up, the bet is settled immediately.
Final Thoughts
Football will always be unpredictable. Late goals will happen. Shock comebacks will ruin tickets. Making full-time predictions can be very tough, but with 1UP, you don’t have to sit through all that stress.
So next time you’re backing a team to win and want extra insurance, go with 1UP because in this market, a one-goal lead is all it takes