No matter our degree of knowledge or betting experience, we are all aware of how crucial the odds are. Better yet, understanding odds and how they work is essential to turning a profit when betting.
Members of betting forums may have heard a lot of discussion regarding odds as the key element that encourages wiser betting and larger earnings.
The statistics are there for a reason, and in this post, we’ll help you comprehend the most crucial aspect of betting – how sports betting odds work.
We will talk specifically about the odds by describing them and giving you a conceptual framework to comprehend the odds.
To begin with, depending on the system the sportsbook is employing, odds are displayed in a few different ways, and the numbers imply significantly different things. American odds, fractional odds, and decimal odds are the three formats in which odds are typically stated.
How Sports Betting Odds Work
American Odds
On the surface, American odds appear to be a little confusing. They aren’t as simple to understand as fractional or decimal odds. ¸
American odds are predicated on $100; however, depending on whether the wager is favored, how they relate to $100 differs. The wagering odds for favorites begin with a negative number and show the amount you must stake in order to win $100.
Whereas if the odds are -120, which is a frequent value for a spread wager, you would have to wager $120 to win $100. If the odds are -200, you would have to wager $200 to win $100.
Bets don’t have to be that big, but the ratio will remain the same no matter how big or small they are. With a $20 wager at -200 odds, you would receive $10 in addition to your initial $20 wager.
Bets on the underdog are at odds with a plus sign. You can calculate your expected profit from a $100 wager using plus odds.
A $100 wager with +200 odds results in a $200 profit in addition to the $100 wager. You would win $80 if you wagered $40.
Fractional Odds
Outside of the US, decimal and fractional odds are more widespread. Both share common principles.
As the name implies, fractional odds are presented as fractions, such as 2-1 or 5-4. The profit can be calculated by multiplying a wager amount by the fraction. If you bet $100 at 3-1 odds, you’ll get your $100 back plus a profit of $300.
A $100 wager at 7-4 odds would return $175 in addition to the initial $100 stake. Divide the $100 by the denominator, which is four, and multiply the result by the numerator, which in this case is seven. That gives you 175 when you divide 700 by 4.
Favorite wagers will have denominators like 1-3 or 2-6 that are larger than the numerators. In underdog wagers, the numerator will be more than the denominator, as in the previous examples.
Decimal Odds
Decimal odds are represented by a single number, which represents the amount a successful wager would win on a $1 wager.
If the odds are given as 5, a successful wager would return $1 plus $4 in profit. A favorite bet is anything between 1 and 2, and an even money bet is anything over 2 above.
When the fractions used in fractional odds start to look a little ugly, these are more frequently utilized outside of the US.
For instance, American odds of -115 are very typical, but they translate to 20–23 in fractional odds. Calculate the return on a $10 wager with odds of 20–23 as soon as possible.
For this $10 wager, the decimal odds would be listed as 1.87, which would make the math considerably simpler.
You may calculate the return that would include the initial wager by multiplying the odds by the bet. Much simpler, yes? $18.70 would be the refund. In this situation, decimal odds may be preferable.
Where to Compare Sports Betting Odds?
An online sportsbook is the best option if you’re searching for a place where you can compare various odds at once.
You can add all your favorite teams to your watch list. They should offer all the popular betting options, and you might even have access to exclusive features that will enhance your overall experience.
Make sure you investigate all the possibilities available from different providers.
In Conclusion
It is crucial that you understand how sports betting odds work.
You must understand how odds are converted between various formats, how odds are converted into implied probabilities, and how odds displayed on a screen differ from the actual probability of a result. Then and only then can you make a successful wager.
