For the novice sports bettor, understanding how sports betting odds work can be one of the most confusing sets of numbers you've ever dealt with. For those who have just started betting on sports, to know how the odds work is of key importance for a profitable and enjoyable betting experience. We are here to give you an overview of the basic styles of betting odds, how you can read the different formats, and how to use them to your favor.
While you may still be confused at the end, the only way you are going to learn how to play with odds is by adapting the appropriate information and utilizing it firsthand. To this degree, we have found various sports betting sites where you can utilize these options to the fullest extent. And, if you ever have any questions, please drop us a line at webmaster@explainbettingodds.com where we can answer all of your questions through email.
Different Types Of Betting Odds Explained
Quick Explanation Of How To Read Sports Betting Odds
- Teaser Betting A teaser is a combination of two or more bets in which bettors can adjust the point spreads and/or totals in their favor at the expense of a reduced payout. The point spread may be decreased for the favored team or increased for the underdog, while totals may be adjusted by decreasing the over or increasing the under.
- We’ve touched on the question “what is a teaser bet?” in other guides, but we’ll briefly cover it again here. Like a parlay, a teaser bet combines multiple selections in a single bet. But, teasers can only include picks against the spread and game totals, and you will be able to adjust the spread for each game you pick.
- Off-the-Board Teasers The players can select 6, 6 1/2, 7, 10 and 14-point Teasers. A Teaser allows the player to add extra points to an underdog’s point spread or subtract points on a favored team. Halftime Wagers A halftime wager, for betting purposes, resets the score of a game at 0-0 at halftime of a game.
- A teaser is a popular type of football bet, and one that you should definitely consider including in your overall football betting strategy. Teasers are similar to parlays, in that they involve making multiple selections, but they are not quite as straightforward.
- Point Spread - If A Football Team Is -7, Then That Team Must Win By 8 Points To Win The Bet.
- Over / Under ' AKA The Total' - If An Over / Under Is 42 In A Football Game, The Combined Total Amount Of Points Both Teams Must Score Needs To Be Over 43 Points To Win The Wager.
- Moneyline Betting Odds - If The Money Line Has “Team A” at -150 Betting Odds Against The Colts, I Must Bet $150 To Win $100 And If Team A Wins, Then I Would Win My Bet.There are three forms of regular betting odds that you will see at every sportsbook that you visit, whether online or in person. These are the ones that you see right off the bat and the ones that really matter when you are betting on sports. If nothing else, you have probably heard them talked about by either your friends or TV broadcast on ESPN or other channels.
So, if bettors want to have a chance at betting the sportsbooks with teaser bets, they better stick to 2 or 3-team teasers. Even these odds are not great as they still give the sportsbooks an edge of 10 to 19 percent depending on your prospective sportsbook’s teaser odds. This is a significant edge, and it only gets worse from there.
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How To Read And Understand MoneyLine Betting Odds
First there are the moneyline betting odds , which is the bet on who will win the event outright with no point spreads or other variables. You simply pick the team you think will win and place the bet. However, without using the odds, the payouts are usually much different then they would be with the odds in place.
When betting on the moneyline, the favorite will always have a negative symbol in front of the number and the underdog will always have a plus sign in front of it (an example is -150 favorite or +150 for the underdog).
How To Read The Point Spreads
Next, we come to what may be the most common type of sports betting odds, which is the point spread. They put point spreads up for all of the main sports such as football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and others. This is called 'The Spread' and it basically tells you which team is favored and by how much. When betting the spread, you are betting that a team will win by a certain number of points, runs, or whatever. Here is an example to help you understand point spreads in football.
If you are Betting The Point Spread On 'Team A' in Football - Favored by -6 - This means 'Team A' must beat the other team by 7 points or more to win the bet.
If You Are Betting The Point Spread On 'Team B' in Football Game - Underdog that is getting +6 points - This means as long as 'Team B' does not lose by 7 or more points, then you will win the bet. If Team A wins, but only by 3 points, then you will still win and get paid.
How To Read The Over / Under Betting Odds
There is also the total score or the over/under, and this line lets you bet on whether or not the total score between all competitors will go above or below a predetermined amount. You simply look at what the Over / Under is and then bet on which you think it will be. There are over and under betting odds for pretty much every sport including baseball, football, hockey, UFC, Basketball, Horse racing, and much more.
The over/under betting odds, or the totals, work differently for each sport. If the number is 42 in a football game and you bet the over, you would need 43 points total between the two teams. In baseball betting, it is the number of runs scored that sets the total. The UFC over/under betting odds are which round the fight will end. Hockey totals are how many goals will be scored between both teams.
With the spread and the total, you will occasionally see that the odds are distributed with 'half points,' which are in place to prevent a 'push,' or no one winning or losing the bets. As long as there is a winner or loser, the sportsbooks will make their money on the juice and be happy.
What To Know About Vegas Betting Odds
The truth of the matter is that Vegas pretty much sets all of the sports betting odds for the entire world. All of the world’s leading experts work for the big casino companies in Las Vegas, and all of them work together to set the odds for different sports. Anytime you hear someone asking or talking about Vegas odds, they are simply talking about the odds and nothing specifically related to Vegas. All of the online sportsbooks use services that simply use the Vegas odds as a starting point for events. Then their own systems will adjust the spread depending on how people are betting at their sportsbook. Ultimately a sportsbook wants 50% of the bets on each side of a game so that they can simply make money on the juice.
Exotic Betting Odds Explained
Exotic bets are there to make for a more entertaining betting experience, but they work somewhat differently compared to the straight bets. But, the original point spread is still used in all these bets no matter how you look at it.
Parlays are essentially a combination of two or more bets into one, such as three teams winning their respective matches. These parlays are usually a long shot since so many teams have to win, but in the end, they are also some of the highest paying games. You can pick teams to cover the point spread, over or unders, or moneylines in a parlay and sometimes you can mix in different sports.
Pleasers are some of the highest paying bets, as they take the spread and then subtract points, making it harder to succeed. Then you also have to combine them into another bet of the same type in order to win. The payouts are huge, but it is not likely that these will come in unless you have the utmost luck or some sort of inside knowledge.
Teaser bets bets are the exact opposite, in that you can adjust the spread to be more favorable, thus lowering your payout but increasing your chances of winning. Either way, these are some of the more exciting ways for you to wager.
There are also 'If-Bets', which allow you to combine two bets. The first bet has to win for the second bet to have action. If the first bet fails, the second bet doesn't come through. If you win the first bet, you can then use the winnings on the second bet, essentially building your bankroll.
Different Formats Of Betting Odds
How To Read American Betting Odds
American odds have become incredibly commonplace, despite the fact that they are not as easy to read as other formats. As an example, American Odds read like this:
Odds To Win Super Bowl:
- Team A: -150
- Team B: +200
- Team C: +600
- Team D: +1000
With American odds, the number represented is how much you have to bet to win $100. If the number is preceded with a '+' sign, then you would risk less than $100 to win a wager worth $100. And, the opposite is true when the number is preceded with a '-' where the bettor would have to risk more than $100 just to win $100 of the wager.
In the example above, you can see that Team A has the lowest number of the group and are considered to be the favorite to win this bet. If you wagered on Team A to win the Super Bowl and they end up winning, you are going to need to risk more than $100 to win $100 as indicated by the '-' symbol preceding the payouts. In this particular example, a bettor would need to wager $150 to win $100.
On the opposite side of that, the other 3 teams in contention all pay better than 1 to 1 odds (risk less than $100 to win $100). Team B is at +200: risk $50 to win $100. Team C is at +600: risk $16.67 to win $100. Team D is at +1000: risk $10 to win $100.
These can be a little bit confusing but if you just pay attention to the + or - symbol then you should not have any issues. And, with a little bit of manipulation, you can see how these odds will pay if the wager ends up being a winner and that is what we're all here for... to win.
How To Read Fractional Odds
Fractional betting odds are the easiest to understand. Just about every single sportsbook that caters to Americans has the option available for fractional odds. And, while they may seem daunting at first, you don't really need to understand complex fractions in order to utilize these odds. Let's look at an example:
Odds To Win Fight:
- Fighter A: 4/7
- Fighter B: 3/2
In order to best understand these lines, you first need to look at the ratio to 1. In the example above, 4/7 odds is less than 1 and the opposite can be said for the other side as 3/2 is more than 1. Once you have determined this, you can figure out the favorite.
To figure out which side is favored, you simply need to figure out which is the lower number. In this case, Fighter A is at 4/7 odds which is less than 1 and Fighter B is at 3/2 odds which is more than 1. Fighter A's wager is the clear favorite as it is the lower number.
So, how do you figure out what these pay? Again, we refer back to 4/7 being less than 1, and 3/2 being more than 1.
Anytime fractional odds are displayed at a value of less than 1, the bettor must risk more than they intend to win if the wager is a winner. And, the opposite can be said for if a fractional value is more than 1... that bet will pay more than what is risked.
As we said before, 4/7 odds are less than 1 so in this case, the bettor must risk $7 to win $4 from the wager. Then, 3/2 are more than 1 so when risking $2, the bettor will win $3 off the wager. As you can see, the payouts are in the fractional odds, you just need to know which way they go based on if they represent a value greater than or less than one.
Understanding Betting Odds That Use Decimals
Decimal odds are slightly more confusing than most other types of odds. In fact, we prefer not to use them when we bet but that is just our preference. Regardless, we are going to give you a little insight into these lines, as we want to give you insight about all of the common types of odds available.
If you look into these odds, you will definitely come out a little bit confused unless you are from Europe where these odds are commonly used than American or Fractional odds. The multiplication game is not as straight forward with decimal odds. Let's take a look at another example:
Odds To Be Next President:
- Candidate A: 1.50
- Candidate B: 2.45
When looking at decimal based odds, the same thing applies to them as all the other forms of odds when trying to determine the favorite... whichever is the lowest number is favored. In the example above, the favored candidate is Candidate A at 1.50 however Candidate B is only a little bit behind at 2.45
Figuring out the payouts is where decimal odds can get tricky, but you'll soon learn a little trick that will make these very easy to understand.
Teaser Bets Explained 2
The best way to start off look at these odds is to consider them to be monetary amounts based on what you will win if you wager $1 or one euro, one pound, etc... which includes the original wager. Be sure to keep that in mind when looking at the other odds types.
If Candidate A wins the election, every $1 wagered will win $.50 plus the original $1 wagered which equals $1.50 or 1.50 odds.
Candidate B: every $1 wagered earns $1.45 which equals $2.45 or 2.45 odds.
Now That You Know How To Read Sports Betting Odds
Now that you understand how to read odds, you will then want to see how they are adapted to the different betting lines. With the straight wagers and exotic wagers alike, you will find that these odds are worked into the lines. After you figure out how to read the odds, you will then have to figure out the different types of bets that you can find through most sports betting sites. The different types of bets use odds somewhat differently, but in the end, it is all fairly similar.
We have created special pages that explain how to read the betting odds on a variety of sports. The reason for this is that some sports have betting odds available that others do not. Some sports betting odds can be broken down into a half or quarters while others are just for the entire duration of a match or game. For instance, you cannot really compare the NASCAR or PGA odds with NFL, and vice versa. Each page is crafted specifically for an individual sport making it easier for bettors to learn the ins and outs of betting on whichever sport they choose.
Online Sportsbooks With The Best Sports Betting Odds Available
Now we come to the online sportsbooks + sports betting sites that actually offer the odds we are explaining. There are plenty of betting sites out there, but we have decided to list only those we felt were of the highest level of quality. When personally and individually tested these sportsbooks in order to figure out exactly what they have to offer. In the end, we decided to play with those offering the highest paying odds, the most diverse set of betting types, and a fairly wide range of different sports. Throw in the big bonuses and easy financial transfers and what you get is one of the best sets of betting sites on the Internet.
Bovada Sportsbook - More Betting Odds Than Other Sports Betting Sites
Its already know that Bovada is one of the better online sportsbooks for players to sign up for. The fact that there are so many betting options on this sportsbook makes it known to be a better site as well. Most of the time players look for sites that have the total package which is what Bovada has. Players will flock towards Bovada and one main reason for that is because of the betting odds that are offered to players.
The odds offered on Bovada are her for a player to place big-time bets and make a lot of cash. This makes it very easy for players to pick which bets they want to place. Because of these great betting odds offered, it is known that players are cashing big on parlay bets. More players have a lot got involved in live betting as well because these odds that are here on Bovada are better than other sites they have visited. Because of these betting odds offered, the attention Bovada will get will only increase!
BetOnline Sportsbook - New Bettors Get Bonuses On Every Deposit You Make For Life
There is no doubt that BetOnline has a lot of players that have accounts with them. There are many reasons for that and this list of players will continue to grow and will for the right reason. Even though the age requirement of 18 and older to sign up is one thing that players notice when it comes to BetOnline, the betting odds are something that also grabs a lot of attention as well. These betting odds that are here on the prop bets and are much better than most other online sportsbooks.
Knowing how betting odds work is important and that also will make it easier to understand why BetOnline has the best betting odds for all players. These close odds are what players like and most of the time this will decide what bets they place. With a team being slight underdogs with those odds definitely makes players think if they want to place a bet on those teams and these upsets can end up earning players a lot of extra money! BetOnline odds are very good and makes players consider both sides.
MyBookie Sportsbook - Betting Odds The Best Here On MyBookie
Mybookie is clearly known to be one of the better sites for many players. The number one thing that players check out when they sign up for online sportsbooks is what kind of bets that it offers and there is no doubt that MyBookie has any bet that players can think of. With so many different betting options comes the betting odds as well. The odds here for are taylor made for players. This means that these odds are very good for players because they are close and have players considering to take the upset over the favorite sometimes.
Taking the upset sometimes over the favorite can be the way that players can capitalize big. Something as simple as picking the Miami Heat over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA could be considered because of the close the betting odds could be on MyBookie. The great thing about sports is nothing is guaranteed and upsets are often happening so taking an upset sometimes could be very beneficial on MyBookie. This also goes picking the favorite as well. Slight favored could mean to put a lot more money down and lead players to win more. MyBookie is known for great betting odds.
Teasers are one of the more advanced wagers in sports
betting. This is a wager you should definitely learn about
though, even as a beginner, as it provides opportunities to
place relatively low risk wagers which can still provide a good
return.
In this article we explain in detail how teasers work, but we
should point out that you need to already understand a few
things if it’s going to make any sense to you. For one thing you
should know how odds work, because odds are a basic component of
any wager. You should also know how parlays, point spread bets,
and totals bets work.
If you’re not yet familiar with any of these subjects, you
can find what you need to know on the following pages.
The Basics of Teasers
Teasers are essentially a type of parlay, in that they
involve making multiple selections as part of a single wager.
All selections have to win for the bet to be successful. The
selections included in a teaser must be based on either point
spread bets or totals bets. As such, teasers are typically
available only for football and basketball.
The main feature of teasers is that you are able to move the
spreads or totals lines in your favor, increasing your chances
of winning. Let’s take a look at the betting for an upcoming
football match so we can explain how this works in practice.
As you can see, the Kansas City Chiefs are given 3.5 points
on the spread here. If you were including a point spread bet on
the Chiefs in a parlay, or just making a straight bet on the
spread, you would need them to lose by three points or less (or
win). As a selection in a teaser, however, they would be given
extra points. If you included them in a six point teaser, for
example, they would be given 9.5 points on the spread, meaning
they could lose by up to nine points and the selection would
still be a winner.
The same principle applies if you’re betting on the totals.
The line is set at 46.5 for this match, which means if you went
for the over you would need the total points scored to be 47 or
more. In a six point teaser the line would be moved to 40.5,
which means 41 or more would be good enough. If you went for the
under, the six point swing would be in the other direction, and
the line would move to 52.5.
As you can see, teasers can make it significantly easier to
get your selections right. The downside is that the payouts are
lower than in standard parlays, which we’ll get to later.
Teaser Variables
The main variable with teasers is the number of points that
the spread or totals lines are moved by. With football teasers
you’ll find most bookmakers and online betting sites offer
three options – 6, 6.5, and 7 points. With basketball the three
options are usually 4, 4.5, and 5 points. These aren’t set in
stone though, and some places will offer even more flexibility.
Another variable is the number of selections you include in a
teaser. With most bookmakers, online and offline, the minimum
allowed is two and the maximum allowed is ten. This isn’t
always the case though. Some places may require more than two
selections or allow more than ten.
The payouts for teasers also vary. The more the spreads and
lines are moved in your favor, the lower the payouts will be. So
a 7 point football teaser will have lower payouts than a 6 point
football teaser. Payouts also change based on the number of
selections, as they do with a standard parlay. The more
selections included, the higher potential payouts. Remember,
though, that including more selections also increases the
chances of one or more of them losing.
Example Payouts
The following charts show some example payouts based on the
number of points and the number of selections. Please note that
the payouts for teasers won’t always be exactly the same with
every bookmaker and sports betting site, but the examples here
provide a good guide.
| Football Teaser Payouts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # of Selections | Payout Odds (6.0 Points) | Payout Odds (6.5 Points) | Payout Odds (7.0 Points) |
| 2 | 10/11 | 10/12 | 10/13 |
| 3 | 9/5 | 8/5 | 7/5 |
| 4 | 3/1 | 5/2 | 2/1 |
| 5 | 9/2 | 4/1 | 7/2 |
| 6 | 6/1 | 11/2 | 5/1 |
| 7 | 10/1 | 9/1 | 8/1 |
| 8 | 15/1 | 12/1 | 10/1 |
| 9 | 20/1 | 15/1 | 12/1 |
| 10 | 25/1 | 20/1 | 15/1 |
| Basketball Teaser Payouts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # of Selections | Payout Odds (4.0 Points) | Payout Odds (4.5 Points) | Payout Odds (5.0 Points) |
| 2 | 1/1 | 10/12 | 10/13 |
| 3 | 9/5 | 8/5 | 7/5 |
| 4 | 3/1 | 5/2 | 2/1 |
| 5 | 9/2 | 4/1 | 7/2 |
| 6 | 6/1 | 11/2 | 5/1 |
| 7 | 10/1 | 9/1 | 8/1 |
| 8 | 15/1 | 12/1 | 10/1 |
| 9 | 20/1 | 15/1 | 12/1 |
| 10 | 25/1 | 20/1 | 15/1 |
Teaser Example
To further illustrate exactly how teasers work, we’ll look at
an example teaser based on the following three football matches.
Let’s assume you decide to place a three team, six point
teaser, for a stake of $50. You select the Kansas City Chiefs,
the Dallas Cowboys, and the Atlanta Falcons on the spread. You
would need the following three results to win this teaser.
- Kansas City Chiefs to win, or lose by nine points or
less. - Dallas Cowboys to win, or lose by less than nine points.
A nine point loss would be a push. - Atlanta Falcons to win, or lose by a single point. A two
point loss would be a push.
If all three results came in, then you would win $90 based on
odds of 9/5. You’d also get your stake back of course. If just
one result went the wrong way, you would lose your $50 stake.
Teaser Bets Explained Bets
You can see that a push is a possibility in two of the games.
The rules relating to pushes varies at different bookmakers and
betting sites, but what generally happens is that a push means
that selection is effectively removed from the wager. If the
Cowboys lost by exactly nine points, for example, then that
selection wouldn’t count anymore. You’d be left with a two team
teaser. If the other two results came in, then you would win at
reduced odds of 10/11.
Teaser Bets Explained
Now that you understand how teasers work, you might want to
learn how best to use them to your advantage. We can help you
with this, because we have provided a strategy article with advice on
football teasers.