?»?How to Read Football Odds.
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If you want to make a bet on a football game, understanding the odds for each team is important so you know how much money you??™re wagering or winning. Many people bet on football games based on the point spread of the game while others use the money line odds. There may be various other types of odds you can bet on, but they are usually not as common. Once you place your bet, watch the game so you can see the results and possibly win big!
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Tip: The number listed for the favored and underdog teams will be the same. Be sure to pay attention to if there??™s a ???-??? or ???+??? in front of the number.
How to Read Odds.
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If you bet on sporting events, you must be able to read odds and understand what they mean. Furthermore, you need to quickly calculate the potential winnings for different bets, especially if the odds are changing while the event unfolds. Odds tell you the likelihood that an event will occur (a team wins, a boxer makes it a certain round) and how much will be paid out if you win. There are, however, multiple ways to convey this information.
How to Read Odds.
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Now that sports betting is legal in many states, most new bettors need to learn how to read odds and how to actually bet on sports.
Plus, you will need to learn about the different types of odds out there. So, keep reading to learn about odds and how to understand them.
What are Betting Odds?
So, the first question to be answered is: just what are betting odds? And, how are odds used to place wagers? These are the two most important factors when using odds to determine how to place your bets.
Betting odds represent the probability of a specific outcome. And, odds show the profit, or return, that you can get if your bet wins. This likelihood of a certain outcome is additionally known as the implied probability .
You need to know what implied probability is if you are going to bet on sports. Then, you can make an informed bet if the probability of an event occurring is larger than a predetermined implied probability.
Implied Probability.
Simply put, converting betting odds into probability is the implied probability . When sportsbooks set the odds on a bet, they first determine the chance of winning that bet. This way, a bookmaker hopes to avoid paying out too much in order to still make a profit.
The Kinds of Odds.
Hopefully, you are following along. Any time you look at sports betting sites, you??™ll see odds listed. But, they may not be the same type of odds from sportsbook to sportsbook.
And, that is because there are multiple kinds of accepted odds on sportsbooks. The three most common odds formats are:
Fractional odds Decimal odds American odds.
So, it is really imperative to learn how to read all three kinds of odds. Then, you can understand most of the odds you will find on sportsbooks worldwide. And that will help you place more informed bets no matter the odds!
Fractional Odds Explained.
You will most likely find fractional odds in Europe, not the U.S. Fractional odds are most common in the UK in connection with betting on horse races. These odds are used to demonstrate that a bettor will get their winnings proportional to their wager/stake.
In order to make things more clear, here??™s an example to fully show how fractional odds work in practice. Assume the Yankees have fractional odds of 5/2. Put plainly, with each $2 that is bet, a profit of $5 is possible.
To figure the math our for yourself, use this formula:
Profit = (Stake/Denominator) x Numerator.
So, if the stake is $50, then P = (50/2) x 5.
Fractional odds can be a bit complicated to understand compared to other kinds of commonly used odds. But, since they are not the preferred choice in America, you will not encounter them often. However, it is still good to know how they work.
Decimal Odds Explained.
A widely used type of odds worldwide is decimal odds. If you are familiar with a variety of sportsbooks, you will have encountered decimal odds. So, here is an in-depth explanation of what decimal odds mean.
Boiled down, decimal odds illustrate what a bettor would receive in profits for a one-dollar wager. But, it is a little more complicated than it sounds. Below, you will find an example used to explain exactly how decimal odds work.
In this example, the New York Yankees have 2.0 odds to win against the Boston Red Sox. So, for every $1 that is bet on them to win, a bettor will get $2 in profits. That means the bettor will not only get back the $1 stake but also $1 in profits.
For you to be able to figure it out mathematically for yourself, use the equation below.
Profit = (Stake x Odds) ??“ Stake.
If we use the example from above with a $50 stake, that means:
P = (50 x 2) ??“ 50 P = 100 ??“ 50 Profit = $50.
Decimal odds are not all that complicated when it comes down to it. The formula is maybe the easiest to do on your own. Hopefully, you will be an expert at understanding decimal odds from now on!
American Odds Explained.
American odds will also sometimes be referred to as moneyline odds. In the US, naturally, American odds are the most widely used types of odds for sportsbooks. You will see them as either positive or negative odds.
It is easiest to understand American odds if you have an example. So, here is an illustration of American odds in action:
Positive odds represent the profit a bettor will potentially receive if they bet $100 . That means if they placed a wager of $50 on the Red Sox to be the winners, the profit the bettor would get if the Sox win is $75.
Negative odds numerically represent what a bettor would need to bet to win a profit of $100. That means if we use the example from above, they would have to wager $120. Plus, the New York Yankees need to win for the bettor to win a profit of $100.
American odds are very easy to understand when broken down like that. Plus, you will find these odds in most US sportsbooks. So, you should now be able to read most sportsbooks and understand their odds.
How to Figure Out Implied Probability.
Now, you have learned how to understand the most popular kinds of odds. But, that is not all you need to know to place the best bets possible. If you figure out the implied probability of an event, you can place your best bets.
Figuring out the implied probability using positive American odds is pretty simple. To demonstrate this, we will use the same numbers and teams from above. This is how you would calculate the positive odds implied probability:
Implied Probability for Positive Odds.
So, the implied probability that the Boston Red Sox will win is .4 or 40%. Thus, the bookmakers for the sportsbooks will think the Red Sox have a 40% chance of beating the Yankees. You can use these odds to figure out what you want to bet on and how much.
Implied Probability for Negative Odds.
Now, you need to learn how to calculate implied probability when it comes to negative American odds. Luckily, it is as easy as it is for positive odds. We will use the same numbers from the moneyline example. So, the Yankees have -120 odds in this example.
Implied Probability = Negative Odds/(Negative Odds ??“ 100) IP = -120/(-120 ??“ 100) IP = -120/-220 Implied Probability = .5454.
That gives us an implied probability of .5454 or 54.54%. So, the New York Yankees will have a 54.54% chance of being the winners of the game against the Red Sox.
Calculators for Betting Odds.
Well, now that you know the most common odds that are used, you can calculate them yourself. But it always makes sense to check your math using a betting odds calculator. This is to double-check that you have done it correctly.
You do not want to place bets with the wrong odds. Obviously, you want to place the best bet possible. A betting odds calculator can help you make sure you are using the right facts.
Final Tips on How to Read Odds.
So, now that you know how to read and calculate the most popular odds, you should be ready to place your bets. Knowing how to read odds makes it so you can place the most informed bets. Likewise, you will have a better chance of having your bet pay off. Remember, however, that no bet is a sure thing .
And, now that you can calculate your own odds, compare multiple sportsbooks??™ odds . Some may have different odds for the same event. But, you can still get a general feel for what the odds are for each outcome.
Finally, now that you are an odds expert, you can calculate implied probability. Implied probability is a great tool for bettors. So, you can be the best at placing bets and hopefully win!
How To Read Odds.
Understanding betting odds is key to successful betting. If you do not understand betting odds and the probabilities that they imply, you will struggle to succeed in betting on sports long term.
You don??™t need to be a math genius to succeed in betting on sports, but if you do not understand what betting odds reflect, you are setting yourself up for failure.
How to read American odds.
There are three popular odds formats:
Fractional Odds Decimal Odds American Odds.
For the purposes of this article, we will focus on American odds. Know your potential profits when you make a wager with this betting odds calculator.
American odds are presented as either positive or negative odds. The following is an example of American odds for an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.
Put Your Odds Knowledge to the Test.
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How to calculate implied probability.
As previously stated, understanding and calculating the implied probability in betting odds is key to long-term betting success at, for instance, Pointsbet Sportsbook.
So how do we calculate the implied probability in American odds?
Calculating the implied probability in positive American odds is quite simple:
So the implied probability of the Lakers winning the game is 0.4348 (or 43.48%). In this instance, the bookmakers believe the Lakers are a 43.48% chance of winning the game.
Calculating the implied probability in negative American odds is fairly straightforward:
So in our example, the Bulls are at odds of -140 to win the game. What is the implied probability of these odds?
So the implied probability of the Bulls winning the game is 0.5833, or 58.33%. In this case, the bookmakers see the Bulls as a 58.33% chance of winning the game.
Value bets.
As stated earlier, the key to successful betting is to bet only when there is value. In our example, we should only bet on either the Bulls or the Lakers if we determine that they are a better chance to win the game than what the odds represent.
If we believe the Lakers are a better chance to win than 43.48%, we should bet on them. If we believe the Bulls are a better chance to win than 58.33%, then likewise, we should bet on them.
Understanding betting odds is crucial to long-term betting success. Possessing an intimate grasp of betting odds and their implied probabilities is fundamental to profitable betting.
See real odds at online sportsbooks.
At many sportsbooks, you??™re free to see the odds no matter what state you happen to be in. However, you can only place real money bets at online sportsbooks odds if you??™re located in states that have legal sports betting.
However, if you want to bet on horses, you??™re more in luck there! Many states allow for online horse racing betting and you can see odds at most of the big horse racing tracks around the world.
Betting Against The Odds.
In Summary: Betting Odds Explained.
Betting odds represent the probability of an outcome occurring and the return (profit) you will receive if your bet is a winner. It could be the likelihood of all of your final four betting picks being correct.
The probability represented by betting odds is often referred to as the ???implied probability??™. Understanding the implied probability is crucial. Why? Because you should only bet when you believe the probability of an outcome occurring is higher than the implied probability. But if you would like to learn more about betting odds and alternative odds formats, try this odds converter.
Let??™s consider an example. Let??™s say the New York Giants are facing the Washington Redskins in a regular season NFL game. The Giants are at odds of -110 to cover the betting line of -3.5 points. The probability implied in the odds -110 is 52.4%. You??™ve done your research and have determined the Giants are a 60% chance to cover the -3.5 betting line. As 60% is greater than 52.4%, you have found what is commonly referred to as a ???value bet??™.
However, if following your research you determined that the Giants are only a 45% chance to cover the -3.5 points betting line, the implied probability of the odds is greater than your determined probability. You have not found a value bet and should not place a bet on the Giants.
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