How betting odds work: what they are and how to use them
A variation of fractional odds is known as Hong Kong odds. However, not all fractional odds are traditionally read using the lowest common denominator (i.e. simplifying the fraction when possible). In either case, having won, the bettor always receives the original stake back too; so if the odds are 4/1 the bettor receives a total of £500 (£400 plus the original £100). Favoured by bookmakers in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and also common in horse racing, fractional odds quote the net profit that will be paid out to the bettor, should they win, relative to the stake. That value may be regarded as the relative probability the event will happen, expressed as a fraction (if it is less than 1), or a multiple (if it is equal to or greater than one) of the likelihood that the event will not happen.
A sports betting odds comparison that only shows the current price for the home win, draw and away win tells you less than one that also shows the opening odds and the payout of each bookie. The hockey odds page lists the next games with the best price for each team, next to recent results and standings. The fact that bookmakers have large teams of maths experts working out odds means that beating them at their own game can be very difficult. Our odds page features top-rated sportsbooks in your area, providing the most up-to-date lines for every game and futures market across various sports.
Learn from and share your tips & picks with your fellow sports bettors. The odds or amounts the bookmaker will pay are determined by the total amount that has been bet on all of the possible events. Sports information services are often used by professional and semi-professional sports bettors to help achieve this goal. It was about 3.7% less for wins by the visitors, and 5.7% less for draws. A study on soccer betting found that the probability for the home team to win was generally about 3.4% less than the value calculated from the odds (for example, 46.6% for even odds). The total of these three percentages is 100%, thus representing a fair ‘book’.
Our real-time data updates live scores as soon as a goal is scored, a point is won or a basket is made, and with live odds available for matches in-play, you can compare prices during a match and before it. You can check the opening odds of each bookmaker, follow the odds movement over time and compare it with the current odds, so you know how the market has reacted before you decide when to bet. Odds change constantly between the moment a market opens and kick-off, and OddsPortal works as an odds tracker for every match. The same selection is priced differently by each bookmaker, so comparing bookmaker odds is the simplest way to make sure a winning bet pays out as much as possible.
When Moneyline odds are quoted as a positive number +X, it means that a wager pays X to 100. However in many situations, the possible loss (“stake” or “wager”) is paid up front and, if the gambler wins, the net win plus the stake is returned. From local leagues to international tournaments, our website shows the top price for every outcome before you bet. OddsPortal is a free odds comparison site where you can compare betting odds from leading bookmakers on every match.
We cover the NHL, the SHL in Sweden and the KHL among many hockey leagues, with prices on single games and on the outright winners. Basketball goes from NBA odds and the EuroLeague to domestic leagues such as the Super Lig in Turkey and the LNB in France, with prices on single games and on the outright winners. Before a bet, check the archived results non gamstop betting sites and historical odds of the teams or players involved, across leagues and tournaments worldwide. The value bets page compares the odds of each bookmaker with the average odds for the same outcome, highlighting the markets where one price stands out, with the probability included. OddsPortal has a number of betting tools that can bring your attention to interesting markets you may never have thought about betting on before, always with the best available price.
Instead of betting on a single game, you’re predicting outcomes like who will win the NBA championship, MVP award, or a division title. Bettors predict whether the total points scored will be above or below a set number. For example, if a team is -5.5, they need to win by 6 or more points to win the bet. Instead of just picking a winner, you’re betting on whether a team can “cover the spread,” meaning they either win by a certain margin or avoid losing by too much.
If you see +250, that team is the underdog; a $100 bet would return $250 if they win. Moneyline bets are the simplest form of sports betting, focusing solely on picking a winner. Some bets involve combining multiple outcomes for higher rewards, while others target specific in-game events or achievements.
These bets can cover anything from team milestones to individual performances, making games more interactive and fun. Futures keep you invested throughout the season, adding suspense as teams rise or fall and turning each game into a step toward your bigger prediction. For instance, if the line is 220.5 in an NBA game, you’d bet on whether the teams’ combined score will be over 220 or under 220.5.
