1X2 Odds - soccer odds comparison

Players who are serious about sports betting know that one of the most important factors a bettor should take into account when placing a bet is the betting odds. This factor determines how much money you will win in the event that you made the correct prediction. They are used by every bookmaker out there and basically express the probability of a certain outcome in a betting event.

Types of betting odds

While it is extremely important to know the odds when making a bet most players have difficulty sorting out what all of the numbers mean. This is understandable because there are a number of different types of odds out there. Most bookmakers use one of three types of odds; decimal odds, fractional odds, and US odds.

• Decimal odds which are used by European bettors are the easiest to understand. To determine how much money you would win using decimal odds simply multiply your bet by the decimal. If for example, you place a £20 bet on a game with 1.5 odds then you would win £30 (20 X 1.5 = £30). Since decimal odds are the easiest to understand most bookmakers will display them alongside other types of odds but this is not always the case.
• Fractional odds which are used primarily in the United Kingdom are a little more complicated then decimal odds but a little less complicated than US odds. They basically quote the net total that will be paid out to the bettor, should he win, relative to his stake. The higher the top number and the lower the bottom number the better the payout. 5/1 odds, for example, would mean that a bettor would win 5x the bet in addition to their stake, 5/2 odds, on the other hand, would mean that a bettor would win 2.5X their bet plus their stake. To make it easy, simply convert the fraction into a decimal, multiply it by your bet, and then add your bet to determine your potential winnings. For example, if you place a £50 bet on a team that has 6/5 odds then you would divide 6 by 5 to get 1.2, multiply 1.2 by £50, and then add £50 to get a total of £110 in potential winnings ((6/5) x £50 + £50 = £110). While this may seem complicated it's not that difficult once you know that the bet itself is added on top of any profits.
• Finally, US odds are used primarily in the United States of America and Canada. They are based on what a player needs to wager in order to win $100. These odds are expressed as either a positive or negative number. A team that is likely to win (aka the favourite) pays out less so they will almost always have a negative number. A negative number simply means that players will need to wager more $100 in order to win $100 in profit. If for example, a team has odds of -120 then a player will need to wager $120 in order to win $100 in addition to their wager. An underdog team, on the other hand, is unlikely to win so they will almost always have a positive number. The higher this number is the more profit you will make from a $100 bet. If for example if a team has +120 odds then that means a wager of $100 will result in a profit of $120 in addition to the $100 wagered. This system works great if you are betting with or trying to earn $100 but most of us don't have that kind of money to flash around so things can get a little complicated. To make things easy, simply calculate what your profit would be if you had wagered $100 and then divide that by 100/(your actual bet) and then add your bet. If you place a $50 bet on a team with +150 odds, then you would take $150 and divide it by 100/50 and add $50 for a total payout of $125. 150/(100/50) + $50 = $125. Since these types of bets can get complicated fast it's always a good idea to try and stick to bets of $10, $20, $25, $50, or $100.

Now that you know what odds actually translate to money wise it should be a whole lot easier to place bets. Sports bookmakers are always looking to make a profit so by looking at the odds you will easily be able to see what teams have the supposed advantage going into a match and how much many money you could stand to gain by betting on a certain team or outcome. You can play things on the safe side and take a good chance with a small amount of profit or you can take a shot and wager on a team that could pay out big. Of course knowing that a team has next to no chance of winning or that a team has a better shot than you thought could very easily make you change your decision about where to put your money. Knowledge is power, so even if you plan to place a bet regardless of the odds are it is always a good idea to know them just the same.

Top 3 odds comparison services

1. www.betbrain.com
2. www.oddschecker.com
3. www.oddsportal.com