If there’s one thing you know, it’s sports. You’ve been making friendly bets with your buddies for years, and almost always come up a winner. But do you really understand odds in sports betting?

When using odds in European format (decimal) you can be forgiven for thinking that average betting odds are simply computed by building the arithmetic mean of the data to be analysed. Unfortunately, this is the wrong approach and leads to a deceptive result. To calculate the decimal style odds all you will need to do is simply multiply the amount you wish to wager by the decimal odds shown and you will get your payout. For example it may look something like this.

1. Our odds calculator helps you determine how much money you could win, based on the betting odds and amount of money wagered. We have American odds, Decimal odds, Fractional odds, and Implied Odds, which is indicated by percentage. NBA Championship Odds.
2. Sportsbooks will assess the strengths and weaknesses of each team and determine a favorite in the odds to win Super Bowl glory. The betting odds will grow progressively longer until you reach the.

Sports betting odds can be tricky to understand at first, especially since you may see the odds posted in more than one way.

From plus/minus to decimal, to fractional — how is anyone supposed to know how to place the best bets?

Don’t sweat it, we’ve got you.

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about how to understand odds in sports betting, and how you can start creating your own odds.

Understanding Sports Odds: What Are They?

So, you want to place a bet on the upcoming match but you’re not sure how to get started.

First things first, you have to understand the odds to know which bets are worth the risk. We’ll touch more on that in the sections below.

Secondly, you need to know that there are a variety of formats for which odds are displayed, such as:

• American (plus/minus)
• Decimal Odds
• Fractional Odds

All of them are easy to understand, and we’ll show you in the upcoming sections of this article.

Lastly, odds are used to calculate the implied probability of a particular outcome in any sporting event.

Once you have a solid understanding of how the odds work, you’ll be able to determine which bets offer the best payouts and how much money you are willing to wager.

Sports Odds Explained: American Odds

If you don’t know how to calculate sports betting odds, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

The most common type of sports odds used in North America is American Odds, which uses a plus/minus system for calculating payouts.

Below, we’ll answer your question: how are odds calculated in sports?

We’ll start with the American way, and give you some betting odds examples so you know exactly what you’re looking at the next time you want to make a wager.

But first, it’s important to know what odds are designed to do.

1. Odds flag potential bettors as to the implied probability of the bet
2. Odds announce the payout you could win if you bet on that outcome

However, odds can be influenced by more than the events that are relevant to the outcome of the game or match.

Many traditional sportsbooks are known for manipulating the odds in their favor and factor in how much the book is charging for you to place your bet. You may hear fellow wagerers refer to this cut as the “juice”, “vig”, or “cut.”

How Does Plus/Minus Work in Sports Betting?

When you see +130/-240 (or any other three-digit combination) you know you’re dealing with American odds.

The plus or minus indicates whether you’re betting on the favored team or the underdog.

Explain How Betting Odds Work

A negative number on the betting line implies the favorite, and exactly how much you have to bet to walk away with a $100 payout.

Positive numbers belong to the underdog, and let you know how much you’ll win if you bet $100.

For example:

How Do You Understand Odds in Sports Betting With American Odds?

Using the above example, calculating your odds look like this:

To win $100 on the Vikings (favorites), you would need to wager $130. If you bet $100 on the Packers (underdogs), you’d be paid out $260 in addition to receiving your $100 bet back.

Calculating Payouts

Let’s say you don’t want to bet $100 of your money — we get it, that can add up.

Many people prefer to place a series of smaller bets on multiple games to get the most out of the experience.

Winning two and losing one can be more appealing than losing it all in one shot.

With the above example, let’s calculate the odds of betting the underdog with only $10, instead of $100.

Using the +260 odds on the Packers, a $10 bet would payout $26 in profits, plus the return of your original $10 bet for a total of $36 back in your pocket.

In most cases, the sportsbook you’re betting with will do the calculations before you even place the bet.

You’ll know the exact payout before you confirm your bet.

Calculating Implied Probability

If you’ve started to research exactly how sports betting works, then you’ve probably heard the term “implied probability”.

The odds are what suggest a particular outcome in any match, and the implied probability refers to the prospect of that outcome.

To calculate the implied probability you need to convert the odds into a percentage.

The reason you’d want to calculate the implied probability is to determine if the estimated probability of a match you wish to bet on is different from the sportsbook so that you can adjust your bet accordingly.

Remember, that all odds available at a sportsbook include the “juice” or “cut” so you’ll need to factor that in, as the implied probability of every conceivable outcome of a match is going to be above 100%.

This is called overround, and it’s the reason you should remove the “juice” from betting lines before calculating what the oddsmakers actually expect the outcome to be.

Sports Odds Explained: Decimal Odds

Of the three types of odds you’ll come across, betting with decimal odds are the easiest to learn.

Decimal style odds are typically used in Europe, but many Sportsbooks default to American odds. However, you should be able to set the preference to any betting style.

Decimal odds look like this:

How Do You Understand Odds in Sports Betting With Decimal Odds?

Calculating your potential winnings with decimal odds is easy. All you have to do is multiply the amount of money you’re wagering with the odds attached to the team you’re betting on.

For example:

Calculating Implied Probability

Calculating your implied probability is a valuable tool to determine if a wager is worth the risk.

Using our example above, we’ll determine implied probability using the following formula: 1 / Decimal odds

With the above example, the Toronto Blue Jays implied probability of winning is:

1 / 2.10 = 47.6%

And the New York Yankees implied probability of winning is:

1 / 1.40 = 71.4%

In this case, the New York Yankees have a much higher probability of winning, and therefore the safer bet… unless you know something we don’t.

Sports Odds Explained: Fractional Odds

Fractional odds are most commonly used in the UK and can typically be seen when placing bets on horse races.

They’re sort of funny looking odds, but when you understand what they mean, they are really easy to calculate.

How Do You Understand Odds in Sports Betting With Fractional Odds?

Let’s say you want to bet on a horse in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

You open up your betting app and see strange-looking figures such as 8/3 or 1/2 (which, by the way, we would say “eight to three” or “one to two”).

So, how do you calculate these odds?

How To Understand Betting Odds

Simple.

The number on the left (8) tells you how many times the oddsmaker expects the related outcome to fail. And the number on the right (3) dictates how many times the outcome should succeed.

So, what does this mean for your pocketbook?

Calculating Payouts

Calculating your payout for fractional betting is really quite easy.

Multiply your bet by the numerator (or top number), then divide the result by the denominator (bottom number).

For example, if you place a $50 bet on 8/3 odds the calculation would look like this:

(50 x 8) / 3 = $133.33 (a total of $183.33 coming your way).

Or if you placed your $50 bet on the 1/2 odds, then the calculation would look like this:

(50 x 1) / 2 = $25 (for a total of $75 in your pocket).

Calculating Implied Probability

Figuring out the implied probability for fractional bets can be done fairly easily.

Betting Odds Meanings

Let’s say your horse of choice has 8/3 odds on him, this means that out of 11 races (8+3) your horse is expected to win eight times. Pretty good right?

Now divide the number of times he’s supposed to win by the number of races on the roster and you get your implied probability: 8 / 11 = 72.7%

Remember though, it costs money to play, so anytime you’re calculating odds, whether American, decimal or fractional,the outcomes when added together will always equal more than 100%… that’s the “vig” or the “cut” we’ve been talking about.

What is a Push?

A push — while not related to odds — can directly affect your payout so we thought it was worth mentioning here.

Being aware of the possibility of a push before you place your first bet on a sports match is important.

So, what is a push, exactly? In simple terms, it’s a tie.

You will not see a push on the moneyline when placing bets, so you need to know in advance if it’s an outcome you can bet on. Typically this only applies if you’re betting against the spread or making a totals bet.

If a push occurs and hasn’t been bet on, then you’ll just get your money back, as it’s considered neither a win nor a loss.

A point spread will usually add half a point to each number so that a push can’t happen, but that’s not always the case, so keep your eye on your bets and all possibilities of a push.

What Is ZenSports?

Now, that you know how to figure out odds in betting this is where it gets really interesting.

ZenSports is an online peer to peer betting marketplace that removes the need for a bookmaker, and thus the “vig”, “cut”, or “juice”.

By eliminating the bookmaker, ZenSports can charge 50-90% lower fees than traditional bookmakers do.

On top of saving a lot of money, every customer that uses ZenSports is betting against other sports bettors (not greedy bookmakers), so customers feel good knowing that they’re going up against people that are just like them.

Create Your Own Bets and Odds With ZenSports

How does peer to peer betting work, exactly?

By eliminating the bookmaker, ZenSports has essentially created a marketplace for which every bettor plays a role in creating a fun, decentralized ecosystem for everyone involved.

Here’s a five-step overview of how the ZenSports process currently works:

1. Makers create bets. Anyone can create any imaginable sports bet they want with their own terms, payout, and wager amount.
2. Takers accept bets. Anyone can accept part of or a whole bet created by a Maker.
3. Makers submit the results of the bet outcome. To prevent a Maker from submitting false results, Makers have an escrow fee of 10% of their bet set aside in case of a dispute by the Taker.
4. Takers can dispute results. A Taker can dispute any outcome but are required to hold 5% of their bet in escrow aside to prevent the Taker from making false disputes.
5. The Marketplace resolves disputes. The Marketplace is incentivized to vote correctly because they will receive half of the losing party’s escrow amount if they vote alongside the majority of the voters. The prevailing party received a full refund of their escrow fee, along with half of the losing party’s escrow fee.

All bets are then paid out accordingly.

ZenSports is the only mobile peer to peer sports betting marketplace, where anyone can create and accept bets around the world without the need for a centralized bookmaker.

The future of online sports betting is here.

How Do Betting Sites Calculate Odds

When you're thinking about where to place your sporting wagers, it's usually best to research a few sites to find at which site you can obtain the best sign up bonuses, are user friendly and can abtain the most favourable odds, as not every wagering portal will give you the same odds. To compreheand betting odds, all you need to know is that basicall, the better odds you can obtain, the more money you will win if your bet is successful. However, not all sites will give their odds in the same format, and when it comes to calculating sports betting odds, you are going to need to familiarise yourself with all three systems.

If you are american it may take you longer to find the right site, as many sites will not work with americans and american IPs. here is a list of highly rated sport gameing sites that work with americans

Fraction/Ratio

This is the traditional way of representing odds. They are in the form of a ratio, or fraction, such as 6/1, 9/2 or 5/4. You can work out how 'fancied' a competitor or team is by dividing the first number in the ratio by the second – the smaller the result, the more fancied the competitor or team. If the number on the right hand side of the dividing line is larger than the number on the left, then the competitor or team is said to be 'odds-on', which means that are much more fancied to be the winner in their event, than the loser. If you back a winner, to work out your winnings, just multiply your stake by the first number in the ration, divide it by the season, then add on your original stake. For example if you back at horse at at £10 at 9/2 and it wins, you get back (10 x 9 = 90 ÷ 2 = 45 + 10 =) £55.

Decimal

Decimals are becoming increasing popular with sports-betting sites, particularly with younger punters, as they are easier to calculate. The important number when dealing with calculating sports betting odds using decimals is 2.00. This is the equivalent to the fraction/ratio odds value of 'evens' – which means a bookmaker thinks there's an exact 50:50 chance of the competitor being the winner. Decimal odds less than 2.00 are 'odds on'. To calculate your winnings with decimal odds you just multiply your stake by the odds. 9/2 in decimal odds is 5.50, so in the example above £10 x 5.50 gives £55. To convert from fraction/ratio odds to decimal just divide the first number by the second and add 1.

American Odds

The final thing you have to work out when calculating sports betting odds is American odds. These are giving in the form +100 (evens, or 2.0) or -150 (2/3, or 1.67). If the sign in front of the number is a negative sign, it means that the competitor is odds on. American odds show how much will be won if you placed $100 on a wager (if positive) or how much you need to wager to win $100 (if negative). To work out your winnings, for positive odds multiply your wager by the odds then divide it by 100 and add your stake, so $10 at +450 = (10 x 450 = 4500 ÷ 100 = 45 + 10 =) $55. For negative odds, multiply your stake by 100 then divide by the price and add your stake, so $10 at -250 = (10 x 100 = 1000 ÷ 250 = 4 + 10 =) $14.

Need Help?

If you're getting stuck in calculating sports betting odds, then the good news is there are plenty of software tools out there to get you up and running. One of the leader runners is called the Z-Code System, which is a complete sports-betting software package that analyses dozens of attributes concerning nearly all of the major sporting contests, and in doing so does most of the homework for you. If you're struggling with calculating sports betting odds, and who want all the best sports betting information at your fingertips, you out to consider taking the Z-Code system out for a spin.