How to Read Online Sports Betting Odds

This universal guide on how to read online sports betting odds is all you need in order to read and comprehend decimal, fractional as well as American odds at a glance, just like a pro.

It is crucial to know how to read online sports betting odds. They indicate how much money you can make with a bet. The online sports betting sites display odds in three main formats:  

1. Decimal odds

   Decimal online sports betting odds show you the total winnings with the original wager included.  1.75 odds means that you will get €17.50 on a €10 bet. Most online sports betting in Europe such as 1xBET display their odds in the decimal format (also called European odds format or continental odds). This format is also used by bookmakers in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

2. Fractional Odds

   Fractional odds show you how much profit you can win on a wager.  For example, 8/5 odds means that for betting £5 you can win 8. Most online sportsbooks in the UK display fractional odds. This format is also used for traditional horse betting. Fraction odds are also known as UK odds, traditional odds or British odds.

3. American odds

   The American odds format – also called moneyline odds – will either show the expected profit over or the amount to be wagered to win $100. When Amercian odds are positive, e.g + 150, they mean you can make a profit of  $150 over a $100 bet. When American odds are negative, they show you how much you’d have to bet to win $100. Odds of -200 means you would have to bet $200 to make a profit of $100.

How to read online sports betting odds in Europe: explaining the decimal system

Decimal or European odds show you how much money in total you can win with a successful bet. You simply multiply your stake with this number and you get your total winnings. This is going to be your payout. So, let’s assume that you bet that €10 on an event of 2.00 odds. You multiply €10 × 2.00. In this case, you win €20.00.

But how much money did you make – what is your profit? Well, you had to put in the original €10 wager, didn’t you? Just subtract the original wager from the total winnings and you will get your earnings: 20-10= €10. You double your money, as shown in the 2.00 odds. Now, if the odds are 3.00 and you win a bet with a €10 wager, your total winnings will be €30. In this case, the profit will be €20, which means that you tripled the money that you started playing with. With 4.00 odds, you can quadruple your money and so on and so forth.

Often, you can see odds like “1.25”. This means that your total winning is 1.25 times your innitial stake. So, for wagering a tenner, you’ll get €12.50. Even odds, in this case, look like this: 2.00.

How to read online sports betting odds in the UK: it’s all about the profit!

Most betting sites in the United Kingdom and Ireland use fractional betting odds. While the European system uses decimal numbers, we can see fractional numbers if we join an online sportsbook site in the UK. Another thing you might notice is the fact that fractional odds always have a / character between two numbers, e.g. 5/2.

The most important difference between decimal odds and fractional (UK) odd formats is the following: the UK odds quote profit, the European (decimal) odds quote winnings. The UK sports betting odds format shows you directly how much profit you can make from a bet. Let’s say you bet £10 with 1/2 odds. This means that the profit will be 1/2 of your total bet. That profit is £5 in our case. If you win, you’ll have a total of £15. Now, remember, you spent £10, which was your stake. If you place a bet of £10  on odds of 2/1, you’ll make a profit of £20. Even odds are like this: 1/1.

How to read online sports betting odds: learn the American way

Most online sportsbook sites in the US display American odds. These are the same as the so-called moneyline betting odds. This form follows a different logic. You don’t have to do any calculations, as the online sports betting odd lines already ‘include’ them. When you see a “+” before the number, it shows you the amount of money you will win with a $100 bet. So, the +200 American betting odds mean you have a profit of $200 over your $100 bet.

You might find a “–” sign before the number. This number indicates how much your stake should be in order to make a profit of $100. So, -1,000 means that you have to bet $1,000 for a profit of $100.  Even odds (when the event is just as likely to happen as it is not likely to happen) look like either “±100” or “+100”. Occasionally, it becomes “−100”.

How to Convert Decimal, Fractional and American betting odds?