Welcome to the Sports Betting Odds section of Sports Bet Listings. On this page you will find as a quick explanation of the different odd formats with links to more detailed pages for each style of betting odds, as well as links to our various live sports odds pages.
How Sports Betting Odds Work
The sports betting odds (also known as lines) are the most important factor when deciding if you want to place a wager on a specific outcome. In general, the less likely the outcome, the higher the potential payout and vice versa. Value is found in betting lines where you feel the likelihood of the outcome occurring is greater than the odds and potential payout suggest. In order to find these good value betting lines you first need to understand how to read sports betting odds and that is where we come in.
There are three styles of sports betting odds. The American style is the most common odds format used in North America, while the decimal odds style is the most common form used in Europe. The fractional odds format isn’t very common anymore, but it is the easiest for verbalizing odds (eg. 2 to 1). Below you will find a short description of each odds format. Click on the links to visit the more detailed dedicated pages.
American Odds – This is the most common odds format used by North American bettors. It involves positive (+) or negative (-) signs indicating whether the potential payout will be greater than or less than the wager amount. Positive (+) signs indicate the payout will be more (used for underdogs), while negative (-) signs indicate the payout will be less (used for favorites). A number greater than 100 is then displayed beside the sign. Beside positive (+) signs the number indicates how much a $100 wager would win and beside negative (-) signs the number indicates how much must be wagered to win $100.
Decimal Odds – This odds format is the easiest to use for calculating the potential payout of a wager. The number beside an outcome (eg. 2.65) is multiplied by the amount wagered to find the total potential payout. To calculate the winnings you then simply subtract the amount wagered from the potential payout.
Fractional Odds – This odds format is the easiest to verbalize and is easy to understand when the odds can be simplified. The numerator (top number) is the amount you will win by wagering the denominator (bottom number). For example, 3/2 fractional odds mean that a wager of $2 will win you $3 for a total payout of $5.
If you want more information on any of the odds formats outlined above be sure to click on the links to visit the more detailed explanation pages.