Introduction
If you’re new to sports betting, odds can look confusing at first. But once you understand them, odds are simply a way of showing how much you could win from a bet. This guide will explain the three main types of odds and how to read them.
1. Fractional Odds (Popular in the UK)
- Example: 5/1 (spoken as “five to one”).
- For every £1 you stake, you win £5 if the bet comes in. Your total return would be £6 (£5 profit + £1 stake).
Another example:
- Odds of 10/3 → for every £3 staked, you win £10 profit.
2. Decimal Odds (Popular in Europe)
- Example: 2.50
- This number shows your total return, including your stake.
- A £10 bet at 2.50 returns £25 (£15 profit + £10 stake).
Quick tip:
- If the decimal is below 2.0, the selection is an odds-on favourite.
- If it’s above 2.0, it’s the underdog.
3. American Odds (Used in the USA)
- Example: +200 → You win £200 profit for a £100 stake.
- Example: -150 → You need to stake £150 to win £100 profit.
These aren’t common in UK football betting, but you might see them on international sites.
Converting Between Odds
- Fractional → Decimal: Add the fraction result to 1. Example: 5/1 = 6.0 in decimal.
- Decimal → Fractional: Subtract 1. Example: 2.5 in decimal = 3/2 in fractional.
Why Odds Matter
Understanding odds helps you:
- Work out potential winnings.
- Spot value bets (where the odds look better than the real chance of winning).
- Compare bookies to get the best return on your bet.
Conclusion
Odds may look complicated at first, but they’re just different ways of showing the same thing: how much you could win. Once you get used to reading them, you’ll feel more confident when placing your football bets and building your weekend acca.
At AccaPig, we’ll keep providing you with daily tips and acca suggestions, so you can put your new knowledge into practice.