1. Types of Betting Odds and How They Work
For anyone placing online wagers it's vital to appreciate exactly how to read odds for sports betting. Odds are essentially the bookmakers estimated probability of an event's outcome, carefully calculated so they'll usually have the profit margin in their favour.
Put simply, to understand how do your betting odds work, the greater the odds against a team, the larger the payout will be for a successful bet. There's mainly three different formats of betting odds: European/Decimal; British/Fractional; and American/Moneyline.
1.1 Decimal Odds
Decimal odds are popular not only in Europe, but also countries such as Australia and New Zealand. How to read decimal odds is relatively straightforward, with the number declared being the amount a punter would receive into their account for every $/€ wagered. Primarily, it's the total payout, rather than just the profit.
So for example, if Liverpool were 1.3 and opponents Sunderland 5.00, a €100 gamble on the Champions would see a return of €130 (the initial stake plus €30 profit), whilst Sunderland-backers for the same stake would collect $/€500. That's how decimal odds work, the bookmaker in this instance makes Liverpool the favourite, giving them the shorter decimal odds.
If you’re just getting into sports betting, Riobet offers a straightforward platform where decimal odds are clearly displayed, making it easy to understand your possible returns before placing a bet. To make your first steps even more rewarding, be sure to enter a Riobet Promo Code during registration to unlock additional bonuses and boost your starting balance.
1.2 Fractional Odds
It's slightly different how fractional odds work. These are the ratio of the amount to be won against the punters stake. Taking the same event as above, Liverpool would be shown as 30/100 and Sunderland 4/1.
So here a winning bet would receive £30 for a £100 wager on Liverpool, or £400 if £100 was gambled on a Sunderland victory. The numbers need adding together for the total potential returns, meaning that in this case, a 30 profit + 100 stake = £130 returns, or 400 profit + 100 stake = £500 returns.
Basically, how to read fractional odds is to remember the first number is how much the bookmaker will pay and the second number is what that figure should be multiplied by, or in other words the bettor's stake.
1.3 American Odds
Understanding how American odds work is different again, as these types of odds introduce positive and negative symbols to represent underdogs and favourites. Also referred to as the Moneyline, essentially how to read American odds is to appreciate that favourites are denoted with a minus sign and underdogs with a plus sign (we explain in greater detail in the following section).
Once again using the same fixture as an example: Liverpool would be shown as -333.3 which effectively means a punter would need to bet that amount in dollars to win $100. Sunderland on the other hand would show at +400, which is how much a bettor would win in dollars from a $100 bet.
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Learning how to read sports betting odds helps you know how much you can win before placing a bet. Once you understand basic odds like decimal, fractional or american, betting becomes easier and more fun. To make things even simpler, you can use the 2025 Bet Calculator App For Free to quickly check your possible winnings.
2. What do the + and - Mean in Sports Betting?
As touched on above, understanding sports betting odds the American way can be a little tricky. They concentrate on the favourite vs underdog scenario and fundamentally what they're doing is making a punter risk a higher stake than the sum they'd win if backing a favourite - represented by the minus sign. Conversely, the underdog - represented by the plus sign - shows the profit to be made against the initial stake, where profit will be greater than risk, should the bet succeed.
It's to be remembered that how to read odd for sports betting is the figure shown - regardless of it being preceded by a (-) or (+) sign - is always based on wagering $100. Obviously payouts will be smaller with a negative set of odds, but they also indicate a higher probability of winning, so could actually correspond to a more reliable strategy.
3. How to Pick the Most Profitable Odds to Win Big
If taking sports gambling seriously, then it's important to grasp how to read and understand betting odds, allowing the opportunity to choose the best at which to profit. It often comes down to balancing risk and reward, making value and discipline the crucial ingredients.
Shorter odds probably means a higher win rate but low profits, whereas longer odds will usually mean a lower win rate, but a greater payout. Often it'll come down to the market a punter is betting in and their ability to spot value. This frequently will steer a bettor to mid-range odds, sitting somewhere between the very short and very long odds. They'll offer decent returns without having to over-stretch the stakes.
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💡 When learning how to read betting odds, it’s also important to know which bets carry lower risk. Checking out the safest betting markets can help you understand options that are generally more predictable and reduce potential losses.
4. How Sports Betting Odds Work in 2025 - FAQ
4.1 ❓ What are the most popular types of odds?
Knowing how to read sports betting odds is important, especially as there's 3 different types: Decimal, Fractional and American
.
4.2 ❓ Do the favourites have higher or lower odds?
A basic requirement for a novice punter having betting odds explained is to appreciate that favourites will always have the lower odds.
4.3 ❓ What does + and - mean?
Knowing how money line odds work (also known as American odds) requires understanding that a favourite's odds will always be preceded by a minus sign and the underdog will be demonstrated by the plus sign.
4.4 ❓ Which sportsbooks have the best odds?
Having grasped how to read odds punters should concentrate their wagering at trusted leaders in the industry, such as: bet365, 1XBET, 1xBit, Pinnacle, Betwinner, William Hill, Netbet and Melbet.
4.5 ❓ Is following bookmakers’ betting odds profitable?
It can be, but while punters may ask should I follow betting odds when betting, to make a profit it's more important to learn exactly how to read sports betting odds before taking that next step.
How to Read Sports Betting Odds
Knowing how to read sports betting odds should be a basic requirement for anybody placing bets. There's many aspects to gain knowledge upon and that's why our guide on how to read odds will hopefully prove beneficial.
We look at the different types of odds and explain how each works. We demonstrate through examples to make the picture a little clearer; as well as discussing potential strategies to adopt and how to select the best odds for profit.
Contents
1. Types of Betting Odds and How They Work
For anyone placing online wagers it's vital to appreciate exactly how to read odds for sports betting. Odds are essentially the bookmakers estimated probability of an event's outcome, carefully calculated so they'll usually have the profit margin in their favour.
Put simply, to understand how do your betting odds work, the greater the odds against a team, the larger the payout will be for a successful bet. There's mainly three different formats of betting odds: European/Decimal; British/Fractional; and American/Moneyline.
1.1 Decimal Odds
Decimal odds are popular not only in Europe, but also countries such as Australia and New Zealand. How to read decimal odds is relatively straightforward, with the number declared being the amount a punter would receive into their account for every $/€ wagered. Primarily, it's the total payout, rather than just the profit.
So for example, if Liverpool were 1.3 and opponents Sunderland 5.00, a €100 gamble on the Champions would see a return of €130 (the initial stake plus €30 profit), whilst Sunderland-backers for the same stake would collect $/€500. That's how decimal odds work, the bookmaker in this instance makes Liverpool the favourite, giving them the shorter decimal odds.
If you’re just getting into sports betting, Riobet offers a straightforward platform where decimal odds are clearly displayed, making it easy to understand your possible returns before placing a bet. To make your first steps even more rewarding, be sure to enter a Riobet Promo Code during registration to unlock additional bonuses and boost your starting balance.
1.2 Fractional Odds
It's slightly different how fractional odds work. These are the ratio of the amount to be won against the punters stake. Taking the same event as above, Liverpool would be shown as 30/100 and Sunderland 4/1.
So here a winning bet would receive £30 for a £100 wager on Liverpool, or £400 if £100 was gambled on a Sunderland victory. The numbers need adding together for the total potential returns, meaning that in this case, a 30 profit + 100 stake = £130 returns, or 400 profit + 100 stake = £500 returns.
Basically, how to read fractional odds is to remember the first number is how much the bookmaker will pay and the second number is what that figure should be multiplied by, or in other words the bettor's stake.
1.3 American Odds
Understanding how American odds work is different again, as these types of odds introduce positive and negative symbols to represent underdogs and favourites. Also referred to as the Moneyline, essentially how to read American odds is to appreciate that favourites are denoted with a minus sign and underdogs with a plus sign (we explain in greater detail in the following section).
Once again using the same fixture as an example: Liverpool would be shown as -333.3 which effectively means a punter would need to bet that amount in dollars to win $100. Sunderland on the other hand would show at +400, which is how much a bettor would win in dollars from a $100 bet.
Learning how to read sports betting odds helps you know how much you can win before placing a bet. Once you understand basic odds like decimal, fractional or american, betting becomes easier and more fun. To make things even simpler, you can use the 2025 Bet Calculator App For Free to quickly check your possible winnings.
2. What do the + and - Mean in Sports Betting?
As touched on above, understanding sports betting odds the American way can be a little tricky. They concentrate on the favourite vs underdog scenario and fundamentally what they're doing is making a punter risk a higher stake than the sum they'd win if backing a favourite - represented by the minus sign. Conversely, the underdog - represented by the plus sign - shows the profit to be made against the initial stake, where profit will be greater than risk, should the bet succeed.
It's to be remembered that how to read odd for sports betting is the figure shown - regardless of it being preceded by a (-) or (+) sign - is always based on wagering $100. Obviously payouts will be smaller with a negative set of odds, but they also indicate a higher probability of winning, so could actually correspond to a more reliable strategy.
3. How to Pick the Most Profitable Odds to Win Big
If taking sports gambling seriously, then it's important to grasp how to read and understand betting odds, allowing the opportunity to choose the best at which to profit. It often comes down to balancing risk and reward, making value and discipline the crucial ingredients.
Shorter odds probably means a higher win rate but low profits, whereas longer odds will usually mean a lower win rate, but a greater payout. Often it'll come down to the market a punter is betting in and their ability to spot value. This frequently will steer a bettor to mid-range odds, sitting somewhere between the very short and very long odds. They'll offer decent returns without having to over-stretch the stakes.
Best sport betting sites where you can WIN BIG!
💡 When learning how to read betting odds, it’s also important to know which bets carry lower risk. Checking out the safest betting markets can help you understand options that are generally more predictable and reduce potential losses.
4. How Sports Betting Odds Work in 2025 - FAQ
4.1 ❓ What are the most popular types of odds?
Knowing how to read sports betting odds is important, especially as there's 3 different types: Decimal, Fractional and American
.4.2 ❓ Do the favourites have higher or lower odds?
A basic requirement for a novice punter having betting odds explained is to appreciate that favourites will always have the lower odds.
4.3 ❓ What does + and - mean?
Knowing how money line odds work (also known as American odds) requires understanding that a favourite's odds will always be preceded by a minus sign and the underdog will be demonstrated by the plus sign.
4.4 ❓ Which sportsbooks have the best odds?
Having grasped how to read odds punters should concentrate their wagering at trusted leaders in the industry, such as: bet365, 1XBET, 1xBit, Pinnacle, Betwinner, William Hill, Netbet and Melbet.
4.5 ❓ Is following bookmakers’ betting odds profitable?
It can be, but while punters may ask should I follow betting odds when betting, to make a profit it's more important to learn exactly how to read sports betting odds before taking that next step.