How to Read American Odds?
There are three ways to view odds that are used by most online bookmakers. Of these, most people will be familiar with two of them, and will choose to use this style. These are fractional odds and decimal odds. The third type is American. These odds are the lesser known and used of the three, but if you are looking to expand your betting knowledge then they are certainly worth knowing about.
What are American Odds?
As the name suggests, American odds originate from betting in the USA. When you head to Vegas, where sports betting is seen on huge screens inside casinos, you will see the odds shown in the American format.
In Europe and elsewhere around the world, these are not as commonly used, and certainly sit third behind fractional odds and decimal odds.
American odds are based on the profit you make from a bet. This is done to a stake of 100 units, and that gives you the odds on offer.
Lets take an example to show you how American odds look when compared to fractional and decimal.
To win Superbowl LV the Philadephia Eagles are priced at:
Fractional odds 18/1
Decimal odds 19.0
American odds +1800
The reason for showing like this is as follows. Fractional odds show you staking 1 unit to receive a profit back of 18 and a total of 19. Decimal odds are based on the amount you are returned off 1 unit, so therefore, the odds for 18/1 are 19.00 because that is how much you would receive back for 1 unit.
American odds show you the profit you would make (note this is profit, not total return) from a bet of 100. In this instance above, at odds of 18/1, the profit on a 100 unit bet would be 1800, so the odds are shown as +1800.
What Happens to Odds On Selections?
When a selection is odds on, American odds work in a slightly different manner. Instead of showing you the profit from a bet of 100 units, it shows you the stake you need to place to win 100 units. Here is an example of how odds on odds are shown in the three different varieties.
Fractional odds 1/4
Decimal odds 1.25
American odds -400
As you can see here, the odd are -400 because you need to stake 400 to win back a profit of 100 units. In fractional odds these show the odds turned around to represent a larger stake than return, while the price has no impact on decimal odds, these are shown in exactly the same way.
It is vitally important to look out for the – or + symbol when you are viewing American odds. On big examples like we have shown, you can easily distinguish because the odds are massively different.
However, if you are looking at odds of 11/10 and 10/11 in fractional terms, these would be shown as +110 and -110 in that order. The first gives you a win of 110 from a stake of 100 while the latter gives a win of 100 from a stake of 110. This is when you need to take extra care when viewing your odds to ensure you are getting the very best deal from your bookmaker if using American odds.
You might also be interested in:
Top 20 Betting Offers
|
18+. Play Safe. New customers only, using promo code T60. Valid from 13/04/2022. Online play. Get £60 Bonus split between Vegas & Sports in the following manner – (i) Deposit £10 to unlock £20 Vegas Free Bet on Selected Games (72hr expiry, wagering reqs apply); then (ii) bet £10+ (odds 1/2+) with cash (excl. £10 deposit) or Vegas winnings (after wager reqs met). Once settled, receive £40 Sports Free Bets excluding Virtual Markets (4x £10, 7 days expiry). Full T&Cs apply. #ad |
|||||
|
New UK customers only. Qualifying bet should be a Single or Accumulator bet, min stake £10, and min odds 1.9. Get £50 in Free bets which must be placed with a min odds of 2.0 include: 1 x £10 Free bet for horse racing, 1 x £10 Free bet on football, 2 x 10 Free bet In-play, 1 x £10 Free bet Acca (min 3 selections). To unlock the offer, complete the first deposit via the banking app. Max payout – £500. 7 day expiry. 18+. Begambleaware.org |
|||||
|
New customers only. Register with SUMMER50. First qualifying bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get £50 in free bets: 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New UK Customers. Register using code BETGETSPORTS. Must bet £10 in total on 4+ legs, min odds 4.0. £20 awarded as 4 X £5 free bets once settled, AND 50 Free Spins to use on Big Bass Splash (valued at 10p per spin). Free bet T&Cs Apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org |
|||||
|
New customers Deposit and place your first bet on Sports at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater. Once bet is settled you will receive 1x £10 Free Bet Token to be used on Football, 1x £10 Free Bet Token to be used on Horse Racing, and 20 Extra spins (value per spin 50p), to be used on Book of Dead. Total bonus value £30. Full terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
|
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. Stake not returned. Restrictions + Free bet T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 3x £10 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
18+. New customers only. Min deposit £20. Max One £10 Free Bet. Min turnover £20. Qualifying Bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater. Paid as bonus token with Min 4/5 (1.80) odds req. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New Customers Only. Opt in and bet £10 (odds 2.00+) within 3 days of sign up. No cash-out. Get 3x£10 Free Bets for set markets (odds 2.0+) which expire in 5 days. Cards and Apple Pay payments only. Scroll down for T&Cs. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
£10 min deposit. First bet mins odds 1.5 placed within 14 days of sign-up. 2 x £10 in Free Bets: valid for 7 days, free bet stakes not returned. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+ T&Cs apply.
|
|||||
|
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD |
|||||
|
New Customers. Min Deposit: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First qualifying bet with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00+ (2/1). If first bet loses free bets will be credited after bet settled. 100 Free Spins on Gold Blitz credited on settlement of qualifying Acca bet. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full terms apply |
|||||
|
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 at odds 2.00+ within 7 days, no cashout. Get 6x £5 Free Bets, set events at odds 2.00+. 7 day bonus expiry. Debit Card / Apple Pay payments only. Click for T&Cs. Please Gamble Responsibly. |
|||||
|
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. New customers. Registration required |
|||||
|
New customers only. Min deposit £10. Max one £15 Free Bet. Min Turnover £15 to qualify. Qualifying bets must be at odds of Evens (2.0) or bigger. Full Terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
|
Deposit and bet on any Sports Markets at Evens (2.00) or greater. Get 50% Money Back of your first days losses as a Free Bet up to £35 + another £5 free bet either way + 10 Free Spins. New customers. Free bet T&Cs apply.18+
|
|||||
|
New customers, Deposit & Place a qualifying bet of £10 at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets: 1 x £10 Free Bet on Football, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Free Bet on Horse Racing. Free bets expire in 7 days. Stake not returned. T&C’s Apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
|
18+. New Customers Only. Max 1 x £10 Free Bet. Qualifying bets at Odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as Bonus Token Min 4/5 Odds Req. Skrill, Neteller, Paypal not eligible. T&Cs Apply |
|||||
|
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 1 x 20 free bet. Stake not returned. This offer is limited to one free bet award per person/household/IP address. Free bets expire in 7 days. Full T&Cs apply. |
