What Do Those Odds and Numbers Mean?
The sports odds, or price, on a given event can be rendered by an online sportsbook in one of three ways.
- American
- A price listed as +800 means that the bettor will return $800 profit on every $100 wagered, plus the original stake. +500 will return $500 profit every $100 wagered, plus the original stake. A price listed as -200 means that $200 must be wagered to make a profit of $100. The payout is then $300, the $100 won and the $200 stake.
- Fractional
- A price listed at 8/1 means that the event will return $800 for every $100 wagered, plus the original stake. 5/1 means that the event will return $500 for every $100 wagered, plus the original stake.
- Decimal
- A price listed at 8.00 means that the bet will return $800 for every $100 wagered. A price listed at 5.00 means that the bet will return $500 for every $100 wagered.