What Is Arbitrage Sports Betting and How to Use It?

Arbitrage sports betting is an old concept that works with something called sure bets. This means that regardless of the outcome of a sporting event, the bettor makes money either way. It’s a highly effective method of predicting wins and losses by using the same buy low, sell high concept of investment and market share trading.

They are called sure bets because the profit can be calculated well before an event has even started. The bookmaker carefully works out the price based on there being a winner and a loser. For a quick guide on how to use arbitrage sports betting, read on.

Calculating the Arb

Arbitrage sports betting is considered a relatively low-risk type of betting. It’s not exactly gambling because you win no matter the outcome, but there are mathematical calculations involved to identify just how much can be made as pure profit. The key is to calculate the price differentials between more than one exchange and bookmaker. This is done by comparing bookmakers’ predictions to understand what guarantees there are. Essentially, you bet on every player in the sport and so you are bound to win something at the end.

You need to know what the odds ratio is of all the competitors in the game so that you can make an informed decision. For example, you have two horses in a race both with odds of 2.05 between competing bookies and exchanges. Place a £100 bet on each player, and regardless of who wins, you will make £205, a £5 profit no matter the outcome.

Bet on Two-Sided Events

Soccer, tennis, and other team games are easier to work with and you can calculate your guaranteed profit quicker. When placing arbitrage bets, you need to look at the betting exchanges and the bookmaker’s predictions so that you can bet accordingly. The best way is to use sure bets calculator to know just how much to bet.

The bookmaker and exchange may have different odds, such as one saying the odds of team A winning are 2.06, whereas the other has only 2.0. You place a bet on each team of £100 with odds of winning £110 per team regardless of the outcome. When either team wins, you will get £110 plus the original bet of £200, giving you a total of £310.

Line Shopping

The only way to accurately bet on a team and make a concrete profit is to know the odds by line shopping. This is an arbitrage sportsbook that will help you find the most profitable sports betting tools and teams. Line shopping will help you find different arbitrage opportunities in sports betting, but be careful. It’s not a widely accepted form because a person can easily out bet the exchange or bookmaker, making more money than them. If someone sees an opportunity for arbitrage betting, it’s best to go with bigger bets than small ones. Arbitrage sports betting is not something that will make a person instantly rich. It takes time to learn the mathematics involved, and it can be complex when working with multiple parties in a sporting event, such as horse races. You have to look for opportunities and take them as they arise.

Look for Price Boosts

Price boosts are the best way to lock in the guaranteed profit. This is when a bookie enhances the odds more than they normally would. Look out for these opportunities because they will bring you more bank for your bet. The trick here is to make sure that the back odds aren’t higher than the lay odds. If this is the case, you won’t make any profit, but you may just break even.

It’s equally important to jump on these price boosts as soon as you see them. Arbitrage sports betting is fast-moving and if you don’t act quickly enough, you lose out. You need to have multiple accounts with exchanges and bookmakers to find the best arbitrage opportunities.

Arbitrage betting is something that has allowed bettors to utilise technology to gain the upper hand. The calculations to successful arbitrage sports betting become more complicated if you are working with multiple players or teams in a sporting event. Choose two-sided sports events, sign up to accounts for multiple exchanges and sportsbooks, and keep an eye on any opportunity that arises.