If you have entered the betting arena without a clear strategy in mind then you might emerge out as a very unhappy bettor, not to mention that you might also lose a lot of money in the process. Just as a doctor would require the right skills before operating on a patient, you also will have to work tirelessly in understanding sports betting odds before you make a killing inside the betting arena.

Each exciting sport such as boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and many such more qualify for betting. Even if the sport is college football handled by way of the ncaa or pro football handled by way of the nfl, bets may be placed, even though the odds will certainly differ in each sport and every game too. Odds are also displayed differently in different countries. For example, USA displays odds as American odds, i.e. -100, -230, etc, while Canada, Australia and Countries in Europe display odds as Decimal odds, i.e. 2.50, 1.30, etc, and also the UK displays odds as Fractional odds, i.e. 8/8, 8/4, etc.

Sports betting odds also display the underdog team together with the top-dog, the over-under and the spread through which you must win if you decide to bet for or against the spread. A straightforward example will explain betting odds easily. For example in an nfl match involving the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants, the odds may be displayed as under

Buffalo Bills -11.2 -120 -160
New York Giants +11.2 -120 +270

The very first sign near the teams name signifies the underdog and also the top-dog. Hence, Buffalo Bills is the top-dog because of the “-” sign whereas the Giants are the underdogs due to the “+” sign next to it. The figure 11.2 indicates the spread and the favored team has got to win with the points mentioned on the spread. The figure 120 means that you will need to bet $120 to win $100 on that spread. The final figure of 160 near the Bills indicates that you need to stake $160 to win $100 along with your stake on that bet because the Bills are classified as the favored team to win. On the other hand, you simply have to bet $100 to win $270 should you bet for the Giants as it is the underdog team.

The above mentined was an example of betting odds in the American odds format. Each bookie displays odds in different formats but you could quickly convert it in your format by using the odds converter obtainable in most websites. The Internet has today definitely made betting easier even though you will certainly have to work on understanding and calculating the betting odds before you place your bet.

You might certainly be in a position to bet efficiently and convert most of your placed bets into huge wins in case you read and understand sports betting odds. Each sports book will display odds and you will have to select sites that have the most effective odds for you to bet on. Understanding sports betting odds is essential if you want to beat the odds and also the bookies and make a killing by winning the maximum amount of bets.