Understanding How Fighting Odds Work
Betting on fights is pretty straight forward. You simply have to pick the fighter you think will win the fight. The catch is that you are going to have to risk a lot more on the favorite. The odds are presented in the form of a
The odds are presented in the form of a money line, like you see with every other sport. The favorite in the bout is represented by a negative number (-) and the underdog has a positive (+) number.n example so that we can better understand what we are talking about:
Here’s an example so that you can better understand what we are talking about. Let’s say Mike Tyson is fighting Evander Holyfield. Oddsmakers might put out lines like you see below.
Tyson (-260)
Holyfield (+220)
In the example above, Tyson is the favorite and Holyfield is the underdog. They key here is the numbers. If you wanted to place a wager on Tyson, you would have to risk $260 just to win $100. On the other side, we have the underdog +220. Here you only have to risk $100 to win $220. As you can see, you take a bigger risk by taking the favorite. The underdog, while less likely, pays out at a much better rate.
As you can see, you take a bigger risk by taking the favorite. The underdog, while less likely, pays out at a much better rate. It’s hard to not bet the favorite in a fight. The problem is, the lines are often much bigger than the example above. You will often see fighters at -500 or more.
You will often see fighters at -500 or more. Let’s say you bet five different matches all on the favorite at -500. You could pick 4 of the 5 fights right and lose money. Not to mention you are risking $2,500 to win a mere $500 if they all go your way.
If the bout were to end in a draw, the wager (regardless of which side you were on) is treated as “no action.” That means you just get the money you risked back.
Profiting With Tonight’s Fight Lines & Expert Betting Advice
Moneylines are by far the most popular form of boxing and fighting betting, but they aren’t the only way to wager on a fight. Another popular type of bet is the over/under on the number of rounds the bout will last. In this case what matters is whether the bout ends before the number of rounds set by the oddsmaker.
You can also bet on who will win each round on the judges’ scorecard. The bigger the fight the more different options that will be available to wager. Just remember that the more exotic the wagers get, the worse the odds of you winning generally get.
One of the big keys to profiting with boxing lines is to shop around for the best odds. As you can see, we list the available odds from multiple different books and rarely are the same. Shopping for the best lines is critical to long-term success. It might not seem like much to get -150 instead of -160 or +145 instead of +150, but it adds up quickly.
It’s no secret that boxing isn’t as popular as it once was. Staying updated with all the new fighters is no easy task. If you are looking for some help beating the books, be sure to check out our expert picks for all the upcoming matches.