You’re likely to hear terms such as “stone cold lock,” “can’t miss,” and “guaranteed winners” frequently if you spend a lot of time in sports betting environments. However, these phrases are typically just noise or the equivalent of a heated opinion, and rarely hold any substantial value.

What if there truly existed a credible method to secure minor gains? It would require effort and meticulous scrutiny of figures to identify attractive prospects. Would you be willing to pursue it?

For the moment, just understand that what we’ve talked about is a genuine concept known as arbitrage betting. It’s indeed challenging to master, but we’ll break down how it works and what you should be aware of right in this discussion. You can address that question later.

What is arbitrage?

Arbitrage is centered on identifying pricing inefficiencies. The saying ‘buy low, sell high’ is relevant in this context. The fundamental idea is to purchase an item at a certain price and then promptly resell it at a higher price.

Arbitrage is often seen as a fast method for generating profits. This term is predominantly used in finance and economics sectors. Individuals who participate in this activity are usually known as arbitrageurs.

In the financial markets, arbitrage is used when price discrepancies are noticed between two markets. For instance, an asset might be priced lower in one market and higher in another. This allows an arbitrageur to buy at the lower price and sell at the higher price to secure a profit.

How to use arbitrage in sports betting

Every game or contest featured on online and mobile sportsbooks will have associated odds. The odds for many events might fall within a certain range across multiple operators, but they won’t necessarily be identical at each one.

Arbitrage, from a sports betting perspective, steps in at this point. The theory it operates on suggests that profits can be guaranteed by exploiting inefficiencies in the odds market. Shortly, we’ll delve into some comprehensive examples of how this operates.

At first, arbitrage may appear complicated, but it becomes simpler when you concentrate on the fundamental financial principle: the aim is to secure a profit by capitalizing on opportunities as they surface in the market.

Is arbitrage betting worth it?

Primarily, discovering lucrative arbitrage opportunities can be a lengthy process. It necessitates examining the lines from various operators to identify the inconsistencies that can be leveraged for profit.

Moreover, it’s crucial to be prepared to act immediately. If you don’t take advantage of an arbitrage opportunity shortly after you identify it, it may vanish once the odds begin to shift in response to subsequent betting activity.

Finally, sportsbook operators do not particularly like arbitrage. Indeed, in extreme cases where arbitrage is suspected, an account may be flagged. However, if you’re employing this strategy across multiple books, you can avoid such issues.

Line shopping for sports betting arbitrage opportunities

Whenever you intend to wager on sports, it’s always advisable to compare the lines. This essentially involves perusing the most recent odds from multiple operators to identify the best ones. Our live odds feed can be quite useful in this respect.

Line shopping is absolutely essential for arbitrage. In order for this strategy to be successful, it’s imperative to identify minor discrepancies in the lines that can be leveraged to your advantage. If the figures in each spot are identical, then unfortunately, you won’t be successful.

The market isn’t always efficient. Although the leading operators may closely align on major events, betting actions can cause slight variations. Sports bettors, as well as arbitrageurs, can sometimes find more favorable deals just by exploring different options.

How to calculate arbitrage betting profit

The concept behind an arbitrage play is to identify discrepancies in the odds being offered for the same competition. For instance, consider that sportsbook A provides the following line for an imminent MLB game.

• Tampa Bay Rays            +115
• Los Angeles Dodgers    -105

Conversely, sportsbook B is proposing a line for the identical game. Yet, the figures have shifted in the reverse direction at this location.

• Tampa Bay Rays              -105
• Los Angeles Dodgers     +115

This presents an ideal chance for the arbitrage bettor to seize. They stake $100 on the Rays at the first bookmaker, and an identical bet on the Dodgers at the second. No matter the outcome, they’re guaranteed a profit.

• If you place a $100 bet on Rays at +115 and win, you would receive a return of $215. This includes your original stake of $100 and a profit of $115.
• If you place a $100 bet on the Dodgers at +115, you would receive a total return of $215. This includes your original stake and a profit of $115.

The bettor’s initial investment totals $200. A return of $215 is assured, irrespective of the winning side, equating to a net gain of $15 or a 7.5% return on the initial bet. Although it’s not an enormous profit, it’s a reliable return on a risk-free wager.

The actual returns on arbitrage scores will depend on the odds of the bets you place. Sometimes, the returns might be minuscule, perhaps just a few points, while at other times, the returns could be significantly higher.

Arbitrage sports betting examples

In the basic example mentioned earlier, the odds for our imaginary showdown were totally reversed. One bookmaker offered a side at +115, while the counterpart provided the same for the opposite side. If only arbitrage always functioned so smoothly.

Regrettably, it doesn’t work that way. You won’t consistently wager the same amount on both sides. Precision in your calculations is critical to ensure profits. Let’s go over a few examples using various sports to understand how it works.

MLB arbitrage betting

Throughout the MLB season, there are numerous days filled with games. This provides increased opportunities for arbitrage, although it requires diligent research. Let’s examine a typical game where there’s a slight favorite on the moneyline.

• Minnesota Twins            -175
• Chicago White Sox        +155

Upon doing some shopping around, you discover that another book offers much more advantageous MLB odds on the White Sox.

• Minnesota Twins            -195
• Chicago White Sox        +185

Is there potential for arbitrage here? Indeed, there is. In this scenario, you’d aim to place bets on the two opposing teams at separate bookmakers. You’d put money on the Twins at -175 with one bookie and the White Sox at +185 with another. In order to guarantee a gain, you would need to vary the amounts you wager.

• If you win a $100 bet on Twins at -175, you will get back $157.10, which includes your $100 stake and an additional $57.10.
• If you place a $55 bet on the White Sox at +185 and win, you’ll receive a return of $156.75. This includes your original $55 stake and an additional $101.75 in winnings.

This bet requires an expenditure of $155 in total. If the Twins emerge victorious, you will gain $2.10. Conversely, if the White Sox win, your earnings would be $1.75. Although the returns on this stake may not seem substantial, the potential for profit increases in direct proportion to the betting amount.

NFL arbitrage betting

Because there’s a pause between weekly NFL game line-ups, ample time is available for seeking arbitrage opportunities. Each match will attract a lot of NFL betting activity, causing the odds to frequently fluctuate at online and mobile sportsbooks.

Let’s examine this game where there’s a minor home favorite on the moneyline.

• Detroit Lions        +110
• Chicago Bears      -130

Upon launch, most bookmakers offer similar odds. As the week progresses, one operator receives a significant amount of bets on the Bears, while the odds at other places remain consistent.

• Detroit Lions        +140
• Chicago Bears      -160

If another book offers odds of -130 for the Bears, you’re in an excellent position for arbitrage. You could place certain bets to guarantee a return, no matter the outcome of the game.

• If you place a $100 bet on Bears at -130 and win, you will receive a total of $176.90, which includes your original $100 stake and a profit of $76.90.
• A $73 bet on Lions at +140 yields a return of $175.20, which includes the initial $73 stake and a profit of $102.20.

Overall, you’ll place a bet of $173 on this game. If the Bears win, you stand to make a profit of $3.90. However, if the Lions surprisingly win, your return will be $2.20. Although these returns might not seem significant individually, they can indeed accumulate to a substantial amount over time.

NHL arbitrage betting

In the NHL, where betting is driven by moneyline, line shopping is an inevitable aspect. The tiny differences may appear insignificant, but they can accumulate significantly over a season, impacting the bottom line.

In arbitrage, you depend on those points of difference to emerge. Suppose a book has these lines for instance:

• New York Rangers         +135
• Chicago Blackhawks      -155

Meanwhile, a different book offers a somewhat unique perspective on the game.

• New York Rangers          +165
• Chicago Blackhawks       -185

If you’re a seeker of arbitrage opportunities, this is one of those games that will trigger your instincts. Regardless of the winning side in this game, you can anticipate a return on your NHL bets.

• If you place a $100 bet on the Blackhawks at -155, you stand to get a return of $164.50, which includes your initial stake of $100 and a profit of $64.50.
• If you win a $62 bet on the Rangers at odds of +165, you’ll get back $164.30, which includes your original $62 stake and a profit of $102.30.

You’ve gambled a total of $162 on this NHL game. If the Blackhawks emerge victorious, your net earnings will be $2.50. However, if there’s an unexpected win by the Rangers, you stand to make a total profit of $2.30. Without arbitrage, this profit wouldn’t be a certainty.

Other sports you can use for arbitrage betting

Considering both sides of a coin for betting could potentially present an opportunity for an arbitrage play. Besides the sports already discussed, arbitrage might also be applicable to:

• NBA
• NCAAF
• NCAAB
• MLS

This could also be applicable to individual sports for one-on-one competitions, such as:

• Golf
• Tennis
• Nascar
• UFC
• Boxing

The success of arbitrage relies heavily on the numbers. By monitoring the odds across various books, you should take note of any games with significant differences between operators. These games are worthy of further investigation for potential arbitrage opportunities.

The math behind arbitrage betting

Success in arbitrage betting hinges on accurate number crunching; there’s simply no way around it. If the calculations are off, you stand to lose money – no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Before initiating an arbitrage play, you need to ensure that the possible gain surpasses the amount you’re staking on both ends.

Remember this simple rule to calculate the potential return on standard moneyline wagers.

• Odds in negative imply the amount you need to stake to earn $100. For instance, if the odds are -110, you must bet $110 to potentially profit $100.
• Positive odds indicate the potential return on a $100 bet. For instance, a bet of $100 at odds of +115 could potentially yield a profit of $115.

You can also use two formulas to calculate the return on bets that are favorable to you.

• Return = Amount of wager / (Odds/100) for negative odds.
• Return = Wager Amount * (Odds/100)

Both formulas start with you working from inside the parentheses and moving outward. In the first formula, you divide the odds by 100. Following that, divide the stake amount by the resulting number. The second formula starts similarly, but instead of dividing, you multiply the resulting figure by the amount wagered.

Numerous online betting calculators are available for free. Some of the superior ones even assist with calculations for arbitrage scenarios.

The pros and cons of arbitrage betting

The concept of arbitrage betting is intriguing because it essentially allows you to glean profits by identifying market inefficiencies. Here are several of its key benefits:

• Secure profits regardless of the outcome.
• Shopping around can highlight potential areas for profit.
• This can serve as a useful tool for generating returns and enhancing your bankroll.

Of course, there are also potential drawbacks to arbitrage betting:

• Can be time consuming
• If your math is not accurate, you could lose money.
• The practice is frowned upon by sportsbooks.

To summarize, if you have the time to search for opportunities, arbitrage might be a beneficial inclusion in your overall betting strategy. If this doesn’t apply to you, consider arbitrage betting as something potentially worthwhile to investigate in the future.