Fractional Odds

Author:

David Genge

Last Updated on:

November 21, 2021

Topic:

Help

Experiences:

Sports Betting Guru

Topic:

Help

Experiences:

Sports Betting Guru

My foray into the world of sports betting was as a punter, primarily following the ups and downs (well, mostly downs…) of my local team as they battled against the ever-present threat of relegation. Over time, I began to become more and more interested in the ins and outs of various strategies and became adept at spotting a good operator.

My day job was, at the time, writing and editing for a local newspaper, so turning my professional skills to my interest in sports betting followed naturally. I started writing about sports betting as a hobby initially with my own blog, analysing odds and providing betting tips where I thought I could find value. Eventually, I was headhunted to write the same content for a betting firm, which resulted in me leaving my local paper job behind and turning my professional interests solely to sports betting writing by 2017. Since then, I have been proud of the body of work I have been able to produce.

Using my interest in all aspects of the sports and gambling world to guide me, I now write for Betting.net, compiling operator reviews, bonus reviews, and sharing the tips and tricks across our various sports betting guides. When I’m not at my keyboard, I am an avid rock climber, with an ultimate goal of eventually ascending the Seven Peaks — if I can fit it in between penning the latest bookmaker review, that is!

What are Fractional Odds?

The odds on a bet represent how likely one of the bookmakers thinks it is that the bet is likely to win, and therefore how much they are offering in terms of winnings. In most parts of the world these odds are displayed as either fractional odds or decimal odds. Fractional odds are by far the dominant choice in the UK and Ireland, and are amongst the oldest form of odds in the world. A typical example of fractional odds would be 5/1, which means that anyone placing a single bet receives five times the amount they wagered, plus the original stake, if the bet proves to be successful.

To see more example of Fractional odds, select it as the betting option on our Betting Odds Page for any sport you’re thinking about betting on.

How are Fractional Odds used in Sports Betting?

In the case of many fractional odds, the number on the right, which represents the stake, will be lower than the number on the left, which is the amount the stake will be multiplied by. A successful £5 bet on horse to win a race at odds of 7/1, for example, will produce winnings of £40, made up of the original stake plus £35 (£5×7) in profit.

If the horse in question is a particular favourite to win the race then the bet will be described as odds on. This means that the number on the right is actually larger than the number on the left. For example, a successful £10 bet on a horse at odds of 8/10 will result in winnings of £18, made up of the original stake of £10 and a profit of £8 which is actually less than the stake itself.

Fractional odds function as both an extremely simple way of calculating exactly how much can be won for a specific bet placed, and also as a shorthand for the likelihood of a particular outcome. By using research and knowledge of the sport in question, and by placing in-play bets in response to on-going events, it is possible to place bets which take advantage of fractional odds which may be more generous than the situation merits. To help with your research and knowledge we’ve put together a ton of sport specific betting strategy guides to help you take your game to new heights.

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