Sports betting: odds, margin and bankroll
The second half of this guide is about sports betting. We give no tips and publish no odds, because they change minute by minute. Instead we explain what sits behind a price, how much the bookmaker keeps on each market and how to manage a bankroll. Which sports and markets Bilionro offers you will see in the betting section of your account.
What a price tells you
Decimal odds, for example 2.50, show what you get back per unit staked, stake included. Implied probability is 1 divided by the odds: 1 / 2.50 = 40%. If you believe the outcome is more likely than 40%, the price looks “good”; if less, it does not.
The bookmaker’s margin
Add up the implied probabilities of every outcome in a market. The total exceeds 100%; the excess is the margin. Example for a football match (example figures, not Bilionro odds or terms):
| Outcome | Odds | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (home) | 2.10 | 47.6% |
| X (draw) | 3.30 | 30.3% |
| 2 (away) | 3.60 | 27.8% |
| Total | — | 105.7% |
The margin is about 5.7%. The smaller the margin, the better the prices for the bettor. Margins differ between sports, competitions and markets: main markets on big matches usually carry smaller margins than secondary markets.
Sports in this guide
- Football — main markets, goals, handicaps.
- Tennis — match winner, sets, games and the retirement rule.
- Basketball — spreads, totals, overtime.
- Cricket — formats and basic markets.
- Bet types — singles, accumulators, systems, in-play, cash-out.
Bankroll
Bettors who last share one habit: a fixed, separate amount and a constant stake. A common rule is a single-bet stake of 1–3% of the total bankroll. With a 500 bankroll that means 5–15 per slip (example figures, not Bilionro odds or terms). A run of ten losing slips then does not empty the account.
In-play betting
Prices during a match move fast and decisions are made in seconds. The margin on in-play markets can be higher than before kick-off. If you bet in play, decide the match and the market in advance rather than reacting to a goal.
Betting and the casino
Sports and casino bonuses usually have separate conditions, and a mixed budget is hard to track. Keep separate amounts for an evening at the live casino and for the day’s slips.