Why Betting Margins Matter: Exploring the Impact on Your Winnings
When it comes to sports betting, finding value bets is essential to maximising profits. One crucial aspect of identifying value bets is knowing the betting margins of different bookmakers.
Understanding betting margins is critical for several reasons. First and foremost, it allows bettors to identify value bets — wagers that have a higher chance of winning than their odds suggest and therefore increase long-term profitability. By recognising value bets, bettors can increase their chances of making profits over time.
Moreover, knowing the betting margins of different bookmakers can help bettors choose the best deals across all betting sites. Bookmakers with lower betting margins offer more competitive odds, which translates into higher potential profits for the bettor.
In this guide, we will explore the importance of knowing betting margins in detail and provide practical tips on how to identify top deals across all betting sites. Whether you are a seasoned sports bettor or a novice, this guide will help you make more informed decisions and maximise your profits.
What are Bookmakers’ Margins
To generate profit, betting platforms need to adhere to a simple principle: when accepting bets on various markets and pricing them, bookies do not reflect the true likelihood of outcomes. Instead, they build in a margin, known as overground, which gives bookmakers a financial advantage over bettors. This margin is basically a fee that the bookmaker charges the bettor to place a bet, effectively giving an operator an edge regardless of the outcome of an event.
Betting margins can differ depending on several factors, including betting sites, sports, events and markets. Understanding this concept is critical for bettors who wish to win big — high margins can significantly lower the overall value of the bet while a lower one indicates better returns. For example, a bookmaker offering a 10% margin means the true probability of all possible outcomes is 90%, and 10% represents its profit.
It’s important to note that not all bookmakers have the same margin, and it’s possible to find a better deal by comparing the margins offered by all betting sites. Some bookmakers may offer lower margins on specific markets or sports, while others may offer consistently better margins across the board. Understanding betting margins can help bettors make more informed decisions and find the best value for their bets.
In short, bookmakers’ margins refer to the fees that these platforms charge bettors for placing bets, giving them a financial edge over the punters. Their margins can differ greatly depending on different factors, and it is crucial for bettors to gain an understanding of them so as to make informed decisions and receive the maximum value out of their wagers.
How to Calculate the Betting Margins on a Two-way Market
When it comes to two-way markets, such as Over and Under 2.5 in sports like tennis or cricket, calculating the bookmaker’s margin is relatively straightforward. By following a simple formula, you can determine the percentage of the margin for a given market.
To begin, take the odds for both possible outcomes and convert them to decimal format. Then, divide 1 by the decimal odds of the first team to win and add this figure to 1 divided by the decimal odds of the second team to win. Finally, multiply this total by 100 to determine the percentage of the bookmaker’s margin.
Let’s consider an example of a tennis match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer wherein the bookmaker offers the following odds for the Winner market:
- Roger Federer to win: 2.2
- Rafael Nadal to win: 1.71
To calculate the bookmaker margin on this market, we apply this formula:
- Margin = (1 / Roger Federer odds) + (1 / Rafael Nadal odds) – 1
- Margin = (1 / 2.2) + (1 / 1.71) – 1
- Margin = 0,454 + 0,584 – 1
- Margin = 0.038
- Margin percentage = Margin x 100
- Margin percentage = 0.038 x 100
- Margin percentage = 3.8%
- (1/Home Odds) *100 + (1/Away Odds) *100 + (1/Draw Odds) *100 – 100 = Margin
- Home Odds: 2.50
- Away Odds: 3.00
- Away Odds: 3.00
- (1/2.50) * 100 + (1/3.00) * 100 + (1/3.50) * 100 – 100 = Margin
- 40 + 33.33 + 28.57 – 100 = Margin
- Margin = 2.90
In our example, Roger Federer’s odds are 2.2, and Rafael Nadal’s odds are 1.71. So, we plug these values into the formula:
To convert this margin into a percentage, we simply multiply it by 100:
So, the bookmaker’s margin on this market is 3.8%. This means that, on average, the bookmaker expects to earn 3.8 cents for every dollar wagered on this market.
Note that different bookmakers offer differing odds for an event, which could contribute to changing the margin significantly. Therefore, it’s advisable to shop around for bookmakers until you find the one with the best value proposition for you and your betting needs.
How to Calculate the Betting Margins on a Three-way Market
Three-way markets also referred to as 1X2 markets, are an increasingly popular form of football betting. To calculate betting margins in such instances, you can employ an easy formula which helps to determine how much profit bookmakers will receive from bets placed on this market:
In other words, to calculate a bookmaker’s margin on a three-way market, divide one by the Home Odds, Away Odds and Draw Odds before multiplying each result by 100 and adding all three numbers together.
To calculate the bookmaker’s margin, we need to apply the formula as follows:
Therefore, the bookmaker’s margin for this match is 2.90. This means that the bookmaker expects to make a profit of 2.90% from the total amount of bets placed on this market. The lower the margin, the better the deal for the bettor, as it indicates that the bookmaker is offering more favourable odds.
Exploring the Betting Margins Across Different Sports
At BetReligion, we focus on covering all betting sites in great detail, which includes researching the betting margins for events across major sports. While betting margins may differ significantly across different events and sites, we try to provide the general picture by finding the average values indicative of the bookmaker’s lucrative opportunities. Below, we compiled these values sorted by sports to give you a better idea of what can be expected of our bookies.
Football Betting Margins
Football is the most popular sport for betting, and margins can also vary depending on the league or tournament. Major leagues like the Premier League or La Liga may have lower margins due to the high level of competition and popularity, while smaller leagues or lower-level tournaments may have higher margins.
| BOOKMAKER: | FOOTBALL PRELIVE,%: | FOOTBALL LIVE,%: |
|---|---|---|
| MobileWins | 5,6 | 4,1 |
| ZetBet | 5 | 6 |
| Luckster | 5 | 6 |
| bet365 | 5,3 | 7,19 |
| Mr.Play | 5 | 6 |
| William Hill | 4,93 | 6,53 |
| Paddy Power | 7,35 | 5,49 |
| SkyBet | 5,4 | 5,76 |
| Coral | 3,67 | 7,6 |
| BoyleSports | 4,48 | 4,87 |
| Grosvenor | 2,54 | 7,7 |
| PariMatch | 4,61 | 6,98 |
| 10bet | 3,3 | 6 |
| Betdaq | 6,65 | 7,6 |
| BetVictor | 4,45 | 6,95 |
| NetBet | 4,2 | 11,4 |
| Virgin Bet | 6,98 | 10,67 |
| bwin | 5,4 | 6 |
| 32Red | 4,15 | 5,49 |
| Rhino | 6,98 | 7,7 |
| LeoVegas | 6,65 | 6,95 |
| Tote | 5,1 | 6,02 |
| Unibet | 4,7 | 8,62 |
| Ladbrokes | 3,67 | 7,6 |
| LiveScoreBet | 6,18 | 7,19 |
| 888sport | 5,1 | 10,64 |
| Betfair | 4,93 | 6,79 |
| Spreadex | 5 | 6 |
| Quinnbet | 5,91 | 9,04 |
| All British Casino | 4,63 | 7,98 |
Basketball Betting Margins
Basketball is a popular sport for betting, which means that margins can vary depending on the level of competition and popularity of the teams. For example, the margins for NBA games may be higher than those for college basketball due to the greater amount of betting action on the NBA.
| BOOKMAKER: | BASKETBALL PRELIVE,%: | BASKETBALL LIVE,%: |
|---|---|---|
| MobileWins | 4,1 | 6 |
| ZetBet | 4 | 6 |
| Luckster | 5 | 6 |
| bet365 | 3,4 | 4,7 |
| Mr.Play | 4 | 6 |
| William Hill | 2,4 | 8,11 |
| Paddy Power | 7,47 | 7,18 |
| SkyBet | 6,5 | 5,96 |
| Coral | 4,17 | 5,49 |
| BoyleSports | 4,69 | 6,44 |
| Grosvenor | 4,12 | 7,82 |
| PariMatch | 9,89 | 10,24 |
| 10bet | 4 | 9,7 |
| Betdaq | 6,06 | 6,44 |
| BetVictor | 5,88 | 6,44 |
| NetBet | 4 | 9,1 |
| Virgin Bet | 5,3 | 9,29 |
| bwin | 4,17 | 4,28 |
| 32Red | 4,85 | 7,37 |
| Rhino | 5,55 | 7,18 |
| LeoVegas | 7,13 | 8,41 |
| Unibet | 4,21 | 7,05 |
| Ladbrokes | 4,17 | 5,49 |
| LiveScoreBet | 3,9 | 9,61 |
| 888sport | 6,11 | 9,19 |
| Betfair | 6 | 6,68 |
| Spreadex | 7,28 | 8 |
| Quinnbet | 5,33 | 7,32 |
| All British Casino | 8,6 | 7,26 |
Tennis Betting Margins
Tennis is a popular individual sport for betting, and margins can vary depending on the level of competition and popularity of the players. Grand Slam tournaments like Wimbledon or the US Open may have lower margins due to the high level of interest and betting action, while smaller tournaments may have higher margins.
| BOOKMAKER: | TENNIS PRELIVE,%: | TENNIS LIVE,%: |
|---|---|---|
| MobileWins | 5,1 | 8 |
| ZetBet | 6 | 5 |
| Luckster | 6 | 5 |
| bet365 | 7,79 | 7,79 |
| Mr.Play | 6 | 5 |
| William Hill | 6,67 | 6,84 |
| Paddy Power | 9,25 | 7,91 |
| SkyBet | 8,28 | 5,61 |
| Coral | 8,47 | 7,72 |
| BoyleSports | 6,67 | 5,87 |
| Grosvenor | 4,59 | 7,31 |
| PariMatch | 4,88 | 7,29 |
| 10bet | 4 | 5,1 |
| Betdaq | 6,02 | 5,87 |
| BetVictor | 7,35 | 8,89 |
| NetBet | 5,3 | 9,3 |
| Virgin Bet | 6,24 | 8,56 |
| bwin | 9,16 | 7,91 |
| 32Red | 6,31 | 6,46 |
| Rhino | 7,66 | 7,91 |
| LeoVegas | 9,67 | 7,6 |
| Unibet | 5,67 | 6,44 |
| Ladbrokes | 8,47 | 7,72 |
| LiveScoreBet | 4,89 | 7,39 |
| 888sport | 6,33 | 9,05 |
| Betfair | 9,44 | 5,9 |
| Spreadex | 6,35 | 7 |
| Quinnbet | 6,42 | 6,43 |
| All British Casino | 6,07 | 6,32 |
Volleyball Betting Margins
Volleyball is a sport that typically has low betting margins due to its limited popularity compared to other sports. However, there are still opportunities to find good value bets if you know the teams and players well.
| BOOKMAKER: | VOLLEYBALL PRELIVE,%: | VOLLEYBALL LIVE,%: |
|---|---|---|
| MobileWins | 5,75 | 8,16 |
| ZetBet | 9,94 | 9,97 |
| Luckster | 9,94 | 9,97 |
| bet365 | 7,57 | 5,38 |
| Mr.Play | 8,06 | 8,19 |
| William Hill | 7,24 | 6,97 |
| Paddy Power | 5,88 | 4,78 |
| SkyBet | 5,36 | 7,64 |
| Coral | 6,59 | 7 |
| BoyleSports | 5,88 | 6,44 |
| Grosvenor | 7,47 | 4,04 |
| PariMatch | 6,28 | 6,91 |
| 10bet | 5,75 | 7,24 |
| BetVictor | 7,54 | 7,64 |
| NetBet | 7,92 | 7,98 |
| Virgin Bet | 5,57 | 8,56 |
| bwin | 5,75 | 8,16 |
| 32Red | 6,95 | 6,2 |
| LeoVegas | 7,47 | 7,64 |
| Unibet | 5,61 | 7,36 |
| Ladbrokes | 5,57 | 6,2 |
| LiveScoreBet | 8,28 | 8,56 |
| 888sport | 8,57 | 10,77 |
| Betfair | 7,09 | 7,69 |
| Spreadex | 5,88 | 6,67 |
| Quinnbet | 7,23 | 7,81 |
| All British Casino | 9,09 | 8,9 |
Free Betting Tips
How to Find Bookmakers with the Lowest Margins
Discovering new platforms with the lowest margins can be challenging, but with research and comparison, you can get the best value for your bets. The first step is to compile a list of trustworthy bookmakers and evaluate their odds for the markets that pique your interest. While this process may be time-consuming, it is necessary to guarantee optimal results.
Keep in mind that bookies can adjust their odds and margins at any moment, so staying vigilant and ready to act on a good deal is critical. This entails looking for the top offer, rather than solely relying on a single bookmaker.
Aside from odds comparison, keep an eye out for rewards and perks. Bookmakers frequently offer special promotions that can provide an advantage in terms of value. These could range from free bets and enhanced odds to cashback offers. By making good use of these offers, you can increase your chances of discovering sportsbooks with the lowest margins and obtaining the best possible value for your bets.
In conclusion, finding bookmakers with the lowest margins necessitates time and effort, but the benefits are hard to overestimate. By doing your research, comparing odds, searching for the best offers, and taking advantage of promotions and bonuses, you can maximise your chances of discovering sites with the lowest margins available.
