How To Read Football Betting Odds

All of the best sports betting sites offer odds on the beautiful game. So, whether you’re a fan of football who’s never placed a bet before, or a keen football punter in need of a refresher, this is all the info you need on how to read football betting odds.

From recognizing fractional, decimal, and moneyline odds, to calculating your payout, by the end of this article you’ll feel confident placing bets at all of the best football betting sites.
Ready to learn all about how to read odds in football betting? Let’s kick off!

Types of Football Betting Odds 

Depending on the country you’re betting from, there are up to three different types of odds that you’ll come across: fractional, decimal, and moneyline. 

They can each be used to show the same thing, but they do it in slightly different ways. We’ll first take a look at where you’ll see them and what they look like, then we’ll move on to how to read the different betting odds for football.

●    Fractional: Mostly used in the UK and Ireland, these odds are expressed as a fraction e.g. 6/1
●    Decimal: The most widely used type of odds, decimal odds are used throughout Europe, as well as Canada and Australia, they’re expressed as a whole number, sometimes with decimal places e.g. 7
●    Moneyline: Mostly used in the United States, moneyline odds are expressed as a positive or negative number depending on whether the team is a favourite or underdog e.g. +600

How Do Football Betting Odds Work

Football betting odds work just the same as odds in other sports, in that they’re read the same way. Let’s take a look at an example of each of the three different types of odds.

Fractional Football Betting Odds

Fractional odds are written as a fraction, where the number to the left of the slash is your potential profit and the number to the right is your stake. 

The team that’s the underdog will have a higher number to the left of the slash, while a hotly fancied favourite might have a higher number to the right.

For example, fractional odds of 6/1 would give you a $6 profit for every $1 stake you wagered.

Decimal Football Betting Odds

Decimal odds are written as a whole number with or without up to two decimal places after it. This allows for smaller fluctuations in the size of the odds. This can be helpful in big tournament games where bookmakers want to have the most competitive odds.

For example, decimal odds of 7.2 are just a tiny bit larger than fractional odds of 6/1, allowing bookmakers to be more precise with the odds on offer.

Moneyline Football Betting Odds

Moneyline odds are written as a whole number with either a plus or minus in front of it. The favorite team will have a minus and the underdog will have a plus. 

The number refers either to your profit from a $100 stake, or the amount of money you’d need to wager to win $100.

For example, moneyline odds of +600 are equivalent to fractional odds of 6/1 and decimal odds of 7. That means for every $100 you bet, you’ll get $600 back as profit.