Football Manager Expert and Political Betting Specialist across Exchange and Spread Betting Sites
Welcome to Odds Comparison betting! Our deep-dive article reveals the ins and outs of Odds Comparison, a game-changing approach that can significantly boost your betting prowess. By understanding how to compare odds effectively, you'll gain a competitive edge, ensuring you make informed betting decisions. Read on to transform the way you bet and capitalize on the benefits this technique has to offer.
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What Is An Odds Comparison Tool?
Odds Comparison tools compare the bookmaker's prices offered on every event so that you can pick the selection with the best odds to place your bet.
The example below is from the PDC World Darts Championship 2025.
Odds as you see can vary significantly between bookmakers, especially now that odds are available from a few days before in football or the night before for daily horse racing.
Add in Ante Post odds such as those above and you can see why using an odds comparison tool is essential for the 21st-century punter.
A price from one bookmaker may offer no each way value, but with another would give you a decent return on your investment.
The prices are usually compared on a matrix, with all of the possible outcomes of the event down the left-hand side and the bookmakers' prices in columns along the top.
For example, odds comparison sites such as ValueChecker compare odds from many of the best betting sites and the leading betting exchanges.
Most OLBG members who are trying to win the monthly tipping prizes are always aware of odds comparison data.,
Having accounts with as many of these bookmakers and exchanges as possible is a must; you can then always get the best odds on your bet.
We know the key to any chance of long-term betting profitability is value betting and without having access to the biggest odds, you will be putting yourself at a disadvantage.
Odds Comparison Analysis
Maximise potential profits by always taking the biggest odds, you will be amazed at the difference it can make to your weekly returns.
Why Use Odds Comparisons?
The odds available on any selection will often vary by up to 50%!
It is hard enough to make a profit from betting as it is, by not backing at best price every time you are seriously handicapping your chances of making betting pay.
By just gaining 20% better odds you could double your winnings!
Do You Know The Effect of just 5% Better Odds?
Take a look at the calculator below to see how much more you could be winning.
FACT 1: Odds Vary A Lot Between Bookies
You hear this talk about 20% better odds, especially from the Betting Exchange Betfair but is that the case?
The answer is that it is very common for odds to vary by way more than 20% between the worst odds and the best for any outcome.
You may think your bookie is usually close to the best odds but there are always many examples where every bookie is far from being the best odds.
FACT 2: A Small Increase In Odds Gives A Big Increase In Profits
This tool shows you the difference which 20% better odds can make to your profit/loss over a year.
EG if you bet £30 per day and typically win £1 per day then just a 5% increase in your average odds would more than double your profits from £365 per year to £730 per year!
If you don't currently shop around for the best odds try this quick test to see how much money you are throwing away - more than you think we expect. (just enter numbers - no currency symbols).
| The Effect of Odds on Profit | |
| Daily Performance | |
| Daily Total Stakes | |
| Average Profit per Day (use negative for loss) | |
| Better Odds | |
| Annual Impact | |
| Current Annual Profit (Loss) | |
| Possible Annual Profit (Loss) | |
| Extra Cash | |
Comparing the odds of your selections would be very time consuming if you were going to each bookmaker's website to check the prices of everything you fancy and then comparing them yourself to see which offers the most value.
The fact that everything is compared on one page on one matrix and the best prices are highlighted makes the whole process much easier and quicker, giving you more time to spend studying the form.
How To Use Odds Comparisons
First of all, you are going to need to know what you want to back.
Visit an odds comparison site and select the sport you want to bet on from the tabs at the top of the page.
Click on the event and you will be brought to the odds comparison page.
There is also the ability to change the odds to whichever format you are comfortable dealing with.
Punters can choose between decimal, fractional and American odds and this can easily be changed using the drop down in the top right-hand corner of the page.
Odds Converter | Fractional to Decimal Odds & Probability
Once you have found the best odds, click on the odds displayed to be taken straight to the bookmaker to place your bet.
Comparing Odds On Multiple Bets
Finding out which bookmaker has the best odds on one selection is very simple when using odds comparison sites but what if you are placing a more complex betting accumulator or any other type that involves multiple selections?
Fortunately most odds comparison sites will now allow you to put each selection you want to back into a bet basket.
When you have added all your selections that you want to bet on you are able to view your bet basket and see which bookie offers the best combined odds on all of your selections.
Football Acca Strategy - Beginners Guide
Each bookie's odds on each accumulator will be displayed so that you can be sure you are getting the best odds and it is worth remembering that differences in odds as they can be huge!
Using Exchange Prices When Comparing Odds
Odds comparison sites not only compare the prices from all of the top bookmakers, but also the most reputable betting exchanges.
Some betting exchanges charge 5% commission, but the odds displayed on their sites don't take this commission into account which can sometimes be confusing, especially If you are trying to decide if a traditional bookmaker or betting exchange is best.
That commission is sometimes taken into account on odds matrix but on others it is not.
When it is automatically set to reduce the available odds by commission you can compare the correct exchange prices with the traditional bookmaker prices.
If you pay less than 5% commission then there is also the ability to change the commission rate on the site.
Other Features Of Odds Comparison Sites
Odds comparisons will usually have some extra time saving tools to help the punters, they can also feature a section on where to access any special offers and free bets.
The Bet Basket
One of the tools available is the Bet Basket.
Most people who bet on the 1x2 markets on football each week combine their fancied selections to form an accumulator whilst doubles and trebles can be popular bets on other sports too.
You can spot which bookie is best for each bet on the relevant market pages but it is more complicated comparing the combined odds of several selections and this is where the Bet Basket comes in.
Simply add each of your favoured selections to your Bet Basket and you'll then be able to see the combined odds of those selections at each bookie.
This will make picking the best bookie for your bet as easy as if you were placing a single.
Odds Changes
Odds comparison sites also give you masses of information about all of the day's betting markets.
You will have the ability to browse the steamers, drifters and sleepers of the day.
Steamers
Steamers are selections that have been very well backed throughout the day, this may be because they were simply overpriced early on or it can also mean an outcome is very strongly fancied.
Following other people's money can often be profitable if you are careful what you are betting on.
Many of the tipsters on social media networks just follow the money with little or no form study, this is not something we would recommend rather it should just be another string to your bow.
An example of this would be unraced horses, when one is strongly fancied but there is no form.
Drifters
Likewise you can also see the biggest drifters of the day.
Drifters are bets that people generally don't want to back so the bookmakers are offering bigger odds to entice people in.
Selections that drift can and do win.
Sleepers
Sleepers are selections that are much bigger at one bookmaker than the rest.
This may be because they simply don't fancy it but is most commonly because the traders have been slow to react to changes in the market.
This is a particularly good tool for trading.
How To Trade A Horse On A Betting Exchange
FAQ
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Which Bookie has the best odds?
The bookmaker with the best odds in general, if not looking to specialise is a specific sport, or market, would be bet365 who day in day out offer great odds on all types of sports, events, and specialised betting markets from their betting website.
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Are bigger odds better?
Yes, bigger odds are better when making bets on an event to happen. If you back something at 2/1 when you could have bet at 3/1 then, it would be a bad decision.
This situation is reversed if you are playing the bookmaker, perhaps on a betting exchange, where you want to 'lay' bets at lower odds.
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Which betting site has the best horse racing odds?
There are two options if you are looking for the best odds on horse racing.
Firstly, using a betting exchange is one way of getting, in general, better odds than using a traditional bookmaker.
Betfair SP consistently outperforms the normal industry starting price.
The other way of finding the best odds on horse racing is using an odds matrix.
On OLBG we researched and discovered the best bookie for horse racing.
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What is the goal of using odds comparison?
It is to help bettors make informed decisions by identifying the best available odds for your bet.
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What is the relationship between odds and probability?
Betting odds represent the probability of a particular outcome.
The bookies all construct their books based on percentage probability and understand it fully, we as punters need to do the same.
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What is the bookmakers margin when it comes to odds?
The bookmakers are in business to make a profit.
They build in a profit margin on all events, this is called the overround.
In a two runner race the true odds are 1/1 or even money - 50/50. (100%)
The bookmakers instead of offering the true odds of 1/1 will offer both competitors at odds of 10/11, that comes to (104.72%).
The 4.72% is their profit margin.
Responsible Gambling
Using an odds comparison tool should be part of your betting life but just as important is to be responsible when gambling.
On OLBG we always advise you bet within your means and have a range of helpful articles dedicated to this.
Responsible Gambling Features, Function and Help
How to be Sensible and Gamble Responsibly (Examples)
Editorial Information
This blog was constructed by OLBG Betting Expert Nigel Skinner who is an avid user of odds comparison tools.
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