Why prices differ
Bookmakers have different margins and different customers, and they react to news at different speeds. So the odds on the same outcome differ, sometimes noticeably. Anyone who compares prices before betting pays less margin.
What history shows
- Best price on the market
- Average bookmaker
The best odds on the market are on average 6.6% higher than the average odds. That is enough to almost wipe out the margin: betting on everything loses 1.1% instead of 7.1%. The difference is biggest on underdogs — that is where the margin is bigger too.
The best price in hockey and basketball
The gain from the best price is smaller there: on average our database has only 2.9 bookmakers per hockey match and 5.7 per basketball match, not the dozens behind the football statistics.
| Sport | Average price | Best price | Best above average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football | −7.1% | −1.1% | +6.6% |
| Hockey | −7.3% | −5.4% | +2.1% |
| Basketball | −6.5% | −3.0% | +3.9% |
Why it is not enough
- The best price removes the margin but gives no edge: the result is still around zero or below.
- The best price is gathered from dozens of bookmakers, and none of them holds it for long.
- The bookmakers with the best prices are the quickest to cut the limits of customers who regularly take the best odds.
- A profit appears only when the best price is above the fair price — for example, the sharp line's fair price. That is what the article on early odds is about.