Why Compare Bookmakers’ Odds?
The higher the odds are, the bigger your payout. A higher bookmaker margin means lower returns for you. That’s why the same bet can lead to different payouts across bookmakers.
The Match.Center team has already found the best conditions. We update odds regularly. Choosing a betting site with the highest odds can provide you with additional winnings in the long run. Comparing odds also helps spot irregularities. For example, if most bookmakers offer odds of 1.80 for a team’s win, but one site offers 2.10, that’s an anomaly. Experienced players know this might signal a potential mistake or missed detail. Wagering on such odds can provide extra value.
Let’s look at a concrete example with the football match between Burundi and Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations qualification.
| Burundi Win | Draw | Senegal Win | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1xBet | 11.50 | 5.15 | 1.28 |
| Betano | 10.75 | 4.45 | 1.31 |
| Football.com | 11.50 | 5.20 | 1.29 |
| Betwinner | 11.50 | 5.15 | 1.28 |
| Frapapa | 10.00 | 5.00 | 1.32 |
Highest Odds For Sports Betting By Category
Depending on the sport, the list of best odds betting sites will vary. If an operator has a very low margin for football, it does not guarantee that it will also have attractive prices for other disciplines. After comparing them, we have highlighted the best sites in each category:
| 1xBet | The best soccer odds for top matches (<2% commission) |
| Football.com | The best odds for tennis (3.58%) |
Sports Betting Odds: Main Markets
The less popular the sport, the higher the commission the platform includes in the odds. We have highlighted the three main sports where there is less margin at betting sites in Nigeria.
Football
The highest odds predominate in the main European championship matches (La Liga, Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, etc.) or big international events: the margin does not exceed 5%. Moreover, for the top matches like France vs Belgium in the UEFA Nations League the commissions may even fall under 2% (e.g. 1xBet with its 1.52%).
Tennis
Tennis is also among the top sports at betting sites with highest odds: typically, the margin of victory is 5-7%. For the most part, operators reduce the margin on Grand Slam tournaments and major ATP and WTA matches. It may easily fall under 4%.
Basketball
The best odds are offered in the NBA. A commission of no more than 5% can be found on almost every game. The regular season in the NBA starts in late October with the trophy drawing in early June.
Betting Odds For Events And Tournaments
The lowest margins will always be on the most popular tournaments and matches. They attract the most bets, so it is easier for the bookmaker to control the markets to make money. Here are some events with low margins and high odds.
The EPL (football)
The top division in England and also one of the most exciting leagues in the world. Almost all sites try not to overestimate the spread and offer high odds, with a margin of no more than 3-4%. This is especially noticeable in the derby between Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as in matches involving Manchester City or Arsenal.
Grand Slam tournaments (tennis)
The series of the four most prestigious tournaments in tennis: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. The highest odds are naturally found in the semi-finals and finals. But sometimes a low margin (around 4%) can be found in the earlier stage matches—if famous tennis players are on the court.
NBA (basketball)
The professional basketball league in North America, featuring the best teams in the United States and Canada. In both the regular season and the playoffs, there are many games with a margin of no more than 4%. In most cases, the best spread is in the top games involving the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and others.
Which Bookmakers Offer The Best Odds
In order to evaluate the operators more objectively, our experts focused on analysing the margins on soccer events. As it is in football that the offer is widest and the odds are lowest on all sites without exception. Here are our top 3 high odds betting sites:
The best prices are offered for the main European leagues: LaLiga, Premier League, Ligue 1, Champions League. International events like the Africa Cup of Nations or UEFA Nations League are also in the top. The spread on bets on the main match winning results (1X2) is often below 2%, which is unattainable for almost all competing operators. On bets on small markets and smaller tournament games, the commission rate reaches 3-5%. Such indicators are still on the borderline between good and average.
- Excellent odds
- Live streaming
- Mobile only site design
The average spread on predictions on the Msport company’s website is 3.08%, much lower than what most of competitor betting apps and sites offer. Moreover, the margin remains low for both top division soccer games and minor league events. Specifically, the bookmaker’s commission for the English Premier League matches stood at around 2.00%, for Spanish La Liga at around 2.38%. In less popular tournaments, the margin is around 5%, which is also considered an excellent indicator according to our odds comparator.
- Great odds
- Good catalogue of available tournaments and matches
- 120+ markets for football pre-match
The average margin is 4.64%, a good figure for the Nigerian market. In the best football leagues (EPL, Champions League, etc.) the commission is usually below 3%. In the less popular leagues the commission for stakes on the main results can exceed 5-6% according to our experts.
- Big event offer
- 110+ markets for EPL matches
- Statistics of the teams
Why Do Odds Change?
Odds on gambling sites reflect the probability of an event. The higher the likelihood of something happening on the field, the lower the payout. Several factors influence bookmaker prices and their volatility:
- Sums of bettors’ stakes. When many users of a betting app with the highest odds start wagering on the same outcome (for example, on Manchester City’s win against Brentford), the odds drop to balance the bookmaker’s risk.
- Pre-match news. Injuries, coaching changes or bad weather can all affect the outcome. If a key player like Victor Osimhen is injured before a game, the chances of his team winning decrease, and bookmakers will quickly adjust their prices.
- Events on the field. In-Play situations shift the balance of power. Bookmakers update market odds in real-time to reflect these changes.
Popular Types Of Bets
Simply choosing a match to predict isn’t enough. You also need to decide which type of market you’re interested in. Market spreads for the same match can vary widely. We’ll inform you about the markets and the odds available on betting sites with the highest odds.
Result of the match (1X2)
This is one of the most common bets, where you predict one of the teams/players to win or the match to end in a draw. The 1X2 market usually has the lowest spread of all markets. The exception is basketball, where the total often has the lowest spread.
Total
In this type of bet, you predict the total number of points, goals, or other indicators scored during the match. For example, in football, you can bet on the total number of goals scored by both teams, over or under a set value.
Handicap
A handicap adjusts the starting score to balance the odds. For example, in basketball, the underdog might be given additional points, increasing the chances of winning the bet. This helps you find value for such markets at any bet site with highest odds.
Exact score
Here, you predict the exact number of goals, points, or other stats. For example, you can predict the final score in a football match. The chances of guessing correctly are low, so the odds are usually quite high.
Common Betting Odds Formats
Bookmaker odds can be expressed in different formats: decimal (e.g. 1.65), fractional (e.g. 4/10), and American (e.g. +205). In Nigeria, the decimal format is used, but many sites allow you to change it to a format that is more convenient for you.
This is an example of what the same odds look like in different formats:
| Format | Odds |
|---|---|
| Decimal (european) | 1.7 |
| Fractional (british) | 7/10 |
| American | -143 |
