1. How Do Mma Odds Work
2. Ufc Betting Odds Explained

Welcome to the Sports Betting Odds section of The Sports Geek. If you are new to sports betting and don’t understand how to read betting odds (+150, -110, +2200, etc) we will lay it all out for you and help you learn how the betting odds work.

How to Read UFC Odds Most sports odds are presented in the same way. The favorite is represented by the minus sign (-), while the underdog is represented by the plus sign (+). You’ll also notice that odds are usually based on bettors wagering $100. Using the +120 odds, it shows us that a $100 bet on that outcome would pay out $120 in profits. Again this can easily be converted into smaller or larger size bets. A $10 bet on +120 odds would pay out $12 in profits. Examples: Below is an example of NFL betting odds taken from an online betting site.

Sports Betting Odds Explained

Many people don’t know how to read or calculate sports betting odds, so below we have done our best on explaining how betting odds work. The most common type of sports betting odds used in North America are the American style odds which we explain below.

American Style Sports Betting Odds

Most online sportsbooks will list their odds in what is called “American Odds”. There are a couple different versions of sports betting odds, but these American Odds are the most common odds used. Reading and understanding sports betting odds can bet a little confusing to beginners, so we have provided an example below using two NFL football teams:

American Odds

• Matchup Odds
• New England Patriots +120
• Pittsburgh Steelers -140

The number shown in the bracket represents the odds. The American Odds have two components to them, the first being the positive or negative sign, and the second being the number that follows the sign.

The sign in front of the number indicates whether placing a wager on that outcome will pay out more money then you have wagered or less money then you have wagered. If the odd is negative (-) it means that outcome is more likely to happen and placing a bet on that outcome would payout less than the amount you wagered, while a positive (+) odd shows that the outcome is less likely to happen and it would pay out more than the amount you wagered.

The next step is figuring out exactly how much the bet pays out, which is where the numbers in the odds come into play.

A listed odd with a – sign in front of it, such as the -140 in our example above, shows us how much money you would need to wager in order to win $100. So using the -140, this would show us that you would need to bet $140 in order to win $100 in profits. You can easily substitute the $100 bet for a $10 bet by moving the decimal place over one spot, showing us that you would need to wager $14 in order to win $10 in profits.

Examples:

A listed odd with a + sign in front of it, such as the +120 in our example above, shows us how much money you would win on a $100 bet. Using the +120 odds, it shows us that a $100 bet on that outcome would pay out $120 in profits. Again this can easily be converted into smaller or larger size bets. A $10 bet on +120 odds would pay out $12 in profits.

Examples:

Below is an example of NFL betting odds taken from an online betting site.

In this example you can see Los Angeles is listed at +130 ($100 bet pays $130 plus of course your original wager back) and New England is listed at -150 ($150 bet pays $100).

The great thing about betting online is that the online sportsbooks will do the calculations for you before you place your bet. You can click on the outcome or team you would like to bet on, and then input the amount you wish to wager and it will show you your potential pay out before you confirm your bet.

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Decimal Style Sports Betting Odds

Decimal style odds are used mostly in Europe, and are pretty easy to understand. To calculate the decimal style odds all you will need to do is simply multiply the amount you wish to wager by the decimal odds shown and you will get your payout. For example it may look something like this:

If you wanted to place a $10 wager on the USA at 2.40 you would simply need to multiply your $10 wager by the 2.40 odds (10 x 2.40) to find out that the payout is $24. It is important to realize that with decimal style odds it includes the amount you wagered, so to find out profits you would need to subtract your wager ($24 – $10) to find out your potential payout is $14 in profits.

If you wanted to place a $10 wager on Brazil you would again just multiply $10 x 1.55 to find out that you would win $15.50 total or $5.50 in profits.

Decimal style betting odds are very simple to understand, but you won’t see them displayed in many North American sportsbooks. With that said, most online betting sites will allow you to chose the style of betting odds you want displayed, with American odds set as the default.

With the last UFC pay-per-view event of the year coming up on November 4th, 2017, we figured a UFC 217 betting guide was necessary for the upcoming action. The main event will show Georges St-Pierre (25-2) coming out of four-year retirement to take on defending Middleweight champion Michael Bisping (31-7). The fight was slated for UFC 213 but was postponed after Bisping suffered a knee injury. We now anticipate St-Pierre and Bisping to enter the octagon around 1:00 a.m. at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

How Do Mma Odds Work

Also on the main card is Cody Garbrandt vs. T.J. Dillashaw for Garbrandt’s Bantamweight Title. Joanna Jędrzejczyk will be taking on Rose Namajunas for Jedrzejczyk's Women's Bantamweight Title. The main PPV fight card will start at 10:00 PM ET and can be purchased for $59.99. The UFC 217 main card is completely stacked and is one of the deepest of the year. With the event right around the corner, online sportsbooks have already posted UFC 217 betting odds on every single matchup. Within our UFC 217 betting guide, you will find fight odds that are featured at top UFC betting sites like Bovada.

Current Vegas Betting Odds On St-Pierre vs Bisping

The current Vegas betting odds on St-Pierre vs Bisping have shifted since the original announcement of the fight. While GSP had -130 opening odds at Bovada Sportsbook, the odds for Georges St-Pierre to win his first fight since 2013 are now -115. Michael Bisping also has -115 betting odds to win against St-Pierre. UFC 217 St-Pierre vs Bisping betting odds may shift before the main event this weekend. You do not want to miss out on GSP’s return to the Octagon against Middleweight champ Bisping.

Prop Bets On St-Pierre vs Bisping

Prop bets on St-Pierre vs Bisping give you more ways to bet on the UFC middleweight title fight other than the outright winner. Take your pick on the method of victory, total rounds, if the fight will go the distance, and more. There are -190 betting odds for the fight to complete 4 full rounds, and +115 betting odds that the St-Pierre vs Bisping fight does not go the distance. Bovada also has +165 betting odds that GSP wins by decision or technical decision. As the fight gets closer, expect even more GSP vs Bisping prop bets to be posted. As you can tell from our UFC 217 betting guide, online sportsbooks have fight odds posted on every aspect of the event.

Who's On The UFC 217 Undercard

Aside from the three title fights, the UFC 217 undercard features a bevy of quality matchups that you can bet on at Bovada Sportsbook. Aleksei Oleinik vs. Curtis Blaydes betting odds have Blaydes favored to win with -350 fight odds. Ovince Saint Preux vs. Corey Anderson fight odds have Anderson as the underdog with +140 betting odds against OSP. Another undercard matchup includes Aiemann Zahabi vs. Ricardo Ramos, where Ramos has -175 betting odds to win.

Other UFC 217 odds for the undercard include Joe Duffy (-200) vs. James Vick (+160), Walt Harris (-375) vs. Mark Godbeer (+285), Randy Brown (-110) vs. Mickey Gall (-120), and Ion Cutelaba (-500) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (+350).

Garbrandt Vs Dillashaw Betting Odds

Garbrandt vs Dillashaw betting odds have been posted since the fight was originally scheduled for UFC 213. Now set for Nov. 4th, Bovada Sportsbook has Garbrandt (11-0) favored with -185 betting odds against Dillashaw (15-3). Garbrandt is looking to defend his UFC bantamweight title, while Dillashaw hopes to capture the belt once again. The fight odds for T.J. Dillashaw are +150 and this is shaping up to be one of the best fights of 2017.

Jedrzejczyk Vs Namajunas Betting Odds

We last saw Jędrzejczyk (14-0) at UFC 211 when she defeated Jessica Andrade by unanimous decision. Namajunas (6-3) most recently won against Michelle Waterson by submission and has been the victor in four of her last five fights. Jedrzejczyk vs Namajunas betting odds have Jedrzejczyk has the clear favorite with -600 odds to win. The fight odds for Namajunas are +400 to win against Jedrzejczyk, and this will be her second go at competing for the title.

Thompson Vs Masvidal Betting Odds

Thompson Vs Masvidal betting odds have been posted ahead of the Saturday matchup between the two welterweight strikers. Stephen Thompson (13-2) has had key wins that include Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, and Jake Ellenberger. There are -185 betting odds for Thompson to win against Masvidal. Jorge Masvidal (32-12) has wins against Donald Cerrone and Cezar Ferreira. Masvidal is the underdog of the fight, with +150 betting odds for Masvidal to beat Thompson at UFC 217 inside Madison Square Garden.

Hendricks Vs Costa Betting Odds

Hendricks Vs Costa betting odds show that Costa is favored to win the middleweight matchup at UFC 217 in NYC. Paulo “Borrachinha” Costa (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has -240 betting odds to win against Hendricks. Johny Hendricks (18-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) has had issues on the scale, but his relocation to Jackson-Winkeljohn Academy has helped prepare the fighter for the matchup. There are currently +190 betting odds for Johny Hendricks to win over Borrachinha.

Betting Odds For UFC 217 Prelims

Betting odds for UFC 217 prelims start with the early prelims on Fight Pass. There will be three fights beginning at 6:30 PM ET, with UFC prelim betting odds on Oleinik vs. Blaydes, Cutelaba vs. Oleksiejczuk, and Zahabi vs. Ramos. The main prelims will be broadcast on FS1 leading into the main card, starting at 8:00 PM ET and going until about 10:00 PM ET. Over at Bovada, you will find UFC prelim betting odds on all six fighters, including Vick, Godbeer, and Gall.

UFC 217 Betting FAQ's

Is It Legal To Bet At An Online Sportsbook?

It is legal to bet at an online sportsbook no matter where you reside in the U.S. There are no federal laws that prohibit individuals from betting on UFC online. Offshore sports betting sites are licensed and regulated to accept players from the United States by their local gaming authority. As long as you stick to the reputable online sportsbooks such as Bovada and BetOnline that are mentioned throughout our UFC 217 betting guide, you will not have any legality issues.

Is There A Benefit To Having More Than One Sportsbook Account?

There are several benefits to having more than one sportsbook account when it comes to UFC 217 betting. For one, it makes it much easier to line shop. Line shopping is comparing two or more lines for the best value in order to maximize your profits. Another benefit that we want to mention in our UFC 217 betting guide is that you will find a wider variety of lines. While one sportsbook may have odds on the outright winner of a fight, another may also feature dozens of UFC 217 props. Online sportsbooks are completely free to join, so why not take advantage of what each site has to offer? Using online sportsbooks to your benefit is something we want to stress to bettors in our UFC 217 betting guide.

What's The Safest Way To Make A Deposit?

It is important to go over secure deposit methods in our UFC 217 betting guide. The safest way to make a deposit for UFC 217 St-Pierre vs Bisping betting is with bitcoin. With the digital currency, deposits are made instantly and there is no risk of the transaction getting declined. You can also skip having to provide any sensitive bank account information, plus there are no deposit fees. Bitcoin has low minimums and high maximums for high rollers and casual UFC bettors. Other safe deposit methods include credit cards, checks, money orders, and bank wire transfers.

How Does A Deposit Bonus Work?

No UFC 217 betting guide would be complete without discussing how to claim free bonuses. A deposit bonus is a quick way to instantly boost your bankroll for betting on UFC 217. Deposit bonuses work by matching a percentage of your initial deposit amount. For example, if you were to deposit $200 and claim a 75% match bonus, you would receive a $150 bonus. Deposit bonuses are typically applied instantly and are available immediately for wagering.

There will be a rollover requirement, which is the number of times that you must wager your deposit and bonus before requesting any withdrawals. If there was a 5-time rollover with your deposit plus bonus ($200+$150= $350), you would need to place $1,750 in wagers before collecting any winnings. Deposit bonuses are like free cash and can be beneficial for betting on UFC 217, just always make sure to read the terms & conditions beforehand.

Ufc Betting Odds Explained