What are Odds Boosts in Sports Betting? (April 2024)

tryingAs a punter, you will always want to find the best prices around. When looking for long odds, there are some great opportunities in player prop markets, alternative point spreads (or handicaps) markets, and so on, but some sportsbooks offer you fantastic odds boosts. These are bets where the odds have been extended to increase the winnings. Here, we will take a look at what that can mean for you and how you should approach odds boosts.

Why Do Bookmakers Make Odds Boosts

It sounds like you have nothing to lose, but then why do bookmakers make odds boosts? Generally, odds boosts are given to bets that are less popular. This does not mean that they are not good, just that they will not be given to markets such as moneylines, total goals or alternative point spreads (handicaps). Those bets always attract punters, so bookmakers do not need to make an extra effort to sell them. Instead, they pick out other markets that may be of interest to bettors. These may be bets in the player props and game props markets, where you bet on a player's performance or something that may happen during a game. That does not mean to say you will never find an odds boost on a moneyline or total goals bet, just that it is rare.

Odds boosts are never two-way affairs, so you will not find a bet such as Erling Haaland to score 2 or more goals during a game and then a bet on him not to. You will only find one bet and there will never be a counterpart to that bet that also has boosted odds, but that is logical. Thinking about it, that would mean the sportsbook would put out two bets with boosted odds – and then you could bet either way and the bookmakers would never make a profit.

Examples of Odds Boost Markets

High-profile fixtures are more likely to have odds boosts. This is because there will be more interest in the game and so punters will explore the markets more thoroughly. Sports such as football, American football, basketball and tennis, are among the most popular sports in the world. The fan base for these sports stretches across the globe and therefore bookmakers will need to fight a lot of competition to attract punters.

In football, you may find odds boosts on player goals, corners, yellow cards, which team will score the opening goal, which team will lead after X minutes, and various similar markets.

American football may have offers such as player touchdowns/rushing yards/receiving yards/passing touchdowns, and bets relating to a team's touchdowns, field goals, and so on.

Basketball may also have player props, relating to player points in total, rebounds, 3 pointers, assists, and more.

Tennis has plenty of unique props that may receive odds boosts. You may find total aces, total games in Set 1 or 2, total games in the match, and many more.

Needless to say, there are many other markets that may receive odds boosts.

What are Bet Boosts?

Just as bookmakers can offer odds boosts on single bets, they can also offer them on parlays. You may find selections with 2 or more bets that have been combined and receive an odds boost. These usually include bets such as match winner and combine them with another popular bet (handicap or total goals), and may also add a player prop or game prop.

How To Approach Odds Boosts

Most odds boosts factor player and team form. For example, if a certain footballer is showing great form and scoring goals in back-to-back games, there may be a player prop relating to whether they will score in the game. Similarly, if a team is playing exceptionally then there may be bets relating to how they may win the game. These look amazing, but when is it too good to be true?

Well, one key thing to look out for is the odds before the boost was applied. Most bookmakers display the odds and show you how much it was raised, but sometimes they do not. Whether they do or not, for curiosity's sake it is worth checking how much the bet is going for at other bookmakers. You may find that the odds boost is not as inflated as the bookmaker suggests. The boost will definitely be a real lengthening on the odds, but it is useful to know by how much.

Value of the Boost (Singles)

For example, say there is an odds boost on Mohammad Salah to score +1.5 goals during the match. The original odds were 2.2 and now they are 3.0. This means that if you bet $10 and win, you will receive $30 which is $8 more than the $22 you would have won otherwise. To find the exact percentage of the boost, you need to divide the boosted odds by the original. In the example with Salah, you will find that the new odds give you an extra 36.36%.

Value of the Boost (Doubles)

If there is a parlay, the outcome may be calculated the same way. If there is a bet on Manchester City to win + Erling Haaland to score anytime during the match + Over 7 corners in the match. The odds are 9.0 and the original odds are displayed at 8.0. What this means is that originally a $10 bet would have won you $80, but with the adjusted odds you can win $90. The value of the increase is rated at  12.5%.

Odds Boosts 101

As mentioned earlier, odds boosts are usually given in high-profile games in popular sports. The bets are generally offered on the day of the event. Therefore, you should always keep an eye on games and be ready for big offers on matchday.

Another thing to look out for is the terms and conditions behind odds boosts. For example, some may not offer the possibility of a cashout. Odds boosts are one-off bets on one or multiple selections. Therefore, you will not be able to combine them into a parlay. At some bookmakers, there may be raised minimum or lower maximum bets you can place on these bets. Make sure you check these criteria out when exploring a bet.

Conclusion

Odds boosts can divide sports bettors down the middle. Many punters will swear by odds boosts as they can have some great offers. Others may say that the inflated odds are not worth it as the bets themselves are too specific. At the end of the day, there is no scientific way to prove whether odds boosts are really worth it or not. It is just like placing any other bet, where you have a chance to win or lose. Odds boosts on parlays are more dangerous to place as they have 2 or more criteria for winning. However, you have nothing to lose by keeping an eye on what is being offered. Who knows, you may find an offer with odds that are too good to miss out on.