Generally, the term high odds means that an outcome is less likely to happen. On the flip side, some players build their strategy on big prices, chasing better payouts.
The absolute truth is somewhere in the middle, while 3.50 (5/2) or 4.00 (3/1) plus odds are broadly considered high. If you bet €1 on Burnley to win the EPL at 1,000 (999/1) odds, and your wager wins, you will have €1,000 returns. However, a scenario like this is not going to happen very often. So, you have to be able to rate how probable an outcome is of coming through.
Reading on, you will learn what we consider high prices in betting, the best staking plan to invest your bankroll, and how you can win big odds on underdogs in the most popular sports.
What does High Odds Mean in Betting
Compared to low odds, it isn’t evident when the prices are actually high. For conservative players, the odds from 1.40 to 2.00 (1/1) are in the middle, while those above 2.00 are high. This theory about what are implied odds is simple; the 2.00 odds is 50%. Every price above that line has theoretical winning chances lower than 50% (e.g., 2.10 odds = 47,62% implied probability). So, these are considered high odds.
On the other hand, some bettors back outcomes with smaller stakes seeking more considerable earnings. They think that big odds are prices from a minimum of 3.00 (2/1) and upwards. Finally, for experienced bettors, a price difference between bookmakers can also be seen as high. For instance, if most bookies pay a market at 1.50, and you can find it at 1.65 somewhere else, that price is hefty. To determine what high odds betting is, we evaluate the most common prices. In the table underneath, you can find the results.
Odds Range | Odds |
Low Odds | 1.01 (1/100) - 1.40 (2/5) |
Lower to Middle Odds | 1.41 (41/100) - 1.99 (99/100) |
Middle Odds | 2.00 (1/1) - 2.50 (3/2) |
Upper Middle Odds | 2.51 (151/100) - 4.00 (3/1) |
High Odds | 4.00+ (i.e., 25% implied probability or lower) |
How to build the best staking plan for high odds
Wagering on high odds is entirely different from building even the best staking plan for low odds, mainly when you process the staking plan you should follow. Short prices are more likely to come through, so following a standard plan like Level Stake is undoubtedly easier to control your investment and set profit targets. High odds betting comes with more risk because you should adjust your stakes in the outcomes’ probability. If you use the same staking plan for all prices, the most probable scenario is to lose your bankroll. Let’s break down what the critical points of a good stake method are.
Don’t chase losses: Betting on underdogs and outcomes with a low implied probability might create a run of defeats. The patience to overcome numerous series of bad results, which are likely to come, is a vital advantage. So, you should avoid increasing your stake to recover your bankroll.
Realize the difficulty: If your odds’ average is high, it’s challenging to make your profit bigger than betting on lower odds. The explanation is that these picks have a flat win ratio primarily if you chase bigger prices (e.g., 7.00 odds which means a 14,29% implied probability).
Place small bets: Ιf you have a €1,000 starting bankroll, a regular stake should be between €20 and €30. That’s an amount you can afford to lose. With a 2% staking plan (e.g., €20), you have to lose 50 consecutive times to eliminate your investment. That’s too many times, even for a beginner who always places big odds bets with fewer winning chances.
How to use the Secure Staking Plan in big odds
The Secure Stake method is commonly based on lower odds instead of underdogs. That plan protects your investment because you avoid picks that are less likely to win. Although, you can embed high odds betting in that plan using smaller stakes as the odds go higher. As we mentioned above, the 4.00 odds probability is 25%, so using simple maths, you can realize that you will lose three out of four times on that price. Following the Secure Stake method in big odds, you can cover your probable losses even if you have a bad run when backing underdogs. In the table below, you can find a recommended staking plan, using our bankroll unit calculator.
Odds | Staking Percentage (%) |
1.01 - 1.40 | 15% |
1.41 - 1.99 | 10% |
2.00 - 2.50 | 5% |
2.51 - 4.00 | 2% |
4.00+ | 0,5% |
If your bankroll is €1,000, then the highest stake you can bet is €150 (15%) when the prices are 1.40 or less, and the lowest stake is €5 (0,5%) for high odds of 4.00+. As you can, you can secure a profit, even with two winners from your initial five bets.
Bets | Stakes | Odds | Status | Bank |
1 | €150 | 1.39 | Win | €1,058.5 |
2 | €100 | 1.95 | Win | €1,153.5 |
3 | €50 | 2.45 | Lose | €1,103.5 |
4 | €20 | 3.90 | Lose | €1,083.5 |
5 | €5 | 5.50 | Lose | €1,078.5 |
Which Odds are likely to Win Big in Football
Besides betting on singles and with an efficient staking plan, you should be fully informed on the football matches you are selecting. Your analysis must contain all the available news, stats and focus on specific markets where you can make a profit from the most winning odds when betting on underdogs. Here are some tips to follow.
Specific markets: Betting on football can offer you several market choices. The WDW (1X2) is the most popular when you want to place a bet on an underdog, while special markets (i.e., wincasts, scorecasts) usually offer higher prices. You can also wager on big combos, like FT Result & Over 3,5 or 4,5 goal markets. Common 2-way markets like BTTS and Over/Under rarely offer high odds. On the contrary, you can learn how to predict correct score and enjoy juicy prices.
Local derbies: These matches with a firm favorite may be hiding an underdog with increased winning chances. Sometimes, the extra motivation is revealed at local derbies from the weaker team, so betting on the dark horse may hide value.
Μotivation: A team at the bottom of the table, which desperately needs to win to get points and avoid relegation, strongly influences the odds. That doesn’t mean that it deserves to be offered as a favorite. The dark horse deserves to back it under these conditions only if the clubs have a friendly relationship.
Stats & news: The H2H matches could be a factor in determining an underdog’s value. Many middle-class teams, or even minnows, have a strong tradition of fair results against the powerhouses for numerous reasons. The recent squad form and news on injuries and suspensions are necessary information you need to know before placing a successful bet on high odds. For instance, if a favorite has to face two crucial absentees (e.g., the starting goalie and striker), it may be a good idea to bet against the favorite’s price.
Live betting on high odds
Every bettor who chases big odds should have a reliable live betting option for one main reason. A big favorite may become a dark horse in football if it’s back on the half-time score. Suppose you bet Arsenal vs. Norwich EPL match on the visitor team to win at 6.50 (11/2) odds. If the Canaries lead the half-time by 1-0, you have multiple options to secure profit. For instance, you can cash out your initial wager and bet on Arsenal to win the match at 3.50 (5/2) or higher odds.
Also Read: What is a reverse bet
How to win big odds in basketball
Undoubtedly, it’s more challenging to place big odds bets in basketball than football. You should have noticed that favorites win in most cases, so you have to search a little bit more when you bet on high basketball odds following the odds comparison sites.
✔️ Home advantage: An underdog has many more chances to win a home match οr beat the handicap. Both in elite leagues, like NBA and Euroleague, and in secondary leagues, you can find high odds on an underdog home team or a low alternative handicap to back. For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Memphis Grizzlies game for the NBA offers 3.80 odds betting on the weaker home team, a great price for a 2-way market.
✔️ Βusy schedule: You can check teams at minor leagues or major ones not competing in European Cups (i.e., not used to playing two or more competitive matches a week). Consecutive matches may cause many ups and downs in favorites’ performances. So, there’s plenty of room available for upset results.
✔️ Betting against favorites: You can chase high odds by betting against powerhouses under certain circumstances. Suppose Real Madrid is coming from a long trip to Moscow and a high-competitive match against CSKA. If the next domestic game is away, especially if it’s scheduled to play at a remote area like Gran Canaria, it’s worth backing the home team, despite the quality difference.
✔️ Injury issues: An unexpected last-minute injury could turn the match factors upside down. Typically, quality teams have a deep roster confronting any player's loss, but the underdog’s chances are increased.
How to bet on high odds in tennis
Tennis markets are a relatively fertile field for upset results to grow. Minnows often eliminate even hot favorites for several reasons. Of course, you will have to do your research, choosing the right timing when to go against the favorite.
Ranking difference: The most common tactic bookmakers follow when setting prices in first-round matches or minor tournaments is offering high odds for the more recognizable competitor. After ATP or WTA No 50, the ranking isn’t indicative of the quality. For example, the forcefulness difference between No 55 and No 90 is massive.
Favorites’ fatigue: Fatigue is always a key factor, especially for high-rated star players. Experienced athletes often feel exhausted after a series of five-set ties and could be vulnerable in the next match or competition. Past results, also, could reveal difficulties of a favorite confronting an opponent playing with a particular style of play.
Surface: Performance on a specific surface is another essential factor. Even apprentice tennis bettors know that Rafael Nadal is almost unbeatable on a clay surface but has some surprising eliminations on grass. A coherent high odds betting strategy is to go against him, undoubtedly on bigger odds when facing a low-ranked player.
Why is high odds betting in horse racing profitable?
In horse racing, even the favorites have big odds as you can check on our Royal Ascot Betting Tips section. The reason is that there are too many runners and other things that can affect the outcome of the race. For instance, if you bet on the Ooty at Chennai race in India, the favorite leading horse, Pirate’s Love, pays 3.50 (5/2) odds, and the second favorite, Katahdin, offers a 4.00 (3/1) odds payout. These values in football are commonly provided for underdog teams. That’s the reason you can bet systems on high odds in these sports. If you place a trixie or a yankee, you can receive a profit with the minimum of set picks.
Also Read: The best bookmaker offers for Royal Ascot
How to Win on 5 Big Odds
Betting on big odds with a purposeful strategy is crucial. Higher prices mean fewer winning chances but also better returns. So, it would help if you built a plan except for the staking method you must improve. Read on our advice and learn how you can win big odds in wagering.
✔️ Control your stakes: Placing risk-based picks needs absolute control of your bankroll. You should never set a stake upper 20% of your starting investment. It’s challenging to generate massive profits in a couple of big odds bets, but the most important is to have the chance to recover after the losses.
✔️ Βet on singles: It’s one of the main principles in betting; choosing fewer picks increases the chances of securing returns. So, the best option is to bet on singles, especially when you select underdogs.
✔️ Avoid big accumulators: Choose trixies or yankees or Heinz systems, where you can get a profit with the minimum selections. Betting on a trixie (i.e., three doubles and one treble), you earn sustainable earnings even with two winning selections.
✔️ Place value bets: High odds betting allows you to find value prices. Even the top bookmakers focus on favorites offering bigger odds on underdogs. They evaluate the winning chances so that you can take advantage of the bookies. In the long run, even a slight odds difference will be vital for your bankroll.
✔️ Bet on the events you know: Big odds increase your losing risk, so you should mind the gap by betting on sports you have a deep knowledge of the rules and their betting markets.
✔️ Avoid fun bets: Betting on underdogs and minimizing the stakes might be a choice made just for fun, even 10% of a regular stake. If your standard stake is €150, following our example above, you will see damage in your bankroll if you lose €5 on fun bets in the long term.
Is it better to bet on low or high odds?
Should I place small bets on high odds or bigger wagers on the lowermost winning odds? This question does not have a specific “yes” or “no” answer. The truth is somewhere in the middle. You should have a strict staking plan and strategy to turn a profit. The primary factor is to determine the odds value.
When a player gains experience, it’s easy to comprehend that he may find value at prices below 1.40. On the flip side, an outcome at 50.00 will give a massive payout if it happens, but its winning probability is 2%. High odds betting allows you to score big wins, having high payouts with low stakes.
Although, you should check that it’s easier to have a bad run of losses in the long term. If it happens, you will have massive problems recovering your bankroll. Advising our odds range table, you can highlight the middle prices and build a strategy on them. Betting on singles, you can integrate low-risk and big odds bets when you see value in them.
In conclusion, you must consider if you can make a massive profit betting online on high odds. Yes, you can pay less VIG at high prices, but most bookies have a maximum payout limit offering fewer promotions on them. That’s one more reason to move somewhere in the middle when you choose prices.
Bookmakers for High Odds Betting
Exploring our list, you can discover all the reputable and reliable highest odds bookmakers that offer the best prices in a wide range of sports and markets.
Preferring a high odds pattern means that you want to receive higher payouts, risking your winning chances considerably. The prices from 3.50 (5/2) or 4.00 (3/1) odds and above are widely considered high.
The 100.00 (99/1) odds have a slight 1% implied probability to win; the online bookmakers who set that price know that the possible outcome of a sports or a non-sports event it’s improbable to happen.
More experienced bettors who place bets on 3-way markets in football consider that middling is a profitable strategy to secure high returns without increasing their risk. So, they choose to back lower to middle odds from 1.41 to 2.50.
The most consistent way to secure returns in betting is to find value in the odds. Some bettors tend to place bets on the outcomes that seem the most likely to happen. Although, the most winning odds are those where the positive value exists (i.e., when the winning probability is higher than the probability reflected in the prices).
Knowing the main differences between high and low odds, it’s an excellent first step to determine your winning possibilities in betting. There are many sites with predictions from singles to mega ACCAs, but before you follow them, you should notice that every pick you add in your betslip decreases the chances of securing returns. So, high odds tips from 4.00 odds to 20.00 or more have a low probability to happen.
Even with small stakes, you can quickly lose a lot of money. Always betting against the favorite might put your bankroll in danger, especially if you face a lousy run of successive losses. In the long term, it seems to be an unrecommended strategy.
Ignoring the winning possibilities is a critical mistake for your bankroll, even if you risk a lower amount of money than usual for fun or big odds bets. Ιf you win after numerous losses, the profit won’t make the difference on your account due to the low intensity of success of fun bets.
Betting on football or other sports, you should always do analyzed research, especially when wagering on underdogs. The first principle is to know the sport in-depth, exploring all the market values on big prices. You should first decide your high odds betting strategy and come up with a suitable staking plan.
No matter the market, all online bookmakers have betting and winning limits, which usually depend on their size. In the most famous bookies, you might be able to win up to €2,000,000, while in others as low as €5,000. That’s a way to protect themselves from going bankrupt.