There are a variety of ways that betting odds can be presented, but here in the United States, you’ll always see “American Odds.” The odds will appear in the form of hundreds, and they’ll either have a minus or plus sign in front of them. Reading and understanding betting odds can oftentimes be confusing to beginners. Another factor in setting these odds is liability, as the goal for oddsmakers is to mitigate risk and have as close to balanced action on each side as possible. The greater the odds, the greater the payout for the customer. When one side has shorter odds than the other, that means the sportsbook sees that side being more likely to win (or that proposition having a greater chance of happening than the other). Betting odds are set by oddsmakers at each of the sportsbooks, and they reflect their opinion on the probability of a particular game, event, or other proposition.
