At first glance, UFC betting odds can give a bettor a sense of being overwhelmed. With so many bouts and numerous betting lines offered on each of those bouts, determining how and when to bet on the UFC can prove a daunting challenge.
A UFC betting line on a bout will look like this:
- Fighter Odds
- Amanda Nunes -300
- Julianna Pena +230
In this betting line, Nunes is the favorite and Pena the underdog. At odds of +230, that means a $100 wager on Pena returns a profit of $230 should she win the bout. Odds on the favored Nunes are based on what needs to be bet in order to return a +100 profit. In this instance, that amount would be +300.
A similar odds format will be employed on prop wagers such as total rounds, exact method of finish and type of finishing move.
Who Decides UFC Online Betting Odds?
Oddsmakers employed by New York online sportsbooks establish the betting odds on every UFC bout. These are people who are experts in the fields of both betting on sports and the UFC itself.
They will analyze trends, explore statistics and utilize high tech algorithms to come to their decisions before setting the odds for the public.
How To Understand UFC Betting Odds
Above, we’ve already explained how the odds on a UFC work in terms of payouts and how those odds are established.
There are several essential options for betting on the UFC. It can be a simple straight bet on the outcome of the bout. More complicated bets and ones perhaps offering a higher return on investment may be provided by props such as total rounds in the bout, method of victory, and round betting. In-play wagering will also be delivered on events during the fight, such as the next takedown and next knockdown.
What -165 Means in UFC Betting
Suppose you are looking at a UFC betting line in an upcoming women’s strawweight fight between Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili. In this bout, at the BetRivers online sportsbook, Namajunas listed at odds of -165. What does that betting line mean?
In moneyline wagering, all bets are based to reflect what the odds would be around a wagering factor of $100. Favorites are generally going to be represented by a negative number, while underdogs are almost always associated with positive digits.
In this instance, Namajunas is being sent off as the favorite in this bout with Weili., hence the negative number next to her name. It is designed to represent how much a stake a UFC bettor would need to wager on Namajunas in order for them to realize a return on investment of $100.
By betting $165 on Namajunus, should she win the fight, all successful wagers placed on her would garner a payout of $265, or a profit of $100.
Moneylines are not the only wagers that feature these negative odds. Were a UFC bettor try some action on round betting, a play on Namajunas to win the first round might also be accompanied by a betting line of -165 at BetMGM New York or another betting app.
Likewise, a total rounds bet might be offering similar negative odds. Suppose the total established for this women’s bout was set at 2.5 rounds. It’s possible in this scenario that the betting line on this betting market would work out to odds of -165.
How Are UFC Betting Odds Calculated?
A popular misconception is that the odds on a UFC bout are established to indicate which fighter will be the winner. That’s not the case at all. Oddsmakers are looking to make money for their betting site. The goal of setting the odds is to establish a betting line that should encourage as close to equal amounts being bet on both fighters as is possible.
To do so, oddsmakers move the odds when there’s too much action on one side of the equation. They’re seeking to balance the books so that no matter which fighter ends up winning, the real winner will be the coffers of the sportsbook.
