Sports
Betting Odds Explained: Decimal Odds, Probability and Examples
At a Glance
- Decimal odds multiply your stake to give your total return if the bet wins.
- Implied probability is roughly 1 divided by the odds, and the margin makes the total exceed 100%.
- The same math applies to every sport; the prices themselves are on the 66ZZ sportsbook.
- 18+ only
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- Updated 5 Nov 2026
- Play within limits
Odds are just a price written as a number. Once you can read them, a sportsbook becomes less mysterious and a lot less seductive. This guide explains decimal odds, implied probability and the margin, with worked examples in Taka. The numbers are illustrations, not quotes from 66ZZ, whose live odds can be seen in its sportsbook after login.
Reading decimal odds
Decimal odds show total return per unit staked. At odds of 2.50, a stake of 100 Taka returns 250 Taka if it wins, which is 150 Taka profit plus your 100 stake. If it loses, you lose the 100. Higher odds mean a less likely outcome in the market's view. Other formats exist, but this one is the simplest for calculations. In short: stake times odds equals return.
From odds to probability
Divide one by the decimal odds and you get the implied chance. Odds of 4.00 imply 25%. Odds of 1.25 imply 80%. This is the quickest way to ask whether you think the market is wrong: if you honestly believe the chance is higher than the implied one, the bet may have value. Beginners often skip this step. In short: convert to a chance, then argue with it.
| Decimal odds | Implied chance | Return on 100 stake |
|---|---|---|
| 1.25 | 80% | 125 |
| 1.80 | About 56% | 180 |
| 2.50 | 40% | 250 |
| 4.00 | 25% | 400 |
| 10.00 | 10% | 1,000 |
The margin
Add the implied chances of all outcomes in a market and the total will exceed 100%. The excess is the bookmaker's margin, its built-in fee. In a two-way market at odds of 1.90 for each side, the implied chances are about 52.6% each, totaling about 105.3%. That 5.3% is the cost of betting. Lower margins are better for you. In short: the total over 100% is what you pay.
Using odds well
Compare prices for the same market where you can, avoid combining many selections because the margin compounds, and never bet at odds you do not understand. See how this applies on the football page and in cricket odds. Back to the sports hub. In short: know the price before you pay it.
Combinations and the compounding margin
A combination bet multiplies the odds of several selections, which looks generous. It also multiplies the margin and the chance that one leg fails. Three selections each at 2.00 produce odds of 8.00, but the chance that all three win is only 12.5% if each is 50%. That is why combinations feel like they almost win so often. Keep them rare and small. In short: more legs, more ways to lose.
Step by step
Read any odds in 3 steps
- 1Multiply
Stake times decimal odds gives your total return.
- 2Convert
Divide 1 by the odds to get the implied chance.
- 3Compare
Ask whether your honest estimate is higher or lower than that chance.