By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:
You’ve already learned that the best bets are those where the odds are in your favor that is, positive expected value bets. You also learned that bookmakers set their lines independently. This independence creates opportunities where two bookmakers may have different views on the same market.
When that happens, you can sometimes place bets on both sides of a market and, if you size them correctly, make money no matter which outcome wins.
This strategy is called Arbitrage ⚖️
An arbitrage bet (also called an “arb” or “sure bet”) is when you bet on all possible outcomes of an event using different bookmakers offering different odds.
When done correctly, whichever outcome occurs, you lock in a guaranteed profit.
Let’s look at an arbitrage opportunity between two bookmakers Pinnacle and SportyBet shown on 🔗 OddsFantasy Arbitrage Tool.
The Event: Jeanjean, Leolia vs Hon, Priscilla
Market: Money Line
There’s something special about this market. With a $500 bankroll, you can size your bets so that, regardless of who wins, you make a profit of about $10.
We’ll use the 🔗 OddsFantasy Arbitrage Calculator 🔢
Total staked: $268 + $232 = $500
Guaranteed payout: ≈ $510 ✅
No matter who wins:
Guaranteed profit ≈ $10, risk-free
Arbitrage exploits differences in bookmakers’ odds. Because each bookmaker manages its risk and exposure independently, sharp discrepancies often appear, especially in:
By sizing your stakes correctly, you lock in profit before odds adjust.
More arbitrage bets can be seen on the 🔗 OddsFantasy Arbitrage tool.
Let’s summarize: