Sports betting is growing more popular every single year. Millions of people bet on sports on a regular basis, yet many are still unfamiliar with some of the activity’s most basic terminologies. Today, our experts will answer the common question: what is a unit in sports betting?
This may seem like a complicated question to betting newcomers. In reality, units are easy to understand, and knowing how these work may help with your betting journey.
Here’s what you need to know!
Why Sports Betting Units Are Used
The amount of money that bettors have to throw around varies. High-rollers are able to wager huge amounts of money on a regular basis. Most casual bettors choose to wager smaller amounts of money far more infrequently.
Units are what help bettors to compare winning and losses, regardless of the amount of money that is being wagered. Essentially, it’s a way to determine a bettor’s skill.
How Are Sports Betting Units Established?
Some may still have questions about how exactly sports betting units are created. No problem! A betting unit is simply the amount of money being wagered compared to an entire bankroll. One percentage of that bankroll is generally one unit.
Someone with $500 in a betting account. They decided that 1 unit should be 1% of their account.
1 unit = 1% of $1,000
Meaning that 1 unit is $10
Creating unit sizes based on odds requires a little more knowledge. This is where sports betting math comes into play. Someone taking a -160 NFL team moneyline with a $10 bet will win $6.25 in profit (Payout = $16.25) . It’s important to keep this in mind when tracking sports betting unit wins and losses, whether you are making prop bets, sweetheart teasers, futures, or any other kind of wager. Remember, you can always use an odds calculator to help you work out payouts in relation to bet amount.
| Unit Size | Bet Amount | Odds | Win (in units) | Win or Payout (in $) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | $2.5 | +400 | 1.25 | $12.50 |
| 0.5 | $5 | +250 | 1.75 | $17.50 |
| 1 | $10 | +130 | 2.3 | $23.00 |
| 2 | $20 | -110 | 3.81 | $38.18 |
How Many Betting Units Should Be Wagered?
Experts love to debate the best sports betting strategies. Generally speaking, betting no more than 3 units is smart on individual matches. This can vary, though. Experienced bettors with a successful track record may choose to wager 5 units or more.
It all comes down to what you are comfortable betting.
The majority of bettors will not even need to track units, as they are not keeping specific tracks of their bankroll. Those looking for clear examples of their wins and losses may find sports betting units to be a valuable tool, though. You can also use units to form betting systems.
Sports Gambling Units: The Truth
Bettors seem torn as to the benefits of sports gambling units. There is no doubt that these can be beneficial to hardcore sports gamblers. The vast majority of sports bettors do so as a casual form of entertainment, however, and in that case, these may not be completely necessary.
Someone may tell you they are up 30 units over the year. That simply means they are up 30x what a single betting unit is to them, based on their bankroll. That could be $10,000 and that could be $100.
The fact is these sports gambling units will only be beneficial to the most extreme bettors. That means those consistently tracking their performance. That may apply to some of those asking: “what are units in betting?” That doesn’t mean everyone.
