Even/Odd Totals: Effective betting strategies for basketball, football, and hockey

Many novice bettors believe that even/odd total bets rely solely on luck and are no different from a lottery. This is not entirely accurate. While it’s hard to predict, there are ways to improve your chances of winning. This article will discuss the specifics of even/odd bets, their advantages and disadvantages, and winning betting models for certain sports.

Most bookmakers offer even/odd bets alongside regular total bets (over/under). In this type of wager, you need to predict whether the total number of goals, points, sets, or other countable indicators will be even or odd. An even bet wins if the sum of points scored by both teams (or athletes) is even. Otherwise, an odd bet wins. For example, if a match ends 1-1 (1 + 1 = 2), the even bet wins. If the result is 0-1 (0 + 1 = 1), the odd bet wins.

Bookmakers offer these bets not only for the entire match but also for individual periods, quarters, sets, regulation time, and individual player (or team) statistics over a specific time frame. The odds for each option are always equal. An important detail: bookmakers allow placing an even/odd bet only once within the same event to prevent arbitrage opportunities.

New bettors often ask about what happens if the score is 0-0.  Does even or odd win? By definition, an even number is one that, when divided by 2, has no remainder. Zero meets this criterion, so a 0-0 score means the even bet wins and the odd bet loses.

Let’s look at an example of calculating winnings and net profit:

A bettor places a $500 bet on an odd total in the “Newcastle United” vs. PSG match with odds of 1.9. The match ends 4-1. This means the odd bet wins (4 + 1 = 5). The winnings are calculated by multiplying the stake by the odds (500 * 1.9 = 950 dollars). To find the net profit, subtract the stake from the total winnings (950 – 500 = 450 dollars).

The principle of calculating winnings does not depend on the sport. However, the amount can vary significantly depending on the sport and the strategies used by the bettor.

When betting on football, you can use a parlay strategy with insurance – “even + over 2.5”. This tactic isn’t foolproof but can yield profit over time.

Strategy Outline:

• Choose two outcomes for one match: total goals over 2.5 and even.
• Place equal amounts on both outcomes.
• Choose events where the odds of over 2.5 goals are higher than 2.0.

The strategy fails only if the football match ends 0:1 or 1:0. All other results ensure the bettor isn’t bankrupt. If only the over 2.5 bet wins, the bettor will still make a small profit, and winning the even bet alone won’t cause significant losses. If both bets win, you can expect double the profit.

Another simple and effective strategy involves betting on the odd total for a clear underdog. To ensure a winning bet, consider two factors when choosing a match:

• The favorite concedes goals.
• The underdog’s average goals per match range from 0.9 to 1.3.

In such matches, bookmakers often offer higher odds for odd totals – 2.30 and above.

Betting on even is more logical for matches between evenly matched teams, often resulting in a draw. Odd is better suited for matches with a clear favorite.

For basketball bets, professionals recommend using the Martingale strategy. The essence is to increase the next bet after a loss enough to cover all losses and make a profit.

You can calculate each subsequent amount by using the formula:

C=(C1 + Cp) / (K – 1), where

• C1 – the amount of the first bet;
• Cp – already lost amount;
• K – bookmaker’s odds on the selected event.

For example, your bankroll is 5000 dollars, and the first bet on odd is 200 dollars. The outcome of using the Martingale strategy in basketball is shown in the table below:

Professionals recommend starting bets in basketball from the first quarter and continuing in each subsequent quarter until the first win. In about 10% of matches, all quarters end with either even or odd totals. This means the Martingale strategy has a 90% success rate.

Hockey has its peculiarities: if a team is losing by one goal, they often replace the goalie with an outfield player towards the end of the match, increasing the likelihood of scoring another goal. When the score is 1:0, another goal leads to an even bet win and an odd bet loss. Therefore, it’s best to place hockey bets live.

In addition to the odd strategy, there’s a method for even bets. To use it, select NHL or KHL matches with two conditions. First, the odds of winning in regulation time should range from 2.25 to 2.75. Second, the history of head-to-head matches should show a high frequency of draws.

Even/odd total bets aren’t very popular. The reason lies in the difficulty of analysis, bettors’ inability, especially beginners, to manage their bankroll and a lack of effective betting models. This often leads to losses and reduced interest in this betting option.

However, there are advantages:

• Easy to understand and accessible.
• Universal: suitable for any sport.
• Favorable odds: ranging from 1.85 to 1.90.
• High chance of long-term wins when using strategies.

Many bookmakers offer this betting option, enabling players to place even/odd bets on football and other sports. This allows bettors to form their own opinions on this betting strategy.