Sports betting is about winning but also maxing out your profit.
If you read our sports betting analysis, you know we are loathe to recommend anyone place a wager at -150 or shorter, unless it is a part of a parlay leg or to cash in on a sportsbook promotion. The return isn’t worth the potential loss.
Fortunately, sportsbooks understand this and are willing to boost odds on certain markets to make them more lucrative for bettors. Odds boosts are a way for sportsbooks to differentiate themselves from their competition, since moneyline, spread and prop odds generally are standardized.
If the term odds boost is confusing or if you’re worried about taking advantage of the right promotion, don’t fret. We’re here to help.
Here’s a brief but comprehensive look at odds boosts.
What Is an Odds Boost?
An odds boost is a wager that a sportsbook alters the odds on to make it more lucrative for a potential bettor. They are a type of sportsbook promo. of betting promotion There are a variety of odds boosts, including parlay boosts, prop boosts as well as profit bonuses, that sportsbooks offer that can change a market with minus-money odds to plus-money odds or from plus-money odds to longer plus-money odds.
For instance, if you want to bet on the Buffalo Bills to cover a 6.5-point spread at home against the Miami Dolphins those odds are typically -110. But a sportsbook might boost those odds to +100 or +110 to make it a more attractive option for bettors.
The odds on a player prop like Josh Allen to throw for two-or-more touchdowns against the Dolphins are typically -110, but if that prop is boosted to say +120, that would fetch a greater profit for you, the bettor.
How Do Odds Boosts Work?
Odds boosts can work in a variety of ways. For instance, some sportsbooks will curate a parlay or prop bet and change the odds to make it more favorable for bettors. In some cases sportsbooks will empower bettors to choose their own boosted multi-leg parlay and give a percentage of profit boost that gives bettors more of a payout.
In every case, an odds boost will lead to more profit if it hits, and boosts are designed at enticing bettors to place wagers on props and parlays. Taking advantage of odds boosts is a must, especially if the wager you were hoping to make is the one being boosted.
How to Calculate an Odds Boost
The specially curated odds boosts are simply boosted from what the retail or standard odds rate to a wager that a sportsbook deems fair for that particular boost. When a sportsbook offers a profit boost on a multi-leg parlay, say 33 percent on a three-or-more-leg parlay, to calculate the boost you should multiply the percentage by the original odds then add the two numbers together.
For instance, if you are trying to get a 33 percent profit boost on a multi-leg parlay at +200, you multiply 0.33*200, which equals 66 then add that number for a +266.
What Sportsbooks Offer Odds Boosts?
Every sportsbook gives bettors odds boosts every day. But here are a few of our favorites.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel is the No. 1 sportsbook in the United States, and it’s not hard to see why. The FanDuel Online Sportsbook gives bettors great starting odds to begin with, which typically leads to enhanced profits on its competitors. Plus, FanDuel offers boosted parlays and props that are centered around every sport every day, including marquee events like the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series and more.
FanDuel is constantly changing the online sports betting game thanks to its ability to innovate. It is an elite option for sports betting.
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings is another super option for potential online sports bettors, and is arguably the best betting option for people interested in taking advantage of odds boosts. Aside from being the most widely available online sportsbook in the country, DraftKings offers odds boosts on every sporting event every day and empowers bettors to create their own odds-boosted parlays.
The DraftKings Online Sportsbook regularly boosts odds on extremely favorable matchups — like when it boosted a moneyline bet on Gonzaga basketball in the first round of the NCAA Tournament from -1000 to +100 — that allows bettors to max out their playable funds. It also provides things like profit bonuses on parlays of a certain size and enhances the profit bonus depending on the parlay’s length.
If you want to take advantage of odds boosts, DraftKings is the sportsbook for you.
Caesars Sportsbook
The Caesars Online Sportsbook is another exceptional option for odds-boosted betting. Caesars puts its odds-boosted markets front and center on its app and sportsbook website and also has a separate section on its top-bar that lets users peruse boosted betting options for each game in every sport each day.
Plus, every bet with Caesars comes with Caesars Rewards, the sportsbook’s VIP rewards program, that lets users accrue points that they can cash in for dining and hotel credits at Caesars properties, as well as other perks.
BetMGM Sportsbook
The BetMGM Online Sportsbook has a ton of boosted betting options each day and makes them highly accessible on its app. If you’re looking for a odds boost in a particular sport, click on that sport on the BetMGM website and app then peruse the options at the top of the page.
BetMGM, like DraftKings, is also one of the most widely available online sportsbooks nationwide and among the first to crop up when new states legalize sports betting. With BetMGM, bettors also get boosts like parlay profit bonuses and free bets, which can boost playable funds.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers is one of the best online sportsbooks in the country, especially for new and novice bettors. BetRivers offers bettors tips and trends so they can make the most informed decisions and also provides a helpful glossary of terms so bettors can make sense of the sportsbook without feeling uncomfortable by asking.
The BetRivers Online Sportsbook app provides a slew of specials, which are listed at the top of its homepage, where bettors can peruse the boosted options. Plus, BetRivers has a live-stream options for gamblers who want to see if their odds-boosted bet cashes in.
How to Claim an Odds Boost?
Claiming an odds boost does not typically add a step to your betting but sometimes does. Here’s a look at how to place an odds-boosted bet at each of the sites listed above.
How to Use an Odds Boost on DraftKings
Betting on odds boosts at DraftKings typically requires an opt-in. Fortunately, opting in is as easy as tapping a button on the app or website. Opting in does not trigger a betting requirement either, it just gives you, the bettor, an option to take advantage of the promotion if you choose to.
For some odds boosts, like profit boosts, you may also need to click “add bonus" to your wager to ensure you get the boosted odds. Finding the bonus is extremely easy if you opted in and are placing a wager that meets the requirements.
How to Use an Odds Boost at FanDuel
FanDuel already has great odds, which is why it offers fewer odds boosts than its competitors. But it will provide bettors with enhanced odds on curated wagers for marquee events, and taking advantage of those is a matter of simply tapping the odds in the promo window, logging into your account, placing the amount you wish to wager and pressing “Place Bet."
How to Use an Odds Boost at Caesars
Odds boosts at Caesars are typically as simple as clicking on the app’s specifically curated parlay or boosted prop. There is not an opt-in requirement to take advantage, but Caesars also does not usually offer bettors customized same-game or multi-leg parlay boosts.
How to Use an Odds Boost at BetMGM
BetMGM has a combination of curated boosts as well as promos like profit boosts and parlay insurance. If you have a special boost, BetMGM will notify you upon signing in and also make it easy to try place a qualifying wager for that boost.
However, if you are trying to simply bet on a boosted moneyline wager or prop bet it can be as simple as tapping the promo, entering the amount you wish to wager and pressing “Place Bet."
How to Use an Odds Boost at BetRivers
Cashing in on an odds boost at BetRivers is as simple as having an account, perusing the app’s “specials" category and entering the amount you wish to wager.
Are Odds Boosts Worth Using?
Yes! Boosted odds are essentially free money, especially on wagers you were intending to make anyway. For instance, if your favorite team’s moneyline odds are boosted from -110 to +100, that is a $9.09 increase in profit on a $100 bet. Every little bit counts.
If you’re superstitious and leery that odds boosts do not pan out it is understandable. Just remember that superstitions and jinxes aren’t real, and you’re leaving free money on the table by not taking advantage of odds boosts.
What to Look For in an Odds Boost?
The best odds-boosted bets are the ones that are bets you were going to make anyway. But also if DraftKings or FanDuel are offering promos like bet the spread — where they boost odds to +100 for an almost certain moneyline win or make the odds -110 on a basketball game spread at +153.5 — those are boosts that must be mashed.
Those promos only come around a few times per year, and otherwise the best odds boosts are the ones that make likely outcomes more lucrative. For instance, if Caesars is offering a boosted prop parlay where Kevin Durant scores more than 20.5 points and Ja Morant tops 7.5 rebounds, that would be more practical than a boosted prop parlay where Durant needed to top 29.5 and Morant needed a double-double. Or if betting on the Brooklyn Nets to win is -170 at one sportsbook, bet BetMGM is boosting them at -110 that is worth taking advantage of.
Odds Boost Betting Strategy
The best strategy for betting an odds boost is to search for boosts on wagers you want to make or that seem highly plausible. If DraftKings is enabling a profit boost on your own three-leg, same-game parlay, come up with a parlay that you love then add the odds boost that makes it more lucrative.
Otherwise, do your homework. Odds-boosted multi-game parlays will typically feature a long-odds leg that is unlikely to hit. But if you are a fan of the upstart or underdog, that could be the perfect way to cash in.
Also beware of odds boosts on parlays that feature three-or-more favorites.
The most important strategy for any bets, including boosts, is to bet what you love, have fun and be responsible.
Do Odds Boosts Have any Restrictions?
Typically odds boosts are restricted in the amount you are able to bet. For instance, when DraftKings was offering +100 odds for Gonzaga to win its NCAA tournament opener the max bet was $50. Most boosts have a $100 maximum when wagering, but some have even lower maximums.
If you’re trying to create a custom boosted parlay, on DraftKings for instance, typically there must be a minimum of three legs. There are also time restrictions when trying to cash in on. BetRivers has a ticking clock that informs bettors of how much time they have to put in the special. The fine print will almost always inform bettors of when they must use their bonus or boost by — and they are usually only good for the same day.
As stated above, opting in does not mandate placing a bet, and there are odds boosts on just about every game in every sport every day. If you missed out, there is a high probability you’ll be able to take advantage again soon.
Profit Boost vs Odds Boost
Profit boosts and odds boosts are essentially the same thing just a different name. For instance, if DraftKings is offering a 33 percent profit boost on any three-leg parlay, and you opt in and add the bonus to the wager, it will cross out the initial odds and give you the new odds for your wager.
Profit boost is a term that is typically reserved for parlays, and odds boosts are used for single markets. But they can be used interchangeably.