Learn Sports Betting
Free guides, strategy breakdowns, and analysis to help you bet smarter.
Betting 101
New to sports betting? Start here with fundamentals, terminology, and core concepts every bettor needs to know.
View all →Live Betting Explained: How In-Game Wagering Works
Learn how live betting works, why odds change during a game, the advantages and risks of in-game wagering, and what to watch out for.
Prop Bets Explained: Betting on Individual Performances
Learn what prop bets are, the different types of player and game props, how they're priced, and what to know before betting them.
Over/Under Bets Explained: How Totals Betting Works
Learn what over/under bets are, how totals work in football, basketball, baseball, and hockey, and what factors move the total.
Moneyline Bets Explained: The Simplest Bet in Sports
Learn what a moneyline bet is, how to read moneyline odds, when to bet favorites vs. underdogs, and how moneylines work across different sports.
Positive EV
Learn how to find and exploit +EV opportunities. Expected value strategy, bankroll management, and long-term profitability.
View all →How Sharp Books Help You Find +EV Bets
Learn what sharp sportsbooks are, why their lines are the most accurate, and how to use them as a benchmark to find value at softer books.
Player Props: The Best +EV Market in Sports Betting
Why player prop markets consistently offer the most +EV opportunities, how sportsbooks misprice them, and how to find the best edges.
Why You Lose Bets and Still Make Money
Understand variance, sample size, and why short-term results tell you almost nothing about your long-term edge in sports betting.
Bankroll Management for +EV Bettors
Learn how to size your bets, protect your bankroll, and survive variance as a positive expected value sports bettor.
Tools & Calculators
Get the most out of Optimal Bet's calculators, projections, and analytics tools.
View all →Buying Half Points: When It's Worth It and When It's a Trap
Learn how buying and selling half points on spreads and totals works, when the extra cost is justified, and how to calculate the true price in probability terms.
Round Robin Bets Explained: Every Parlay Combination
Learn what a round robin bet is, how it creates every possible parlay combination from your selections, and when round robins make sense.
Bonus Bet Conversion: How to Maximize Free Bet Value
Learn how bonus bets and free bets work, how to calculate their real cash value, and strategies to convert them at the highest rate possible.
Hedge Betting: How to Lock In Guaranteed Profit
Learn how hedge betting works, when to use it, and how to calculate the exact stake needed to guarantee profit on both sides of a bet.