A parlay takes multiple wagers and combines them into a single ticket. For a parlay to pay off, all bets on the ticket must win. If even one pick on a parlay loses, the entire ticket is a loser.
Parlays present a higher risk for bettors, but can also pay off at dramatically higher odds versus single bets. The Gaming Today Parlay Calculator functions as a tool that allows you to see the parlay odds and implied win probability for any combination of bets.
2 days ago Now, Hammer has locked in three confident best bets for Super Bowl 55. If you parlay his picks, you could be looking at an 11-1 payout. You can only see them here. Top 2021 Super Bowl NFL expert picks. Enter Your 'Bet Amount' - that's what you're risking, along with the American, fractional or decimal odds. See what your total payout and winnings will be. Betting Calculator Parlay Calculator Bet Slip. Expected Winnings $ 0.00; Expected Payout $ 0.00; Create Wager. Fractional Odds. The following table illustrates how the chances of winning parlays compares to the payouts received as the number of bets is increased (assume each bet comes at the standard -110 juice and has a 50% chance of winning). Parlay Payouts vs. A 10-team parlay can make for a huge payout, by the way. A payout of 825 to 1 wouldn’t be unusual for such a bet, but the probability of winning that bet are bigger than that—1023 to 1. Bet $100 on a 10-parlay, and you’re looking at winnings of $82,500. This is a profitable parlay for the sportsbook, too, if you look at it statistically. Payouts on a 2 team parlay are standard throughout the industry at 13/5. Sportsbooks will pay $2.64 for every $1.00 wagered.
Parlay Calculator
Enter the bet amount and the American Odd for each game in the parlay and your bet amount. If you are not using American odds, enter your decimal odds or fractional odds into this odds calculator.
What Is A Parlay Bet?
Legal sportsbooks allow bettors to put together just about any combination of available bets and play them as a parlay. Any ticket that combines two or more bets into a single ticket qualifies as a parlay wager.
The odds on a parlay bet are calculated as moneyline odds, and most US-facing legal sports use the American odds notation to display moneyline odds. American odds are denoted by a “+” or “-“ in front of the odds number. For example, lines like -110 and +150 use the American Odds notation.
Calculating Payouts From Positive Moneyline Odds
To calculate “+” American odds, take the odds number and divide by 100, then multiply that by the size of the bet.
A $50 bet at +150 odds, for instance, is calculated as 150/100 (which yields 1.5), multiplied by $50 (1.5*$50=$75). A winning $50 bet at +150 odds would return $125 total to the bettor ($75 profit plus the original $50 bet.)
Calculating Payouts From Negative Moneyline Odds
To calculate “-“ odds, divide 100 by the odds number, then multiply by the amount of the wager.
A $50 bet at -110 odds would be calculated as 100/110 (without the “-“ for the 110 odds), which yields 0.909. You then multiply that by the size of the bet (0.909*$50=$45.45). A $50 winning bet at -110 odds would return $95.95 to the bettor ($45.45 profit plus the original $50 bet).
Decimal Odds
American odds aren’t the only notation sportsbooks use to display moneyline odds. Decimal odds represent another common way to display moneyline odds. Odds notations like 1.20 and 10.00 are moneyline bets represented with decimal odds.
To convert “+” American odds into decimal odds, take the odds number and divide by 100, then add 1. Converting +150 to decimal odds is executed as (150/100)+1. That reduces to 1.5+1, which equals 2.5. So 2.5 decimal odds are equivalent to +150 American odds.
Converting “-“ odds to decimal odds requires dividing 100 by the odds and subtracting that quotient from 1. The -110 are converted as 1-(100/-110), which reduces to 1-(-0.909) and solves as 1.909. So -110 American odds convert to 1.909 decimal odds.
To calculate the return on a bet using decimal odds, multiply the wager by the odds. For example, a $50 bet at 1.909 decimal odds returns $95.45 to the bettor. To calculate profit, subtract the amount of the wager from this product ($95.45-$50=$45.45).
Favorites Versus Underdogs
The favorite in a game is the team with the higher implied probability of winning. Favorites are denoted by “-“ odds when using American odds. Favorites win more often overall, but pay out less on a win compared to underdogs.
Underdogs are the team with the lower implied probability of winning and are denoted with “+” odds. When making a parlay bet, combining multiple underdogs can produce potentially huge payouts, but the implied winning probability of such a ticket is low.
Implied Probability
The Gaming Today Parlay Calculator allows you to take any number of moneyline bets, input them into the calculator, and see both the payout odds and implied probability of winning. Implied probability can be derived from any moneyline number.
Implied probability for “+” odds is calculated as 100/(“+” American odds + 100)*100. So for instance, the implied probability of +150 moneyline odds is calculated as 100/(150+100)*100. That reduces down to 40, so a bet with +150 odds has a 40% implied probability of winning.
For “-“ odds, the implied probability is calculated as “-” odds / (“-” odds + 100)*100. Putting -110 odds into that equations yields 110/(110+100)*100, which solves to 52.38. So a -110 American odds bet translates to a 52.38% implied probability of winning.
Looking for other calculators to use when sports betting? Check out:
Finding Value In A Parlay Bet
The implied probability of any bet, including parlays, can be used by astute bettors to find value in a sports wager. Finding value means making bets on teams that have a better chance of winning on the field versus what the implied probability indicates.
When trying to find value in a parlay bet, you must evaluate whether all of the bets on the tickets have a better chance of winning than the implied probability of the entire ticket. Keep in mind, however, that all of the bets on a ticket have to win for the parlay to win.
What Is A Parlay Calculator?
The Parlay Calculator will help you determine the expected payout for a given moneyline parlay bet. Parlay bets are a single bet that links together two or more individual wagers and are dependent on all of those bets winning.
Parlays have higher payoffs than placing each individual wager since the difficulty of winning it is much higher. If any of the bets in the parlay lose, the entire parlay loses. Any plays in that “pushes” or ties, then the parlay eliminates that bet from the parlay and is recalculated based on fewer bets in the parlay.
How The Gaming Today Parlay Calculator Works
The math calculating a parlay gets more difficult with each new bet, but if you understand how moneyline calculations work, it becomes just a matter of a couple of extra steps. Let’s take a set example.
Bet 1: -110
Bet 2: -150
Bet 3: +100
To calculate the payout we need to evaluate each set of odds into decimal odds, multiply the result, and subtract a factor of 1. Remember from the moneyline calculator article, that negative odds and positive odds need to be evaluated differently. Here is what that looks like:
Bet 1: (-1*-110+100)/-1*-110 = 1.909
Bet 2: (-1*-150+100)/-1*-150 = 1.666
Bet 3 (100+100)/100 = 2
Next, we multiply the three results and subtract 1 from the total, and multiply by the Bet Amount:
(Bet 1 * Bet 2 * Bet 3 -1) * Bet Amount = Parlay Payout
Which looks like:
(1.909 * 1.666 * 2 -1) * $100 = $536.08
Not a bad result, but don’t be fooled: the multiplication here is also consistently multiplying the risk. The implied probability of the above occurring is 13.59%. Those odds would look like a +536 longshot bet. Now let’s look at the event where Bet 2 is a push:
Bet 1: (-1*-110+100)/-1*-110 = 1.909
Bet 2: (-1*-150+100)/-1*-150 = 1.666
Bet 3 (100+100)/100 = 2
(1.909 * 2 -1) * $100 = $281.80
In the above case, the push is removed entirely from the outcome and the odds adjust accordingly. Below is a basic parlay chart for -110 odds for each bet:
This graph shows the profit as the number of bets in a parlay increase, based on a total $100 bet.
What Is Line Movement?
Sportsbooks set the lines on each game to produce enough bets on both sides of the line to allow the house to make money. If 100% of bets come in on the favorite of a given game, for example, the sportsbook loses massively if the favorite wins.
To balance that out, the sportsbook sets lines that encourage plenty of bets for both the favorite and the underdog. If too much money starts to come in on one side of a bet, the sportsbook will adjust the line in hopes of prompting more bets on the other side.
Note that the house sets betting lines in a way that allows the sportsbook to take vig, aka house cut. For example, totals bets often set the line at -110 on both sides, though a true even money bet would set the odds at +100 for both the under and the over.
The Legal Online Sports Betting Industry In The US
A change in federal laws in 2018 prompted the current boom period of the US sports betting industry. Many states offer both retail and online sports wagering legally.
In states with both physical and mobile sportsbooks, online wagering produces the majority of overall bets. DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and PointsBet have emerged as three of the top online sports betting platforms in the US market.
3 Best Online Sportsbooks In The US
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook offers a selection of sports that yields almost infinite ways to put a parlay ticket together. DraftKings Sportsbook operates in Michigan, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Iowa, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The Gaming Today Parlay Calculator can be used as a valuable tool to evaluate the best ways to assemble a parlay ticket from the vast selection of wagers at DraftKings Sportsbook.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook represents another major player in the legal US online sports betting market. Much like its competitors on this list, FanDuel Sportsbook allows bettors to combine several different kinds of bets on a parlay.
Using the Parlay Calculator, you can compare the parlay odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to what the same ticket would pay out at DraftKings or PointsBet. Bettors in Michigan, Virginia, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Tennessee, and West Virginia can access FanDuel Sportsbook’s mobile platform.
PointsBet
Operating in Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, PointsBet presents one of the most unique platforms in the legal US online sports betting industry.
PointsBet offers many different ways to put together parlays, including the Single Game Parlay. The Single Game Parlay allows you to combine moneyline, totals, and point spread bets from a single game into a parlay ticket.
Claim up to $2,000 in bonus offers at PointsBet – Use code BIGBONUS
Gaming Today Parlay Calculator FAQ
Yes. The overturn of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018 cleared the way for states to decide their own individual sports betting laws.
States that choose to legalize sports betting can opt to allow retail and/or online sports betting. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Colorado host some of the biggest legal online sports betting markets in the US.
Always. The Gaming Today Parlay Calculator presents a critical tool that should always be used to evaluate the overall payout odds and implied winning probability of a parlay.
Parlay tickets involve complicated odds calculations and potentially massive payouts. With that kind of money on the line, bettors would do well to crunch the numbers of any parlay bet through the Parlay Calculator.
Yes. The Gaming Today Parlay Calculator is a legal tool, and you can rest assured that sharp bettors across the country are using it to evaluate any parlay they might be thinking about making.
Each sportsbook has a team of bookmakers, aka oddsmakers, that evaluate where the sportsbook should set the lines on each game. To make money, sportsbooks must choose lines that bring in an appropriate amount of money on each side of the bet.
The public can affect the movement of a line. After the bookmakers set a line, the line will move if too much money starts coming in on one side of the bet.
Favorites are the team or athlete which the sportsbook presents as having the higher implied probability of winning a game or match. Favorites are denoted with “-” odds when using American odds notation and pay out at less favorable odds compared to underdogs.
Underdogs have a lower implied probability of winning and are denoted with “+” American odds notation. Underdogs win less often than favorites, but the payouts are better.
DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and PointsBet represent three of the top-tier online sportsbooks in the US. All three of these platforms offer a comprehensive menu of domestic and international sports.
The huge selection at each of these sportsbooks yields almost infinite ways to combine bets into a parlay ticket.
A parlay bet is a common way for sports bettors to increase their odds and payoffs. Instead of making multiple, single bets, a parlay bet combines 2 or more bets into one bet. Each bet within the parlay must win in order for the parlay to win. If any bet within the parlay loses, the bet loses. The more teams put into a parlay bet, the higher the odds.
Parlay bets should be used by one type of bettor, casual bettors doing it for occasional fun. Serious and professional sports bettors should only place parlay bets on very limited occasions, if ever. Since it only takes one loss within a parlay to lose the entire bet, the risk is very high. On a 6 team parlay, you could go 5-1 and lose your entire bet. Had these been straight bets, you’d be a happy camper.
Recommended Sportsbook for Parlay Bets:
Higher than normal parlay payout odds
Parlay Betting Odds
Two types of parlay bets can be made – those that use a point spread, and those that use a money line. Point spread parlay bets have somewhat standard odds, being very close at most sportsbooks. While there can be some slight variation from one sportsbook to another, in order to be competitive they’re generally pretty similar.
Typical Point Spread Parlay Betting Odds
- 2 Teams: 2.6:1
- 3 Teams: 6:1
- 4 Teams: 10:1
- 5 Teams: 20:1
- 6 Teams: 40:1
- 7 Teams: 80:1
- 8 Teams: 100:1
- 9 Teams: 150:1
- 10 Teams: 300:1
- 11 Teams: 450:1
- 12 Teams: 600:1
- 13 Teams: 750:1
- 14 Teams: 900:1
- 15 Teams: 1500:1
Money Line Parlay Betting Odds
Odds for parlay bets when using a money line are relative to the odds of each pick within the parlay. If you’ve chosen a number of underdogs, your odds will go up. If you’ve chosen big favorites, the odds will be lower. Money line parlays are great for an annual trip to Vegas where the idea is to go big or go home. However, for people who take their sports betting seriously, they’re too high risk to be a reasonable betting strategy.
Benefits of Parlay Betting
Parlay Odds Payout Vegas
Parlay bets allow sports bettors to make small bets with the possibility of large wins. They also allow bettors who have a limited bankroll to bet on multiple games, instead of waiting for games to end and time to collect their winnings. If multiple games are going on at the same time and you don’t have enough money to make straight bets on each game, a parlay bet is a way to get action on each game.
To put a parlay win into perspective, lets use a 5 game parlay as an example. If you made 5 straight bets for $22 each ($110 total wagered) and won all of them, you would win $20 per game for a $100 total profit. However that same $110 wagered on a successful 5 team parlay would pay $2200. But wait, before you go place your bet, keep reading.
Negatives of Parlay Betting
The major problem with parlay betting is that they don’t offer true odds. For example, the true odds of hitting an 8 team parlay is 255:1, while the payoff is only 100:1. This is a big disadvantage to the bettor. Similar to Roulette, when you split your chips across 2 numbers, you get slightly worse odds. When you split them across four numbers, the odds get worse again. The same can be said for parlay bets in sports betting.
Think of it this way. If you want to bet $100 on each of 5 games, but can’t afford to risk the full $500, you probably shouldn’t be betting at all. If you can afford the full $500, you will get a better payout with less risk of losing all your money by making straight bets.
4 Pick Parlay Payout
Parlay Betting Tips
There are all sorts of little tips for improving your ROI on parlay bets, but there are a couple of tips that everyone needs to know. To improve your chances and win more on your parlay bets, follow these tips.
Bet on Fewer Teams, Raise Your Bets
Parlays are often used the wrong way. Instead of placing a $20, 5 team parlay, it’s better to make a 3 team parlay for more money. While the odds are lower, the win-rate is much higher, relying on only 3 wins instead of 5. By increasing the bet size, you can make up for the lower odds. This gives you a better chance at a win and a nice payday.
If you have more teams you want to bet on, split your parlays into multiple, smaller parlay bets.
Protect Your Bets
Parlay Payout Odds
If you have a 5 team parlay that is 4-0 going into the fifth game, you stand to win $1000 on a $50 wager. A loss in the fifth game pays you nothing. To guarantee a win, place a straight bet for $525 on the team opposing your parlay pick. This will guarantee you a minimum win of $425 no matter what the result of the fifth game is. While expert bettors don’t bet a lot of parlays, when they do, this is a strategy they often employ.
If your parlay wins, you collect $1000. This is a $950 profit from your $50 bet, minus the $525 side bet, for a guaranteed win of $425.
10 Team Parlay Payout Odds
If your parlay loses, you lose $50 there but make $477 profit (11/10 odds) on the $525 side bet, for $427 guaranteed profit.
Either way, you can grab a beer and enjoy that last game, knowing you’re a winner no matter what.
Parlay Betting Rules in Event of a Tie
Before placing a parlay bet at a live or online sportsbook, find out the rules in the event of a tie. At some sportsbooks a tie will remove one team from the parlay, moving it down one level. For example, if you have a 5 team parlay with one tie, the parlay will automatically become a 4 team parlay, essentially removing one team from the bet.
At other sportsbooks, a tie results in a loss. This is bad for the bettor, so make sure you know the rules before placing your bet. This is especially important for betting on soccer or hockey where ties are common. Expert sports bettors never place a parlay bet without knowing these rules.
Odds Parlay Calculator
NFL & NCAA Football Parlay Betting
Parlay bets are extremely popular with NFL and NCAA football bettors. Parlay bets for football combine multiple straight bets, meaning the point spread is used. A bettors job is to pick teams that will cover the spread. If any team within the parlay does not cover the spread, the entire parlay bet loses.
While we don’t like parlay bets for serious bettors, they’re a great way to add tons of excitement to a weekend of football. Just remember how hard it is to go 3 for 3 in your fantasy league before you place a 10 team parlay.