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Is my ticket +EV?

Enter each pick's odds to see what the ticket pays and the chance its price implies. A ticket (many apps call it a parlay) needs every pick to win. Add your own chance for each pick to see whether the ticket is worth more than its price.

Your ticket

Pick 1

Price says 52.4%

Pick 2

Price says 52.4%

Example: two picks at -110 make a +264 ticket. A $10 ticket wins $26.45, and the price implies a 27.44% chance.

Picks from the same game move together. Multiplying chances is only right for picks from different games. For a same-game ticket the real chance can be higher or lower, so the value line here won't be right.

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One pick a day, free, with its price, the book and a suggested bet size, posted at least 30 minutes before the game. Every result stays public.

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How a ticket's price is worked out

Change each pick's price into decimal odds and multiply them. Two picks at -110 are 1.91 × 1.91 = 3.64, which is +264 in American odds, so a $10 ticket wins $26.45. Two picks at +100 are 2.00 × 2.00 = 4.00, or +300: a $10 ticket wins $30.

The chance the ticket's price implies is 1 divided by that number: 1 ÷ 3.64 = 27.4%. Every pick carries the book's cut, and a ticket stacks them, which is why most tickets cost more than they look.

When a ticket is +EV

Multiply your own chance for each pick to get the ticket's chance, then multiply that by the ticket's decimal price. Above 1, the ticket is +EV by your numbers. Two picks you rate at 55%, both at -110: 55% × 55% = 30.25%, and 30.25% × 3.64 = 1.10. That is about +10%, or $1.03 on a $10 ticket on average, over many tickets.

One weak pick can sink the whole ticket. A pick you rate at 50% at -110 is worth less than its price, and multiplying it in drags the ticket below its price too.

Same game, different math

Picks from the same game move together. A quarterback's passing yards and his top receiver's catches tend to rise and fall as one, so their chances don't simply multiply. Multiplying is only right when every pick is from a different game. Books price same-game tickets with that in mind, so treat the value line as a rough guide there at best.

How much to put on a ticket

Less than on a single bet. A ticket loses more often, so its swings are bigger: half a normal bet or less, and never more than 2.5% of your bankroll. The bet size calculator has a ticket setting. Never bet the house on one bet.

Questions

How are ticket odds calculated?

Change each pick's price to decimal odds and multiply them. That is the ticket's decimal price. At 2.00 or more, subtract 1 and multiply by 100 for the American price.

What do two +100 picks pay together?

+300. Each is 2.00 in decimal odds, and 2.00 times 2.00 is 4.00, so a $10 ticket wins $30.

What does a two-pick ticket at -110 pay?

+264. A $10 ticket wins $26.45 and returns $36.45 with your $10.

Can I multiply chances for picks from the same game?

No. Picks from the same game move together, so the real chance that both win can be higher or lower than the two chances multiplied. Multiplying is only right for different games.

Is a ticket the same as a parlay?

Yes. A ticket here is any bet that combines picks, what many apps call a parlay. Every pick has to win for it to pay.

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