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What are the odds? - the importance of getting the best price

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In a profession of fine margins, this article examines how some bettors might be missing a simple profitable trick. by not shopping around for the best price.

There are hundreds of places to bet online, yet many bettors still make the same mistake. They pick one bookmaker, get comfortable, and stop paying attention to price. Over time, that habit quietly reduces the return on every winning bet.

Many bettors stick with one bookmaker because it feels easier. They know the layout, the account is funded, and the process is familiar. The problem is that comfort and convenience come at a cost.

Accepting shorter odds for the same bet means paying extra margin with no upside. Loyalty does not improve returns and habit does not protect bankrolls. The market does not reward staying put.

When most bookmakers offer the same market, the only difference that matters is the price. Taking the highest available odds for a selection increases your expected return before the match even starts. That valuable advantage still exists regardless of whether the bet wins or loses.

While the gap between prices often looks small, placing a bet is not a one-off decision. It is a sequence of repeated choices, and any small edges in your favour compound over time.

What does getting the best odds actually mean?

Getting the best odds simply means choosing the bookmaker offering the highest price for the outcome you want.

If one bookmaker prices a team at +110 (11/10 UK) and another offers +105 (21/10 UK), the higher price pays more for the same result. The difference in return for those two prices (just 50 cents for a £10 stake) might feel irrelevant on a single play, but across dozens, hundreds or even thousands of bets, it compounds to become meaningful.

Price is one of the few parts of betting you can control. Ignoring it means accepting a lower return for no logical strategic reason.

Why small price differences matter over time

Consider a run of winning bets taken at slightly worse odds than the market’s best price. Each win returns a little less than it should. Nothing dramatic happens on any single bet, which is why the problem often goes unnoticed.

Over a batch of bets, those small differences add up. The same selections placed at better odds generate more profit without increasing risk or changing strategy. In practical terms, that extra return can equal an additional winning stake over a short period.

Using that specific example above and assuming you place that same priced $10 bet for every day of the year, the difference in potential profit is +$182.50. If you bet $20, it’s $365. $50 bettor? It’s $912.50, and so on. 

How bookmaker margin affects your long-term results

Every bookmaker builds margin into their prices. That margin is the cost of betting, and it varies between operators. Tighter margins generally mean better odds across the board.

This is where the idea of “low juice” matters. A lower built-in margin leaves more room for competitive pricing and gives bettors a better chance of finding value.

As a case in point, let’s look at Bet105, who describe themselves as a ‘low juice sportsbook providing a reliable and secure sports betting service’, which is exactly the type of positioning price-focused bettors should be looking for.

Lower margin does not guarantee better odds on every market. Over time, though, the low juice of bookies like Bet105 improves the conditions you are betting under.

Not only that, all Tipstrr users can enhance their advantage even further to claim $50 by entering the code TIPSTRR when depositing $100 to open a Bet105 account.

Best odds and value betting go hand in hand

Bettors who take price seriously tend to keep accounts with more than one bookmaker. That gives them options when a market moves or when one operator is out of line.

Rather than moving money constantly, many keep small balances across accounts, while others rely on odds comparison tools to identify the best available price quickly. 

If your analysis suggests a price should be shorter than the market, taking the best available odds helps you utilise that edge.

Taking a worse price dilutes it over time and that difference determines whether a value-based approach actually delivers profit.

This is another reason low-margin matters. Bet105’s low-juice positioning aligns with bettors who focus on long-term price efficiency rather than promotions or presentation.

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