It’s a win-win! Sure betting tries to ensure that you profit regardless of a bet's outcome. Sounds too good to be true? It’s a numbers game. We’ll show you how it works, all the tools, and sure betting derivatives that could help you wager more confidently.
What is Sure Betting?
A surebet is obtained by exploring the discrepancies across different sportsbooks, leading the punter to win regardless of the outcome of a match or event. When bookies set odds, they do so by using their own set of data and metrics. This unique approach means that bookmakers often wind up with different odds for the same market. Due to this, odds from different sources might overlap, making betting on both worth it. Here’s an example:
These are the odds for a full-time result bet on a Chelsea vs Arsenal match.
| Bookmaker | Chelsea Win (1) | Draw (X) | Arsenal Win (2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookie A | 2.69 | 4.2 | 3.1 |
| Bookie B | 2.13 | 4.5 | 3.4 |
| Bookie C | 2.5 | 4.75 | 2.9 |
Once you compare all the bookies and choose the best odds, you can then bet a specific amount on each market to guarantee a profit, similar to what is done with arbitrage betting. In this case, you would bet like this.
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Chelsea to win at 2.69 odds: £42.42 to win £114.10;
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Draw at 4.75 odds: £24.02 to win £114.10;
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Arsenal to win at 3.4 odds: £33.56 to win £114.10;
If you add up all that you've staked, you would have placed £100 in total. That would be a guaranteed profit of £14.1.
Of course, you’d need to search through hundreds of bookies to get to this point, and a calculator to get the correct figures. Which is why software dedicated to sure betting is useful, as it cuts through the necessary time to get the best results.
Pre-Match vs Live Sure Bets – Which Are More Advantageous?
Pre-match sure bets will give you the time to search for the best odds, research bookmakers and make a final decision. With in-play betting, you might be able to find higher profit bets, thanks to shifting odds, but they are harder to find, and you’ll need to be quick.
Basically, in-play sure bets can give higher rewards but are harder to find. Sure betting with pre-game odds is easier but might not be as lucrative.
Middles, Polish Middles & Negative Middles – Are These More Profitable?
Middles can also bring excellent profits. These bets differ from sure betting because you’re exploiting market shifts rather than exploiting bookmakers. Here’s a quick example to get you up to speed.
The Boston Celtics play against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. You place a bet on a Celtics win with -3.5 handicap on Monday. By Tuesday the handicaps have shifted. You then place a bet on the Cleveland Cavaliers to win with a +5.5 handicap. Here are the possible outcomes:
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Celtics wins by 4 points: you win both bets;
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Celtics win by 6 or more: you win the Celtics bet, but lose the Cavaliers bet;
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Celtics win by 3 or less: you win the Cavaliers bet, but lose the Celtics bet.
The example is based on basketball, as it works best when betting on spreads. Thus, rugby, American football, snooker and other high-scoring sports are ideal for this type of bet.
A negative middle is a form of value bet which, unlike a standard middle, has the potential to lose a small amount. Basically, it’s not a sure-fire winner, but if the right markets are hit, you win big; if not, you might lose a small percentage of your stake. Here’s an example:
If team A is playing team B and team A has a handicap of -6, while team B has a handicap of +7.5, you can bet on the following scenarios.
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If team A wins by six points: your bet on team A wins, but your bet on Team B loses.
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If team B wins by seven points: your bet on team B wins, but your bet on Team A loses.
Polish middles are middles on steroids. Instead of looking for the overlap and exploiting it as a safety net, a Polish middle places two bets solely on the overlap. To use the Celtics vs Cavaliers example, you’d basically bet against Cavaliers at +5.5 and the Celtics at -3.5. It’s an inverted version of the regular middle.
Top 5 Sites to Monitor Your Surebets
Spend hours looking at markets across the best online bookies, or a quick comparison on a sure betting site? I know which one I’m choosing. There’s an endless list of sure betting software sites, but we’ve hand-picked the very best to suit all your needs.
1. Breaking Bet
Breaking Bet is a massive sure betting prediction site. They offer 180,000+ surebets, across 15+ sports and they compare over 270+ sites. That database is enough to give you options forever. Prefer live betting? You can filter between pre and live markets, which is great.
This software also shows you the predicted ROI, and how long you have left to place this bet. Moreover, it indicates which markets to bet on and which bookies are best.
The free version only offers up to 2% profit margins, but if you want to get more out of the software, you can pay £43.42 a month for a 90-day subscription. That’s one of the cheapest out there, but it doesn’t have the features that some other premium products offer.
- Decent free product
- Huge range of sports and operators
- Rapid updates for live and pre-game betting
- The site isn’t very user-friendly
- Not many added features
Author Verdict
Jeremy Fournier: This is one for the keen saver. The free version is one of the best out there, and even the paid version is relatively cheap.
2. Betmonitor
A much broader site, Betmonitor has it all. Their surebets section offers 30 sports, over 100 bookies and thousands of events daily. The site is easier to navigate and has a great sure betting calculator.
Their bookmaker comparison is great, and the best bookies are displayed showing their odds, as well as the average odds, giving you a lot more clarity than some other sure betting sites.
Their added products include dropping odds, odds comparisons and outrights. It’s a bettor's dream, but it comes at a cost. Even the basic plan, which excludes specials, trading singles and value bet mode on surebets, costs £246.6 for 90 days. The Premium Plan is £569.
- Great free version
- 30 sports to bet on
- Huge range of products
- Easy to navigate and understand
- Expensive if you only plan on using surebets
Author Verdict
Jeremy Fournier: Betmonitor has the widest variety of sports. That means you’re more likely to find a surebet worth a punt on, even if it’s on a sport you normally don’t bet on.
3. Trademate Sports
Trademate Sports is structured like a financial trading site. It’s well-organised and boasts analytics, data tools and a match centre. All this compliments the 70 betting sites, 8 sports and 2 esports available for sure betting.
We absolutely love the look of the site. It clearly displays all the data, including your fund growth, profit, the average ROI you’re winning and the number of trades. If you want to keep track of your bets, this is the site for you.
To use any of these tools, you need a premium account. There are two options: ‘Core’ and ‘Pro’. The Pro version gives you unlimited use of stats, data, and trade histories, as well as the option to view other punters. It costs £1,000 for 90 days though.
- Excellent features to use with your surebets
- Offers 2 esports to bet on: CS:GO and DOTA2
- Most expensive site on this list
Author Verdict
Jeremy Fournier: If you want stats and data, this site offers a huge wealth of information that could add the intended value. It’s quite expensive, though, but could be worth the money.
4. Bet Hero
After trying out the site, we can assure that Bet Hero is a data-heavy platform that offers stats, market analysis, tools and calculators, value bets and arbitrage betting. You need to create an account for a broader access, and the free version doesn't include sure bets or value bets.
It’s a shame that we can’t place any sure bets without paying for the premium account, but value and arbitrage bets are a good way to ease yourself into this side of betting.
This means you’ll need to pay £66 a month for the service. If you do opt for this, you'll be treated to a very user-friendly site that is fully geared to give you everything you need for betting. Their database features 230+ operators, 2,500+ daily profitable bets, and an average of 12% returns per bet.
- Brilliantly user-friendly and customisable site
- Vast number of bookmakers
- A high average of 12% returns per bet
- No free version available for sure betting
Author Verdict
Jeremy Fournier: The site is excellent if you want stats, but there is no free version for sure bets, which puts it at a disadvantage over other sure betting platforms. Its premium version is excellent for punters who want heavy data information.
5. BetBurger
BetBurger are surebet specialists. They offer 230+ bookies, over 30 sports, pre-match and live coverage, and hundreds of value bets a minute. Their API makes the process simple, and they have a very customisable dashboard, letting you tailor it to whatever you need.
The free version offers 1% sure bets and 2% value bets. It immediately shows you the best bookies to bet on and is simple to navigate. Their customisable dashboard means it’s one of the most user-focused sites.
It’s one of the most expensive options, at £296.79 per month. The full version is solely focused on sure betting and has one of the largest database of bookies.
- Solely focused on sure betting
- Large database
- Highly customisable dashboard
- Expensive choice for full version
Author Verdict
Jeremy Fournier: Being customisable means that it’s one of the most user-focused sites, and if you appreciate that, BetBurger is the one for you. Even their free version is pretty good for sure bets.
Sure Betting vs Value Betting – What’s the Best Option?
Value bets happen when you find a market with much higher odds than anticipated. Unlike surebets, there is a chance of losing this bet, but a win will give you a great payout. Imagine finding odds of 4/1 for PSG to win Ligue 1 – you’d take it, but it's not a guarantee.
Surebets get you a guaranteed win, but they’re hard to find and won’t give you a huge payout. Value bets are nowhere near bulletproof but will give you much better odds.
A shrewd punter will go for both when they make sense. It’s important to find a balance between risking higher odds on value bets, and securing low profits on sure bets. Using stats and data could help you figure out when to use both, and when to stick to sure or value bets.
We’re talking of a choice between high odds and safe markets, so keep a look out, do your research and see how your betting strategy can benefit from both.
Useful Resources When Analysing Your Surebets
Anything to make your surebets even safer is a huge plus. Here are a few ways to make better surebets without relying solely on algorithms.
Betting calculators
Surebets need lots of calculations, so doing your own to confirm what you have already found acts as a good safety net. Just make sure you find the right betting calculators.
Betting stats
Although a surebet is almost a guarantee, using stats to back their claims, or add value to your own bet, can come with added rewards. Our betting stats hub has all that you need when it comes to stats.
Betting tips
Tips are another way to check if a surebet is safe or not. Of course, betting tips are no guarantee either, but our sports betting tips page is reliable, with most predictions coming good.
Betting offers
Making use of a free bet, or welcome promotion, will undoubtedly improve your sure bet. Be it with a free punt, or with a bet boost to increase your winnings. Our handy promo codes page will show you what you can claim today.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
Sure betting sites provide you the insight and knowledge to find high value betting opportunities, giving you an edge over the bookies. Of course, it isn’t a magic spell, so knowing it all about this betting term and what to do is key to making the most out of the strategy. Using one of our suggested sites might a great way to get started on the right foot.
Sure Betting FAQs
A surebet is a set of punts that can be combined to seek a guaranteed winning bet.
The surebet method is done by placing two or three bets on opposing markets, using bookies that give the best odds. If the odds are good enough, whatever the outcome, you could make an overall profit.
Using a sure betting prediction site is the best way to find the best odds and bookies to make these wagers.
Yes, as it increases your chances of winning. Of course, it’s not that easy, and you’ll need to create a lot of new accounts, but sure betting can get you closer to winning if done right.
Yes, sure betting might be the ideal scenario, as every outcome could give you a win. A value bet will only give you higher odds on one outcome.