With the launch of our new BetSmart tools round the corner, let's dive in and I'll explain what an arbitrage bet is, and how BetSmart can help you make profit - no matter which side wins!

What is Arbitrage betting?

An arbitrage bet (or 'arb') is very simply, backing both sides of a bet at different sportsbooks, at odds that guarantee a profit no matter which side wins.

'How does that work?' I hear you cry. Well, it's actually incredibly easy.

This is a real example from the 30th July game between the Dodgers and Reds.

Bet 1: Shohei Ohtani OVER 0.5 home runs at Bally Bet: +180

Bet 2: Shohei Ohtani UNDER 0.5 home runs at BetMGM: -150

By betting $60 on bet 1, and $100 on bet 2, you guarantee 4.3% profit, or +$7.

Is the profit earth-shattering? No, but that's not the point of betting on arbs. This is no-risk profit that helps keep your money working for you, and boosts your bankroll without you needing to sweat any outcome.

Why should you use Arbitrage betting?

There are 3 very good reasons to use our arb tracker.

Arbs are great for building your bankroll
They have almost zero risk if done properly
One 3.5% arb per day, using no more than $100 on any bet, would generate $180+ profit every month

Essentially, I recommend treating arbs as the lowest risk/reward part of a 'portfolio' of bets, ranging from your gut feelings, through our positive EV long term shrewd investments, to arbs that are constantly making small amounts.

How do I place an arbitrage bet using BetSmart?

Again, it's simple. Our arbitrage tracking page lists any arbitrage opportunities available right now, based on odds that update in real-time.

Some sportsbooks allow us to link directly to the bet itself and add it to your betslip. Others, you can click the link or odds and go to the market, or at very worst, the sportsbook. From there, simply select the bets, check the odds and the stakes, and place your bets!

I recommend acting as quickly as possible once you've decided to place an arb. Check the odds first, if they're the same and haven't changed, place your bets as quickly as you can to avoid them changing.

What should I do if the odds change after I've placed a first bet?

Don't panic! Check if that change is in your favor or against you using the calculator. Often, it's the former!

If however, the change is reducing your profit, the answers are also simple:

Option 1: Cash out Firstly, if you know your sportsbook allows you to cash out, you can just cash out of the first bet, and look at another opportunity. Sometimes, you may even make a small profit simply by cashing out if the odds go in your favor!

Option 2: Place the arb anyway But sometimes the easiest thing to do is place the second bet anyway at the new odds. Check the calculator next to every bet on BetSmart. This lets you change the odds, and adjust the stakes according to what you can see, and check the new arbitrage percentage. If it's positive, I just place it anyway and lock in that profit.

If the odds have changed wildly, you may make a tiny loss if the wrong bet wins (usually less than 1%), but you may still make a profit, and it'll be bigger if it comes off. Most of the time it'll likely just reduce your profit. A 3% arb may become a 1% arb, but that's not the end of the world.

Either way, the most important thing is to not just leave the first bet to run without either hedging or cashing out.

My Top-5 Arbitrage tips:

Get the right setup on screen - You need to be able to place arbs quickly before they disappear, sometimes in less than a minute! Get familiar with BetSmart's layout, and the info you need visible. I personally always use a desktop or laptop computer, as it allows more on screen at one time, but it can be quicker to place individual bets on mobile, as the interface is easier. It's really dependent on how you use it generally.

If you have one screen, I always make BetSmart smaller (say 1/3 of your screen) and it will optimize for you to see the info you need, leaving 2/3 of your screen for sportsbooks in another window. Personally, I set up a 'placeholder' window, and when I click the 'bet' button, I quickly drag that new tab (not the window, the tab!) into the placeholder, locking it into my on-screen format, and keeping the important odds/stake info visible! Then I close anything I am finished with to ensure I don't end up with 100 tabs open!

See example below:
Get accounts everywhere - Depositing bets is relatively quick these days, but having an account at more sportsbooks means less time spent registering and jumping through the ID hoops. By the time you've done that, your bet is likely gone, so get registered using our Promo Finder and get some free cash to convert!
Be smart about what you bet on - We have built BetSmart for you, and that means unlike some software, we've filtered out the Finnish second division basketball 'opportunities' you could theoretically get.

Put simply, if you're in Pennsylvania or Iowa, and you're betting on niche sports like archery, or you're placing highly specific, large bets on low-level Turkish soccer matches, the flags get raised at sportsbooks.

So the best tactic is to remain true to what you would normally bet on. Betting on Football, Baseball, Basketball and Hockey is far less likely to flag you as an arber, as it fits normal betting markets and patterns of people in your area.
Don't bet small arbs often - BetSmart shows you a range of arbitrage opportunities every day ranging from profits worth less than 1%, up to 25% with rare 'golden' arbs.

Don't hang on for those amazing ones, because they are rare - plus we're going to tell you when they come about soon! - instead, try to focus on getting one solid arb a day, between 2-4%. If you can do that, you'll easily make hundreds of dollars profit every month, even after your BetSmart subscription.

Once you know what you're doing and get comfortable, you can up that to 5 or 6 arbs on big sporting days, and it can quickly become several-hundred dollars in profit every month.
Keep a track of your profits - BetSmart allows you to click the + sign next to every bet and log it as played. When this happens, we automatically put this into your 'My Bets' section, where you can check the progress of the game and your bet

More importantly, it also allows you to keep track of your rolling profit from Arbitrage betting, so you don't mix it up with other bets. There's nothing more satisfying than cracking that first +$100 profit, and then the +$1,000, and beyond milestones form arbs, especially knowing you beat the sportsbooks at their own game!

That's it!

There's really not a lot to worry about with arbitrage. It's a great part of a broader strategy with sports betting, and many of the top professional gamblers bring in thousands of dollars per month using software like BetSmart - we know, because we built it for them!

Now it's in your hands. Remember, you can get a free 7 day trial of BetSmart here, get $20 off a monthly subscription using the code SMART20, and if you have any further questions, you can get in touch using the support button, or check out the Pickwatch Discord! We're on hand to help you with this all year round.

With a BetSmart subscription, you'll have access to our Arbitrage Bet tracker and additional tools, such as: