Profit boost calculator: is the boost worth it?

How do I use the profit boost calculator?

1. Enter your stake and the regular odds. Choose a profit boost in percent, or switch to boosted odds if the book shows a new price.
2. Enter the cap on extra winnings and the maximum wager the boost covers, if the offer has them. Leave them blank for none.
3. Give the fair chance of winning: either the price of the opposing side, which the calculator de-vigs, or your own number.
4. Read the boosted odds, the expected value and the hedge that locks it.

The offer’s own terms, which a person reads in the app, decide the cap, the maximum wager and the minimum odds. The calculator uses what you type.

How is the boosted payout calculated?

A profit boost adds a percentage of your winnings, up to a cap. The boosted decimal price is d_b = d + min((d − 1) × b × S, cap) / S, where b is the boost, S your stake and d the regular decimal odds. Expected value is EV = S × (p × d_b − 1) for a fair win chance p.

extra winnings = min((d - 1) x b x S, cap)
boosted decimal d_b = d + extra / S
EV = S x (p x d_b - 1)

For the example, $10 at +150 (2.50) with a 50% boost: the uncapped extra winnings would be 1.5 × 0.5 × 10 = $7.50, but the $5 cap limits them to $5.00. The boosted price is decimal 3.00 (+200) and a win pays $20.00 in profit instead of $15.00.

Is a profit boost +EV?

At a fair price an uncapped profit boost is always worth something: EV = S × b × (1 − p). A 50% boost on a bet with a 60% chance is worth 50% × 40% = 20% of the stake, or $20.00 on $100. Real prices include the book’s margin, which the boost has to overcome. In the example the bet at a fair 38.4% chance is worth -$0.41 without the boost, so the capped boost adds $1.92 and turns it into $1.51. Not every boost is positive: a thin boost on a heavily shaded price can stay negative.

What does the cap do?

The cap limits the extra winnings in dollars, so it matters most on long odds and larger stakes. Without it the example boost would add $7.50 and be worth $2.47; with it, $1.51. The maximum wager works the other way: only that much of the stake is boosted. A $25 stake with a $10 maximum wager gets a boost on $10 only, so the extra winnings are $7.50 and the expected value is $1.85 on $25 staked.

Are parlay boosts worth it?

They can be, with a caveat. For a parlay boost enter the combined odds as the odds and the chance that every leg wins as your own number. The chance is the product of the legs’ chances only when the legs are independent, and legs from one game are not. Offers also set a minimum number of legs and a minimum total price. The promos guide explains how each kind of promotion is valued.

Can I hedge a boosted bet?

Yes: bet the other side so both outcomes pay the same. The hedge stake is H = S × d_b / d₂, where d₂ is the hedge price after any fee. In the example the hedge is $18.89 at −170 and locks $1.11, less than the $1.51 average of keeping the bet, because the hedge side carries its own margin. Hedging at an exchange applies its fee; see the hedge calculator and the exchanges page.

Profit boost or odds boost?

A profit boost adds a percentage to your winnings; an odds boost replaces the price with a better one. They are the same thing when the extra winnings are the same. Choose “Boosted odds” to type the new price directly, in which case no cap or maximum wager applies in the calculation. Terms such as these vary by sportsbook and by account, and many boosts are targeted, so check the offer in your own app.

Related calculators and guides

• Bonus bet calculator

  Convert a free bet into cash with a hedge.

• No-vig calculator

  Get the fair chance behind a price.

• Sportsbook promos guide

  What each kind of promotion is worth and how it is hedged.

• Sportsbooks

  The operators SlateProof tracks and where each is available.