They are not as straight-forward as decimal or fractional odd betting (see below).įor starters, American odds base themselves around $100 and how they relate to $100 varies depending on whether the bet is favored or not. American OddsĪmerican odds can be challenging to iunderstand at first. There are three common ways for odds to be presented: American odds, fractional odds, and decimal odds. To start, odds are presented in a few different ways and the numbers mean drastically different things depending on what system the sportsbook is using. One of the most important things to understand is how betting odds work and what they mean. For anyone new to betting, there are a many aspects on a bet sheet or an app that will be confusing or you may see for the first time.