Arbitrage betting isn't limited to one sport. Wherever bookmakers or exchanges price the same market differently, an arb can appear. Here's how football, tennis, horse racing, basketball and the rest compare.
Quick answer
Football and tennis are generally considered the best sports for arbitrage betting because they have extensive bookmaker coverage, frequent events and a large number of betting markets. Tennis can be easier for beginners because standard match-winner markets have only two possible outcomes, while football offers more opportunities but requires calculations across three possible match results.
If you want
Best sport
Most opportunities
Football
Simplest calculations
Tennis
Fast-moving markets
Basketball
Experienced bettors
Horse racing
Major bookmaker coverage
Football
Arbitrage sports betting is not limited to one particular sport. Wherever different bookmakers or betting exchanges offer sufficiently different odds, an arbitrage opportunity may exist. That means you can potentially find arbitrage bets on football, tennis, horse racing, basketball, cricket, golf, American football and many other sports and markets.
However, some sports can be more suitable for arbitrage betting than others. The number of bookmakers offering a market, the amount of market liquidity, how quickly odds move, the number of possible outcomes and the betting limits available can all affect how practical an arbitrage opportunity is.
So, which sport is best for arbitrage betting? There is no universal answer. For many bettors, football and tennis are useful places to look because of the large number of markets available, while other sports can also produce opportunities when bookmakers price the same event differently.
We're going to assume you have had some exposure to arbitrage betting or heard of it before. If it's new to you, check out our arbitrage betting guide for a more in-depth overview.
While understanding which sports offer the best opportunities is important, manually checking dozens of bookmakers is rarely practical. OddsMonkey's OddsMatcher automatically compares prices across bookmakers and betting exchanges, helping members identify potential arbitrage opportunities far more efficiently.
An arbitrage opportunity occurs when different prices can be combined to cover the relevant outcomes and potentially produce a positive return after taking applicable costs into account.
Several factors can influence how useful a particular sport or market is for arbitrage betting.
The more bookmakers covering an event, the more prices there are to compare. A larger range of available odds can increase the chances of finding price discrepancies, although it does not guarantee that an arbitrage opportunity will exist.
Liquidity is particularly important when a betting exchange is involved. A price might look attractive, but there may not be enough money available at that price to place the full stake required. This can make an apparent arbitrage opportunity difficult or impossible to execute in full.
Markets with two main outcomes can be simpler to analyse than markets with three or more. Tennis generally has two possible match winners, while a standard football match has three possible results: home win, draw or away win. This does not mean two-outcome sports are always more profitable, but fewer outcomes can make the mathematics and execution more straightforward.
Odds can change quickly. The longer it takes to identify an opportunity and place the required bets, the greater the chance that one of the prices will change before the arbitrage is fully executed. This makes fast-moving sports and live markets potentially more challenging, even when they offer plenty of price discrepancies.
A bookmaker might display a price that looks ideal for an arbitrage, but the amount you can actually stake may be less than the amount required. This is one reason an arbitrage opportunity needs to be judged on its executable profit, rather than simply the percentage shown on a screen.
OddsMonkey expert insight
"Many bettors focus entirely on the size of an arbitrage percentage, but experienced arbers know execution quality often matters more. An opportunity with excellent liquidity and realistic staking limits can be far more valuable than a higher theoretical return that's difficult to place in full."
Monika Kazimierczak, OddsMonkey Sports Betting Expert
Before looking at each sport individually, here's a quick comparison of how they typically perform for arbitrage betting based on market structure, bookmaker coverage and execution complexity.
Sport
Typical outcomes
Difficulty
Arb potential
Beginner friendly
Football
3
Medium
High
Medium
Tennis
2
Easy
High
Excellent
Basketball
2
Easy
High
Good
Horse racing
Many
High
Medium
Low
Cricket
Variable
Medium
Medium
Medium
American football
2
Easy
High
Good
Golf
Many
High
Low-medium
Low
Rugby
2-3
Medium
Medium
Medium
Football betting is one of the most popular sports for British bettors, so it's no shock that with that comes opportunities for arbitrage betting. The huge number of football fixtures played throughout the season means there are plenty of markets and prices to compare. Football also has a broad range of betting markets, including match result, both teams to score, over/under goals, first goalscorer, correct scores and player-related markets.
However, football also has an important characteristic that can make some markets more complicated for arbitrage bettors: the draw.
In a standard 1X2 football market, there are three possible outcomes:
An arbitrage bettor therefore needs to consider all three outcomes when determining whether the available odds create a viable opportunity.
For example, if one bookmaker offers an attractive price on the home team, another offers a better price on the draw and a third offers a superior price on the away team, the combined implied probabilities may create an arbitrage opportunity.
The basic calculation is:
1 ÷ Home odds + 1 ÷ Draw odds + 1 ÷ Away odds
If the combined implied probabilities are below 100%, an arbitrage opportunity may exist before considering factors such as exchange commission, stake limits and other costs.
Don't worry about calculating these figures though. Many of our members use the free OddsMonkey Implied Probability Calculator and Dutching Calculator to make life easier.
Example
Here's an example of a football arbitrage bet for an upcoming match in the English Premier League:
Selection
Platform
Stake
Odds
Liverpool (back)
Bookmaker A
£39.05
2.60
Draw (back)
Bookmaker B
£28.22
3.60
Man Utd (back)
Bookmaker C
£32.73
3.10
Profit
£1.53
By inputting these details into the Dutching Calculator, this is what it would look like.
As you can see, no matter what the outcome of the game is, you'll make a profit of £1.53.
The downside is that the three-way match result can make the mathematics more complicated than a straightforward two-outcome market. There can also be significant differences between major football leagues and smaller competitions, so bettors should not assume that every football market will be equally suitable. Our full football arbitrage betting guide covers this in depth.
Tennis can be particularly well suited to arbitrage betting because standard match-winner markets have two outcomes. A tennis match normally has one winner and one loser, meaning there is no draw to account for in the standard match-winner market. This can make the arbitrage calculation more straightforward.
Outcome
Bookmaker
Odds
Player A
Bookmaker 1
2.10
Player B
Bookmaker 2 or betting exchange
2.05
You can decide whether to place counter-bets at a bookies or a betting exchange depending on your arbitrage betting strategy.
The implied probabilities would be calculated as:
1 ÷ 2.10 = 47.62%
1 ÷ 2.05 = 48.78%
Combined: 96.40%
Because the combined implied probability is below 100%, the prices may represent an arbitrage opportunity before applicable costs.
Tennis also provides a large number of matches across ATP, WTA, Grand Slam and lower-level competitions. However, bettors still need to consider market liquidity, bookmaker limits and the speed at which odds can change.
A theoretical arbitrage is only useful if the necessary bets can actually be placed at the advertised prices. Read our dedicated tennis arbitrage betting guide for more.
Placing bets on horse racing can also provide opportunities for arbitrage betting, but it tends to involve more complex markets. Unlike a two-outcome tennis match, a horse race might have a large number of potential winners. That means backing different selections across different bookmakers can require more calculations and greater attention to the exact market being compared.
Horse racing also has additional factors that bettors need to understand, including:
The presence of non-runners is particularly important because a change to the field can affect the odds and the calculations behind an arbitrage. Horse racing can therefore be useful for experienced arbitrage bettors who understand the market, but it may not be the simplest place for beginners to start.
What the data says
The British Horseracing Authority reports that betting activity is increasingly concentrated around major race meetings, with average betting turnover per race at Premier fixtures rising by 1.1% year-on-year while turnover at Core fixtures fell by 8.1%.
Betting on basketball is another sport where arbitrage opportunities can occur. Many basketball markets are based around two opposing teams, which can make certain markets relatively straightforward to compare. Possible markets include:
The number of bookmakers covering major basketball leagues can create plenty of prices to compare. However, basketball can be fast-moving, particularly during live play, which means price movement becomes an important consideration.
For pre-match arbitrage betting, there may be more time to identify and execute an opportunity than there is betting in-play.
American football can also be suitable for arbitrage sports betting. As with tennis, a standard winner market has two teams, so there is no draw to account for in the same way as a traditional football 1X2 market.
Odds can be compared across bookmakers for markets such as:
The NFL can be particularly interesting to UK bettors because major events attract significant bookmaker coverage. However, arbitrage bettors should still check whether the exact same market is being compared. Differences in settlement rules, overtime treatment, player participation and market definitions can affect whether apparently similar odds are genuinely comparable.
Betting on cricket can also produce arbitrage opportunities, particularly around major international matches and popular competitions. However, cricket markets can vary considerably. Some match-result markets may involve multiple possible outcomes depending on the competition and conditions. Other markets may include player performances, innings totals or match-specific outcomes.
This can make cricket arbitrage more complex than a simple two-way winner market. Weather is another factor worth considering because rain interruptions can affect match formats, settlement rules and available markets. As with any sport, the key is not simply finding different odds — the prices need to relate to equivalent markets with compatible settlement rules.
Golf provides another possible source of arbitrage betting opportunities, although outright markets can be more complicated because many players can win the tournament. A golf outright market can involve dozens or even hundreds of potential outcomes. Other golf markets, such as two-ball or three-ball matchups, can have fewer outcomes and may be simpler to analyse.
When looking at golf arbitrage betting, pay close attention to the exact market definition, dead-heat rules, withdrawals and non-starters, tournament settlement rules, field size and bookmaker limits. A price difference is only useful if the bookmaker rules and settlement conditions are compatible.
Rugby betting can also offer arbing opportunities, particularly around major competitions and international fixtures such as the World Cup and Six Nations. Standard rugby match-result markets can sometimes involve a draw, meaning bettors need to account for all possible outcomes. Other markets can have two-way structures, including certain handicap and alternative-result markets.
As always, the exact rules of the market matter. A bookmaker's definition of a handicap, total points market or match result needs to be consistent with the exchange or other bookmaker price being used.
There is no single sport that is always the best for arbitrage betting. The best opportunity is generally the market where you can find:
A sufficiently large difference between available prices.
Enough stake available at those prices.
A suitable combination of bookmakers or exchanges.
Sufficient liquidity where an exchange is involved.
Enough time to place all required bets.
Settlement rules that match across the markets being compared.
That means a sport that produces frequent arbitrage opportunities one day may produce very few the next. For many bettors, football and tennis are useful sports to monitor because they have extensive betting coverage and a large number of markets. The key is to look for the opportunity first rather than deciding on a sport first.
What the data says
Football remains Britain's most-watched sport by a wide margin. Government data shows 56% of adults who watched live sport on TV watched men's football, while 31% watched tennis, explaining why these sports typically receive extensive bookmaker coverage and betting markets.
Source: UK Government, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
If you are new to arbitrage betting, starting with relatively straightforward markets can make the process easier to understand. Tennis match-winner markets can be a logical starting point because there are normally two outcomes. Football can also be useful, particularly once you understand how three-way markets work and how to calculate the combined implied probability of home win, draw and away win.
As you become more experienced, you may want to explore other sports and markets. The important thing is to understand the rules and calculations before increasing the number of markets you follow — our guide on how to get started arbitrage betting walks through the basics.
OddsMonkey expert insight
"Many bettors focus entirely on the size of an arbitrage percentage, but experienced arbers know execution quality often matters more. An opportunity with excellent liquidity and realistic staking limits can be far more valuable than a higher theoretical return that's difficult to place in full."
Steve T, OddsMonkey Arbitrage Betting Expert
While some sports naturally generate more arbitrage opportunities than others, successful arbitrage betting is ultimately about speed. Prices can change within seconds, making manual comparison across multiple bookmakers difficult. That's why many experienced arbitrage bettors rely on specialist software to identify opportunities and calculate the required stakes before the market moves.
OddsMonkey's OddsMatcher scans thousands of bookmaker and betting exchange prices throughout the day, giving our members real-time visibility of potential arbitrage opportunities. The platform also offers calculators designed to help with the mathematics involved in different betting strategies.
An arbitrage betting calculator can be particularly useful because the correct stakes depend on the odds, the number of outcomes and, where applicable, exchange commission. The benefit of using a tool is not that it removes the need to understand arbitrage betting — you still need to check the market, confirm the available odds and make sure the bets can actually be placed. Instead, specialist software makes the process of finding and calculating opportunities much more efficient.
You can potentially place arbitrage bets across a wide range of sports. Football arbitrage betting, tennis, horse racing, basketball, American football, cricket, golf and rugby can all provide opportunities depending on the markets and prices available.
However, there is no permanently "best" sport for arbitrage betting. The strongest opportunity is the one where the prices, liquidity, limits and market conditions combine to produce an executable positive return. For beginners, two-way markets such as tennis match-winner markets can be relatively straightforward to understand, while football offers a huge number of fixtures and markets but requires bettors to account for the draw.
18+. Gambling involves risk. Arbitrage betting is not risk-free. Odds can change, bets can be limited and exchange bets may not be fully matched. Always check current bookmaker and exchange terms before placing a bet.
Yes. Arbitrage betting opportunities can exist in almost any sport where multiple bookmakers or betting exchanges offer different odds on the same market. Popular choices include football, tennis, basketball, horse racing, American football, cricket, golf and rugby, although opportunities depend on available prices rather than the sport itself.
There is no single best sport for arbitrage betting. Football and tennis are often popular because they have extensive bookmaker coverage, while tennis can be easier for beginners due to its standard two-outcome match markets. Ultimately, the best opportunities come from price differences, liquidity and available stakes rather than a specific sport.
Yes. Football arb betting is one of the most popular sports because thousands of matches are available throughout the year and bookmakers offer a wide range of markets. However, standard match-result markets include three possible outcomes (home win, draw and away win), making calculations more complex than two-way sports.
Tennis match-winner markets usually have only two possible outcomes, making arbitrage calculations simpler than three-way markets. Combined with year-round tournaments and broad bookmaker coverage, this makes tennis arbing a common starting point for beginners.
Yes. Many arbitrage bettors combine bookmaker odds with betting exchanges to cover all possible outcomes. When using an exchange, always account for commission, available liquidity and settlement rules when calculating whether an opportunity remains profitable.
Live betting can produce arbitrage opportunities, but it also carries additional challenges. Odds can change within seconds, increasing the risk that one side of the arbitrage disappears before all bets have been placed.
Sports with high betting volume and broad bookmaker coverage generally produce the greatest number of potential opportunities. Football, tennis, basketball and major American sports often have the largest selection of markets, although opportunities vary from event to event.
Yes, but horse racing arbitrage can be more complex than other sports. Factors such as non-runners, Rule 4 deductions, each-way terms and varying bookmaker rules mean bettors need to check market conditions carefully before placing bets.
Before placing an arbitrage bet, confirm that both bookmakers are offering the same market, verify the odds are still available, check maximum stake limits, ensure sufficient exchange liquidity (if applicable), include any commission in your calculations and review each bookmaker's settlement rules.
Arbitrage betting software scans odds across multiple bookmakers and betting exchanges to identify potential price differences much faster than manual comparison. Many tools also include calculators that help determine the correct stake sizes needed to maximise potential returns while accounting for commission and multiple outcomes.
While both have the potential to be profitable when done correctly, they are different betting strategies. Find out more in our arbitrage betting vs matched betting guide.
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