Hedge bet calculator: equal and break-even

A hedge bet calculator tells you how much to bet on the other side of an open bet to lock in a result. An equal hedge guarantees the same profit whichever side wins; a break-even hedge returns your original stake if the first bet loses, keeping more of the upside if it wins.

Hedge bet calculator

Enter your open bet and the current odds on the other side.

Odds format

Original stake

Original odds

Hedge odds (other side, now)

Equal-profit hedge: $240.00; $60.00 whichever side wins
Break-even hedge: $150.00; Original wins: $150.00. Hedge wins: $0.00
No hedge: $300.00; if it wins; −$100.00 if it loses

Assumptions and limitations

Equal-profit hedge = original stake × original decimal odds ÷ hedge decimal odds. Break-even hedge = original stake ÷ (hedge decimal odds − 1).
Hedging locks in a result; it doesn't add value. If the hedge price includes the sportsbook's margin, the hedge has negative expected value on its own.
It assumes both bets settle on the same outcome with no push or void (e.g. a moneyline with no draw).
Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

How the hedge bet calculator works

With your original stake S at decimal odds D, and the other side now available at decimal odds h:

Hedge	Stake on the other side	If the original wins	If the hedge wins
Equal profit	S × D ÷ h	S × (D − 1) − hedge	hedge × (h − 1) − S
Break-even	S ÷ (h − 1)	S × (D − 1) − hedge	$0

Example

You bet $100 at +300 (decimal 4.00). The other side is now -150 (decimal 1.667).

	Hedge stake	If the original wins	If the hedge wins
No hedge	$0	+$300	−$100
Equal profit	$240	+$60	+$60
Break-even	$150	+$150	$0

What hedging costs

A hedge is a new bet, priced with the sportsbook's margin. Suppose the fair probability of the hedge side is 58% while -150 implies 60%. The hedge's expected value is then 0.58 × 1.667 − 1 ≈ −3.3%, about −$8 on a $240 hedge. That is the price of certainty. Whether it's worth paying depends on how much the swing matters to you. Estimate the fair probability by removing the margin with the no-vig calculator.

When prices on the two sides are good enough that both outcomes are profitable from the start, that's an arbitrage, not a hedge: see Arbitrage betting explained.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I hedge a bet?

For the same profit whichever side wins, hedge stake = original stake × original decimal odds ÷ hedge decimal odds. To get just your original stake back if the first bet loses, hedge stake = original stake ÷ (hedge decimal odds − 1).

Does hedging lose money?

On average, usually a little: the hedge is a new bet at a price that includes the sportsbook's margin, so it typically has a slightly negative expected value. What it buys you is certainty.

Can a hedge guarantee a profit?

Only if the price has moved far enough your way since you placed the original bet. In the example on this page, $100 at +300 hedged at -150 locks in $60 either way.

What is a break-even hedge?

A hedge sized so that if the original bet loses, the hedge exactly returns your original stake. If the original wins, you keep its profit minus the hedge stake.

Hedge bet calculator: lock in a profit or your stake