Middle betting calculator

A middle betting calculator shows what happens when you bet both sides of a game at different lines, such as Over 47.5 at one sportsbook and Under 48.5 at another. If the result lands between the numbers, both bets win; otherwise one wins, the other loses, and the net result is usually a small loss.

Middle betting calculator

Side A and side B are opposite sides at different lines, e.g. Over 47.5 at one sportsbook and Under 48.5 at another.

Odds format

Side A stake

Side A odds

Side B stake

Balanced: $110.00

Side B odds

If the middle hits: $200.00; Both bets win
If it misses: −$10.00; A only: −$10.00. B only: −$10.00
Break-even hit rate: 4.8%; Middle must land at least this often

Assumptions and limitations

Middle hit: both bets win. Miss: one wins and the other loses. The break-even hit rate assumes every miss lands on the worse side.
It ignores pushes. If the result lands exactly on a whole-number line, that bet is refunded instead.
How often a middle hits depends on the sport and the numbers involved; this calculator doesn't estimate it.
Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

How the middle betting calculator works

With stake a at decimal odds d_A on one side and stake b at d_B on the other:

Outcome	Profit
Middle hits (both win)	a × (d_A − 1) + b × (d_B − 1)
Only side A wins	a × (d_A − 1) − b
Only side B wins	b × (d_B − 1) − a

The break-even hit rate is the share of games the middle has to hit for the position to break even, assuming every miss lands on the worse side.

Example

Over 47.5 at -110 and Under 48.5 at -110, $110 on each:

Outcome	Result
Total is 48 (middle hits)	+$200
Total is 47 or less, or 49 or more	−$10
Break-even hit rate	4.8%

What is middling in sports betting?

Middling is betting both sides after a line has moved, or where two sportsbooks disagree, so that a range of results wins both bets. It isn't risk-free: most results miss the middle, and each miss costs roughly the margin on one side. Whether a middle is worth taking depends on how often results land in that range, which this calculator doesn't estimate.

If the two prices are good enough that a miss still makes money, the position is an arbitrage as well. Size those with the arbitrage calculator, and see Arbitrage betting explained for the risks both share, such as prices changing before the second bet is placed.

Frequently asked questions

What is a middle in sports betting?

Two bets on opposite sides of the same game at different lines, such as Over 47.5 and Under 48.5. If the result lands between the lines, both win; if not, one wins and one loses.

How often does a middle need to hit?

Two $110 bets at -110 lose $10 on a miss and win $200 on a hit, so the middle has to hit more than about 4.8% of the time to break even. The calculator works this out for any prices.

How often do middles actually hit?

It depends on the sport, the numbers involved and how wide the gap is. WagerBench hasn't published hit-rate data, so this calculator gives the break-even rate rather than an estimate.

Is a middle the same as an arbitrage?

Not usually. An arbitrage profits whatever happens. A typical middle loses a little on a miss and wins a lot on a hit. If the prices are good enough that a miss still profits, the position is also an arbitrage.

Middle betting calculator: what a middle risks and pays