Middles betting is an advanced hedged betting strategy that creates a small overlap – the middle – where both of your hedged bets win. The resulting returns are much larger if hit the middle, but if you don’t, your hedged bets should either cut your losses to a minimum, or if the conditions are right, bring a small profit. While simple in theory, this betting strategy can be a lot harder to achieve than arbitrage wagers, as you need to browse alternate betting lines, find a hedging opportunity, and try to guess the exact middle.
Betting tools are designed to aid you in this process, using data driven strategies to calculate these middles and then find the corresponding hedged wagers that can create potentially profitable scenarios. Through middles betting tools, you can save time, gain accurate predictions, and then weigh the suggested middles tips to find the bet that best meets your expectations and hunches. On this page, we will dive into those tools and then assess the functionalities of middles betting – starting with how to place middles to how you can make the most of them.
Best Middles Betting Tools
The more advanced and user-optimized middles betting tools tend to be more expensive, and as this is best described as a “niche arbitrage betting alternative”, most of the tools add middles bets as an extra to their arbitrage subscription packages.
That being said, we wanted to give you a wide range of options, and also looked for middles betting tools with a more hands on approach, or those with fewer EV, statistical research, and line movement trackers – so you get more affordable options that focus on middles (and arbitrage bets).
The following is a shortlist that has a little bit of everything, and the top options for middles bettors in America today. Whether you want a fully optimized tool with projections and probability of the middles lines themselves – or a simple odds scanner that highlights opportunities – below you can find plenty of options to enhance your middles betting.
#1. Outlier.bet
Outlier.bet is one of the best multifaceted tools in America’s competitive market of betting tools. This tool has three subscriptions: the basic is ideal for researching bets, the medium tier includes EV+ indicators and real time odds movements, and the top tier, the Outlier Pro Package, includes all the hedged betting strategies and value seeking software you need to optimize your betting. Outlier is designed to crunch the stats and odds lines to gain clear fair odds, identify the sharp books, and look for valuable betting opportunities.
The middles betting here is excellent, covering main betting lines and tons of player props. Outlier covers the odds at all the top US sportsbooks, and while it doesn’t have a massive coverage of sportsbooks, it covers all the basics. There is sportsbooks syncing too, but these are limited to a handful of sportsbooks. But with the line movements and added live odds coverage, Outlier can pinpoint many high value middles wagers. It is not without its shortcomings, such as fewer books coverage and too much focus on player props. But if we compare what you pay for these features, Outlier is hands down one of the top choices out there. That is, so long as you opt for annual billing.
Outlier Pros:
- Excellent research tools, EV+, arbitrage and boost analytics
- Covers many player props including alt lines
- Easy to use and very user friendly
- Best money for value, with the Pro subscription (annual billing)
Outlier Cons:
- Pro subscription only worth it with annual billing
- Mostly focuses on player props
- Not too many US sportsbooks, limited sportsbook syncing
#2. OddsJam
From optimizing your deposits and finding alternative betting market middles, all the way to tracking your bets and analyzing CLV %, OddsJam is the comprehensive betting tool for advanced sports fans. It is one of those all in one betting tools, where you pay a premium to get promo converters, EV+ bets, sharp money line shopping, parlay builders, DFS optimizers, arbitrage wagers, low holds, and middles bets. OddsJam covers over 20 sports categories and has a depth of betting markets (and alternate lines) that not many other tools come close to.
This paves the way for very high value middles bets, as we have seen results that cover spreads, totals, team props, player props, and far more. OddsJam is one of the best tools out there, but it comes at a pretty high cost. You will have to pay for the Gold or Platinum packages to unlock the middles betting tool, which also comes with all those other features we mentioned. There are no smaller subscriptions for bettors who only want middles, which is a bit disappointing, but if you can afford to pay the Gold premium, OddsJam is one of the most professional tools out there.
OddsJam Pros:
- Plethora of betting strategies and superior bet tracking
- Covers loads of sports and has excellent market depth
- Middles betting tool also explores niche markets and alt lines
- Deposit optimizer and bet tracker help enhance longterm strategies
OddsJam Cons:
- Too pricey for starters
- No smaller subscriptions, or possibilities to get middles cheaper
#3. Pick The Odds
Pick The Odds has a great range of betting tools, and it has a forever free basic subscription and three paid subscriptions. This tool scans the odds at over 100 sportsbooks around the world, including all the top US picks, and has odds refresh rates of just over 1 second, which is extremely swift. Pick The Odds has tools for all bettors, from the beginners who want EV+ picks right up to the advanced bettors with line movement metrics, low holds bets, arbtirage and middles bets. The software has bet trackers through which you can log your bets and track profits.
The middles, arbitrage and positive EV bets are available on all subscriptions, however the forever free package limits middles at exactly 0% ROI and has 15 second odds refresh times. Upgrade to the Starter package, and you have no limits on ROI, and odds refresh rates of 1 second. The middles bets are extremely valuable, picking out main markets and alternative betting markets. Pick The Odds aggregates the market prices and gives you detailed analytics of the fair odds, projections, and EV for your bets. Middles are easy to use here, and there are plenty to snap up. Upgrade to the higher tier packages, and you get more sportsbook limits and league limits for your middles, expanding the potential options and enhancing your strategy.
Pick The Odds Pros:
- Multiple subscription packages including forever free
- Odds analytics and line movement metrics
- Great value middles with 1 second odds refresh times
- Bonus converter, low holds and arbitrage bets
Pick The Odds Cons:
- No iOS mobile app
- Limited sportsbook syncing
- Some sportsbooks are not available in the US
#4. Surebet
Surebet feels like a pretty oldschool betting tool when you compare it with the others on this list. Instead of using data driven strategies or AI powered analytics, this software just compares odds and looks for arbitrage, value bets, and middles wagers.
The tool does not have a notable design, it looks more like a spreadsheet than a betting tool. When you open the middles, you will find bets listed with their odds, and SureBet has little calculator icons that you can open for each middles bet, and run the numbers to find your ideal stake and returns. You also get links to the sportsbooks, which makes it faster to catch those bets. But one thing we have to warn you about is that the odds scanner doesn’t always update automatically, so be sure to refresh it regularly to keep tabs on the middles bets.
A lot of this tool is hands on, and there isn’t much that is automated and easy to use. However, it costs a fraction of the price of OddsJam and other top middles betting tools. If you can tweak the filters right, then you can get high value middles, arbitrage and value bets on practically all sports. Just remember that what you save in money with SureBet, you will have to work properly with this tool. Refresh odds, open and use the calculators, and of course, narrow down the filters to not get thousands of irrelevant bets.
Surebet Pros:
- Widespread international sports coverage
- Hundreds of sportsbooks covered
- Middles, arbitrage and value bets at a very affordable price
Surebet Cons:
- Odds don’t always refresh
- Design is poor, and a lot of the work has to be done manually
- Many sportsbooks are not regulated or accessible from the US
- Only high up on our list because it is very cheap
#5. Monster.bet
Monster.Bet is a highly professional tool that caters to mid to expert level sports bettors. It has multiple subscription options, but the ones needed for middles betting are either the Arbitrage Pro or the Monster Pro subscriptions, which are around $120 to $300 per month (monthly billing) or around $100 and $250 per month (yearly billing). Monster.bet Arbitrage Pro has arbitrage bets, a comprehensive Data Lab where you can get projections and hit matrixes, and it has detailed bet trackers to help you build your ultimate hedged betting strategy. It also includes the MonsterGPT AI assistant.
The coverage is comprehensive, with near real time middles odds from all the major US sportsbooks, and Monster Bet doesn’t stick to main markets either. With the Monster Pro subscription, you also unlock the Odds Pro, Sharp Pro, and MonsterGPT tools – the latter is a virtual assistant that can assess custom prompts and give you detailed analytics. Monster.Bet is designed to bring you an edge over sportsbooks, and the middles suggestions are highly rated. The cost for the Arbitrage Pro package is the average for arbitrage and middles tools of this caliber, and with the MonsterGPT and Data Lab access, you can add AI powered research to find those valuable middles lines. It is a recipe for success, for serious middles bettors who can afford the subscription costs.
Monster.Bet Pros:
- Excellent middles and arbitrage bet scanning
- Data Lab and MonsterGPT for data driven research
- Covers all the major sports
- Bet tracking and stake sizing optimization
Monster.Bet Cons:
- Subscriptions are pricier – for mid to high budgets
- Only Monster Pro has all the tools, otherwise Arbitrage Pro is needed for middles
- MonsterGPT runs on virtual credits
#6. Gambit Odds
Gambit Odds is primarily an arbitrage betting tool but it also has expert middles hunting, bet tracking, and EV+ tracking. The tool has a user first design, with drag and drop customizable interfaces, smart staking strategies to automatically plan your next middles, 1 click bet syncing, and it scans odds extremely quickly. There is just 1 subscription you can pay for, with a daily pass for trials, and the monthly pass, which is $99 per month. Paying members get one on one strategy calls, access to the private Discord channels, and bespoke bet tracking to get their betting strategies on track.
Gambit Odds covers a wide network of sportsbooks, has the market depth to give you plenty of middles options, and it prioritizes clarity. You can spot middles bets instantly, enter optimal stakes to get an idea of the potential returns, and use the drag and drop data points to highlight the specs you need. Gambit Odds is also fully mobile optimized, and has 1 bet click bet syncing, so it is ideal for placing expert middles bets on the go. A very well designed product, bettors who value comfort and high quality results can turn to Gambit Odds for streamlined middles strategies, and get personal coaching to take their bets to the next level.
Gambit Odds Pros:
- Concise and user friendly – It gets to the point
- Covers 80+ sportsbooks in real time
- Customizable interface and automated middles
- Optimized for bet tracking and longhaul strategies
Gambit Odds Cons:
- Doesn’t have matched betting or much stats research
- Prioritizes arbitrage bets over middles and EV+
- Could have more EV+ details or odds breakdown
How Middles Betting Works
Unlike arbitrage bets and other hedged wagers, you can’t use moneylines, three-way markets, or Yes/No wagers to make middles. These bets need wagers with alternate betting lines, such as point spreads or totals wagers, (and possibly player totals bets when the books have alternative betting lines). Instead of picking 1 betting line and hedging your bets, you will hedge bets on 2 betting lines, and you choose 2 lines that leave a small gap. For example, Under 26.5 points, and Over 24.5 points. The gap here is 25 points, and if the game ends with exactly 25 points – the middle – then both your hedged bets win.
That is the only difference between classic hedged betting and middles. You have to leave a small gap, which creates 1 or 2 possible outcomes where both of your bets win. You can’t leave too much of a gap, because then the odds on either side will not be able to make up the difference between your potential returns and staked money, should the middle not hit. The idea is that if only 1 of your bets win, it should cover the money you staked on the other bet (which loses), and in the optimal scenario, even makes a little profit.
Are Certain Sports Better for Middles?
As middles revolve around points/goals/runs, the possibilities will be pretty much defined by the sport you choose.
For example, soccer is a low-scoring sport, in which games typically end with anywhere from 0 to 4 or 5 goals. The middle line is often 2.5, but because this is not a high scoring sport, the options are more scarce and typically not as profitable. MLB games can yield 8 to 10 runs per game, which is slightly better as you have more ground to put your middles.
But higher scoring sports like football or, the best, basketball, often have far more opportunities just because there is a greater range of points that can be realistically scored. Throw in player points/passing yards/rushing yards and even team totals, and NFL and NBA have loads of middles betting opportunities to offer bettors.
Basically, look for markets with betting lines, and lots of different possible outcomes. The more the better, as it opens up the market prices and creates windows of opportunity for your middles bets.
Placing Middles Bets
Like any other hedged betting strategy, you can’t place your bet and hedged bet at the same sportsbook. You must place bets at two different sportsbooks, otherwise run the risk of your sportsbook declining your bet (they don’t tend to accept contrasting bets on the same line). You will need to predict the middle line or lines, say for example, 225 and 226 points for an NBA game. This means you are looking for lines of O 224.5 and U 226.5.
Line shopping at US sportsbooks, and you will get an idea of the average prices for those lines. You have to calculate how much you need on either side to make a profit, which you can do using betting calculators, or by converting the American Odds to Decimal Odds, dividing 1 by the Decimal Odds for the implied probability, and then adding those numbers to see if the sportsbook’s have an edge. For example, say you find odds for both @ -125 and @ +150.
Middles Betting Calculation Manually
The implied probabilities of the two bets are: 55.55% and 40%, which, when added together is 95.55%. That is under 100%, meaning you have an advantage, so now you can calculate the ratio of the stake size between the two bets, after which you can set a stake and check the profits.
The ratio required between @ -125 and @ +150 is 1.8 to 2.5, meaning for every $10 you place on the favorite bet (+150), you have to place $13.88 on the favorite.
- $10 on @ +150 = $25 returns. Minus stakes (-$10 and -$13.88), and the net profit is $1.12
- $13.88 on @ -125 = $24.98 returns. Minus stakes (-$10 and -$13.88), net profit is $1.10
But if the game ends with a total score of 225 or 226, then both your bets win:
- $49.98 returns if both bets win. Minus stakes, a profit of $26.10
The mathematics is not difficult, but it can be time consuming and require you to set up excel spreadsheets or have a calculator handy. Whereas betting tools do everything for you.
Using betting tools, the odds, stakes ratio, and resulting returns will be automatically calculated, and your only job will be to decide whether or not you like that middles bet, or want to look for another. And they will line up a list of potential middles scenarios, so you can simply browse and pick one.
Why Use Middles Betting Tools
Middles is a little trickier than straight arbitrage wagers as it requires you to predict a specific betting line, in addition to looking for favorable odds on the relevant lines around your middle, calculating the staking ratios, and finally placing your bets.
You can do this all manually; it is not very difficult to learn and adapt to. But you will spend a lot of time researching, comparing lines, and calculating returns before placing any bets.
With betting tools, instead of spending time crunching numbers and analyzing stats for appropriate middles, you will have all the options presented in front of you. Use your time to compare different middles scenarios and look for the highest potential to win, instead of putting all your time and effort to find a result that you’re halfway happy with.
Enhance Your Middles Betting Efficiency
Just like with arbitrage betting, if you are spending all your time looking for windows of opportunities, there is a strong chance of missing out on higher ROI scenarios. Or worse, finding the right balance and staking ratios, but the odds change in the meantime, and then you can go back to the drawing board. Middles betting software cuts all the tedious manual calculations out, so you are just looking at the potential bets themselves, and weighing up the options drawn up.
Remember, even if you do find options, you will be scanning lines and odds at different US sportsbooks, and for each one, that adds an extra set of calculations. You save time and can optimize your resources, using your time instead to evaluate different middles bets and find the ones that best suit your strategy and expectations.
Opportunities You Wouldn’t Normally Find
One of the biggest rabbit holes for arbitrage bettors is the all too familiar scenario where you keep looking at the same bets, and miss out on other potential scenarios simply because you cannot afford to branch out (too time consuming). Sure, middles are most often placed on alternate point spreads and totals bets, but they can also be used in alternate betting markets with lines. For instance:
- Passing/rushing yards (NFL)
- Player points (NBA)
- Team points (NFL/NBA)
- Total corners/fouls (soccer)
- Player shots attempted (NBA/Soccer)
- Total games (tennis)
- Player headshots (CS:GO eSports)
You can let your imagination run wild here. So long as there are multiple betting lines, and many realistic possible outcomes (not like 1 or 2 outcomes but rather 5, 6, etc), there is every chance you will find a good ROI middles bet. When doing this manually, you simply don’t have enough time or resources to observe individual player point markets, team scoring lines, and all those extra game props bets. The best middles betting tools do, and they can crunch the numbers to find the ideal scenarios.
Never Miss Out With Real Time Odds
Betting lines and odds, specifically these outside markets (alternative betting lines), can change pretty drastically in a matter of moments. Just like with any hedged bets, every single percentile of edge counts and can make the difference between a potentially profitable bet and one that fails to cut your losses to 0. Middles betting tools don’t just automate the calculations for you, but they keep refreshing the odds so that you are kept in the loop.
That time you save is not just useful to keep focused on the bets themselves. It is also useful for catching opportunities when they come around. You don’t miss out on dropping or rising betting lines as you would if you were stuck calculating probabilities and staking ratios.
Optimize Your Middles Betting Strategy
Ultimately, with these aides and supplements, you can direct your efforts on your longhaul plans with your middles betting strategy. Managing your bankroll, mitigating risks, factoring in variance and avoiding sinking money into risky scenarios is pivotal to keeping a well balanced bankroll. Middles betting, just like arbitrage betting, requires distributing your funds across numerous sportsbooks, carefully placing bets to avoid getting limited or having your bets refused, and capitalizing on line movements that can yield the best returns.
Some of the best betting tools we have reviewed also have guides, insights, and private communities that share tips on those nuances of middles betting. So you can maintain your strategy for the long run and try to build a consistent framework for your bets.
Bet trackers and closing line movement tools can also be useful for analyzing your previous results and looking for ways to improve your future bets. There is no be all end all betting strategy that always wins. The best betting strategies revolve around constant tweaking and adapting to the market trends.
Choosing a Betting Tool for Middles
Your budget is going to define which betting tools you can use, and if you have a tight bankroll, then your options are a little thinner. There is no problem with starting small, and picking a tool with which you can familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of middles betting. You can always upgrade to a superior tool if you have enhanced your bankroll and want to improve on those results even more.
Our tip would be to look for tools with multiple subscriptions, only pay for what you will use. Also, opt for annual billings where possible, as this can save a good 10% or more on your subscription costs. When starting, you can also use our links and promo codes to gain trials or discounted first subscriptions – the best starting place to test out a tool and see if it meets your expectations or not. Then, you can decide whether you want to continue the subscription or pick another tool for comparison.
