Middle Bet Calculator
Two overlapping bets, one gap. See what a middle pays if it hits.
Estimate the chance it hits
The model estimates the middle lands about 7.3% of the time, above the 4.8% you need for these payouts to profit. At that rate it is worth about +$4.81 per attempt. This is a model estimate, not a guarantee. Spread middles use each league's key-number margin distribution; total middles use a Poisson on the combined score, which fits low-scoring sports best.
A middle is two bets on the same game whose winning windows overlap, like Over 5.5 in one place and Under 7.5 in another. If the result lands in the gap, both cash. Enter the two stakes and prices to see every outcome exactly, then estimate how often the middle lands and whether that makes it +EV.
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How the Middle Calculator works
What is a middle bet?
A middle is a pair of bets positioned so a result in the middle wins both. Bet Over 5.5 at one price and Under 7.5 at another, and if the total lands on 6 or 7, both tickets win. If it lands outside that gap, one wins and one loses, which usually costs a small amount, the price of the shot at the middle.
How to calculate a middle
There are three outcomes. If the result lands in the gap, you collect both payouts. If it lands high, one bet wins and the other loses its stake; if it lands low, the reverse. The calculator shows all three so you know exactly what the middle pays and what a miss costs before you place it.
When a middle is a free roll
If the two prices are good enough that winning one bet more than covers the loss on the other, the miss cases never lose money and the middle is a free roll: you cannot lose, and the gap is pure upside. The calculator flags this whenever it happens with your numbers.
How often does a middle hit?
The payout is exact arithmetic, but how often the gap lands is a probability estimate. Pick the league and enter the two lines your middle brackets, and the calculator estimates the chance the result falls in the gap. Spread middles use each league's key-number margin distribution, which is why middles on 3 and 7 in football are the good ones: those margins happen far more often than the numbers around them. Total middles use a Poisson on the combined score, which fits low-scoring baseball, hockey, and soccer.
Is a middle +EV?
A middle is worth placing when it lands more often than the payouts need it to. The calculator shows the estimated hit chance next to the break-even hit rate implied by your stakes and prices: if the estimate is higher, the middle grades as positive expected value, and the tool shows the expected dollars per attempt. Because one side almost always wins, a middle can be profitable even when it only lands a small share of the time.
Finding middles on BettorEdge
Middles appear when prices move and two numbers drift apart, so a peer-to-peer market where you can take the exact price you want makes them easier to build. On BettorEdge you set your own line, so you can position the two sides of a middle without paying a house vig on either.
Frequently asked questions
What is a middle bet?+
A middle is two bets on the same game whose winning ranges overlap, so a result in the gap wins both. A classic example is Over 5.5 and Under 7.5, where a total of 6 or 7 cashes both tickets.
How do you calculate a middle?+
Work out the payout in each of the three cases: both win (the middle hits), only the first wins, and only the second wins. The calculator does all three from your two stakes and prices, and also estimates how often the middle lands.
How often does a middle hit?+
It depends on the gap and the sport. A one-point football middle on 3 lands a high-single-digit percentage of the time because 3 is the most common NFL margin; a baseball total middle like 5.5 and 7.5 lands closer to a third of the time. The calculator estimates it from each league's scoring distribution.
Is a middle bet worth it?+
A middle is worth it when its estimated hit chance beats the break-even rate your payouts need. Since one of the two bets almost always wins, the downside is just the small fee on the losing ticket, so a middle can be profitable even landing well under half the time. The calculator grades it +EV or not from your numbers.
Can you lose money on a middle?+
Usually a miss costs a small amount, the price of the shot, since one bet wins and one loses. If the two prices are good enough that a win covers the loss, the middle becomes a free roll with no downside.
Is this middle calculator free?+
Yes, free and no signup. Pair it with a peer-to-peer market where you set your own price to build middles without paying vig on either side.