Oddsmatcher User Guide

The MBB Oddsmatcher helps you quickly find closely matched back and lay bets, making it easier to minimise qualifying losses and maximise your profits from bookmaker offers.

Whether you’re placing your first matched bet or looking for a faster way to find suitable selections, this guide will show you how to get the most from the tool.

Getting started

When you open the Oddsmatcher, you’ll see a table of available betting opportunities from bookmakers and exchanges.

Along the top of the page, you’ll find filters, a search box and your tool settings, allowing you to quickly narrow down the results and find bets that meet your requirements.

The results table below is where you’ll find all available matches, along with the bookmaker odds, exchange odds, available liquidity and rating.

By default, arbitrage opportunities (arbs) with ratings above 100% are hidden from the main results table. You can reveal them at any time using the link above the results.

Before jumping straight into the filters, I’d recommend getting familiar with the main results table first. Once you understand what you’re looking at, the filters will make a lot more sense.

Your first qualifying bet

If you’re new to matched betting, follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Find a suitable match

Look for:

• A popular sporting event
• A strong rating
• Sufficient exchange liquidity
• Odds that meet any bookmaker promotion requirements

Whilst it may be tempting to choose the highest-rated result available, I’d generally recommend sticking to popular events such as football, horse racing and other major televised sports. They tend to make more natural qualifying bets from a bookmaker’s perspective.

Once you’ve found a suitable match, click the calculator icon on the right-hand side to open the Bet Summary window.

Step 2: Open the Bet Summary

Here you’ll find:

• The bookmaker and exchange odds
• Your back stake
• Your lay stake
• Your liability
• The expected outcome for each result

We’ll cover each section in more detail over the next few steps.

Step 3: Place your back bet

The Back Bet section shows the details you’ll need when placing your bookmaker bet.

You can use the ‘Go to [Bookmaker]‘ button to open the relevant bookmaker site (the bookmaker can’t tell that you’re coming from Matched Betting Blog), or navigate there manually if you prefer.

Before placing your bet, make sure:

• The odds still match those shown in the Oddsmatcher
• Your stake is correct
• The event and selection are correct

Once you’re happy everything matches, place your back bet with the bookmaker.

Tip: Odds can change quickly, particularly around kick-off or the start of an event. Always double-check the bookmaker odds before placing your bet.

Step 4: Place your lay bet

Once you’ve placed your back bet, it’s time to place the corresponding lay bet on the exchange.

The Lay Bet section shows:

• The lay odds you’ll need
• Your lay stake
• The available exchange liquidity
• Your liability

You can use the ‘Go to Smarkets‘ button to open the exchange manually, or place the lay bet directly from the Oddsmatcher if you’ve connected your Smarkets account.

Before placing your lay bet, make sure:

• The lay odds still match those shown in the Oddsmatcher
• There is sufficient liquidity available
• The lay stake matches the figure shown by the calculator

You can use the copy icon next to the lay stake to quickly copy the figure when entering your lay bet.

Step 5: Confirm your liability

Your liability is the amount you’ll lose on the exchange if your back bet wins.

Always check that the liability shown by the exchange matches the liability shown in the Oddsmatcher.

If the figures don’t match, double-check the odds and stake entered before placing your lay bet.

Don’t worry if your liability is higher than your original stake. This is completely normal and depends on the odds being matched. As long as the liability shown by the exchange matches the liability shown in the Oddsmatcher, you’re good to go.

Understanding the results table

Each row in the results table represents a potential matched betting opportunity. Here’s what each column means:

Date & Time

Shows when the event is scheduled to begin.

Event

The sporting event associated with the selection.

Selection

The outcome you will be backing and laying.

Examples include:

• Arsenal
• Over 2.5 Goals
• Draw
• Horse Racing selections

Back Odds

These are the odds available at the bookmaker.

Clicking the bookmaker button takes you directly to the relevant market.

Lay Odds

These are the odds available on the exchange.

The figure displayed underneath shows the available liquidity.

Rating

The rating indicates how closely the bookmaker and exchange odds match. In general, the higher the rating, the better the match.

Generally speaking:

• Higher ratings are preferable
• Higher ratings usually result in smaller qualifying losses
• Lower ratings usually result in larger qualifying losses

By default, results with ratings over 100% are excluded for account health reasons. See the arbs section for more.

Understanding liquidity

Liquidity is the amount of money currently available to be matched on the exchange.

For example:

• £500 liquidity means there is £500 available at those lay odds
• £20 liquidity means there is only £20 available

In the Oddsmatcher, the available liquidity is displayed underneath the lay odds.

You should always ensure sufficient liquidity exists before placing your back bet. If there isn’t enough liquidity available, you may not be able to fully place your lay bet at the displayed odds.

Understanding special labels

Arb

Occasionally, you’ll see opportunities marked with an arb label.

An arbitrage (arb) opportunity occurs when the bookmaker odds are better than the exchange odds.

These opportunities can generate a guaranteed profit regardless of the result, even without an associated bookmaker promotion.

It’s important to understand that regularly betting on arbs can be a red flag to bookmakers and may lead to restrictions sooner than you would otherwise receive. You should only take arbs if you understand the risks of doing so.

Because odds can move quickly, always verify the bookmaker and exchange prices before placing any bets. An arb can disappear within seconds if either side changes.

By default, ARBs are hidden from the main results table for account health reasons, but you can reveal them at any time if you wish.

Estimated

The Estimated label indicates that the displayed prices may be less reliable than normal. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as temporary data issues.

Before placing any bets, always verify that the bookmaker and exchange odds still match the prices shown.

Shared odds

Some bookmakers operate on the same underlying platform and may therefore display identical prices.

These opportunities are identified with a Shared Odds label.

A Shared Odds label indicates that multiple bookmakers may be displaying the same underlying price.

This often happens when several bookmaker brands operate on the same platform or use the same odds provider.

Whilst this isn’t a problem in itself, it does mean you may see the same opportunity appear multiple times in the Oddsmatcher across different bookmakers.

As always, you should double-check the current price before placing a bet.

Unavailable

When an event moves in-play, you will see an ‘unavailable’ label. The Oddsmatcher is only intended for bets placed before the event starts. You may also see this label if we are no longer receiving updates for these odds.

Using filters

The filter panel allows you to narrow down the results and quickly find opportunities that meet your requirements.

Once you’ve created a filter combination you use regularly, you can save it using the ‘My Filters’ feature for quick access in future.

Selection filters

Selection filters allow you to filter by:

• Sport
• Competition
• Event Name
• Market
• Selection

If your chosen sport, competition or market includes draw selections, you can exclude them using the switch that appears.

This is particularly useful when a promotion requires you to back a team rather than a draw.

Start time filters

Start time filters allow you to focus on events taking place within a specific timeframe.

You can:

• Select a predefined time range
• Set a custom date range

I generally recommend focusing on events taking place within the next few days. Your bets will settle sooner, allowing you to recycle your bankroll into other offers more quickly.

Back filters

The Back filter allows you to:

• Choose specific bookmakers
• Set minimum back odds
• Set maximum back odds

This is particularly useful when a bookmaker promotion specifies minimum qualifying odds that your bet must meet.

Example: If an offer requires odds of 2.00 or greater, you can filter out all selections below 2.00.

Lay filters

The Lay filter allows you to:

• Choose specific exchanges
• Set minimum lay odds
• Set maximum lay odds
• Set minimum liquidity requirements

Many users set a minimum liquidity threshold to avoid opportunities where there isn’t enough money available to fully place the lay bet at the displayed odds.

For example, if your lay stake is £50 but only £20 of liquidity is available, you won’t be able to fully place the lay bet at those odds.

Rating filters

The Rating filter allows you to set minimum and maximum rating thresholds.

This can be useful when searching for stronger qualifying bet opportunities.

For example, if you’re only interested in matches rated 90% or higher, you can filter out anything below that threshold.

By default, opportunities rated above 100% (arbs) are hidden for account health reasons. If you’d like to view them, you can enable the ‘Show arbs‘ option within the Rating filter.

Settings

The Settings menu allows you to configure your preferred defaults.

Default back stake

Enter the stake you most commonly use.

This value will automatically populate within the calculator.

Exchange commission

Enter the commission rate charged by your exchange.

Examples:

• Smarkets 0% Offer = 0%
• Standard Smarkets Account = 2%

Accurate commission settings ensure all calculations remain correct.

Gubbed bookmakers

If you’ve been restricted by a bookmaker and can no longer take part in their promotions, you can add them here to exclude them from your results.

These exclusions apply across all tools and the Reload Offer page, helping to ensure you’re only shown opportunities that are relevant to you.

Any bookmakers added here will be excluded even if they are selected within an individual tool’s filters.

Tip: If you’re regularly seeing results from bookmakers you can no longer use, adding them here can make your oddsmatcher results much cleaner.

Best practice tips

Don’t always chase the highest rating

A slightly lower-rated match on a major football game is often preferable to a higher-rated match on an obscure event.

Natural betting behaviour can help maintain bookmaker accounts for longer.

Remember, matched betting is about long-term profitability, not squeezing every last penny out of a qualifying bet.

Always check odds before betting

Odds change constantly.

Always verify that the odds shown in the Oddsmatcher match the bookmaker and exchange before placing your bets.

Check liquidity before backing

Never place a back bet without first ensuring there is sufficient exchange liquidity available.

Read promotion terms carefully

Always check:

• Minimum odds requirements
• Eligible markets
• Stake limits
• Sport restrictions
• Excluded selections

before placing any qualifying bet.

Start with popular sports

Football, horse racing and other major televised events are often the easiest starting point for new matched bettors, with plenty of liquidity and widely available bookmaker markets.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my liability higher than my stake?

It’s completely normal for your liability to be higher than your back stake. The exact liability depends on the lay odds being used.

Why have the odds changed?

Bookmaker and exchange odds move constantly. If either price changes after the opportunity was displayed, the rating, lay stake and expected profit/loss may also change.

Always verify prices before placing your bets.

Why can’t I see any arbs?

Arbs are hidden by default for account health reasons. You can reveal them using the ‘show arbs’ option within the Rating filter.

Why can’t I fully place my lay bet?

There may not be enough exchange liquidity available at the displayed odds. Try reducing your stake or selecting an alternative opportunity.

Do I need to connect my Smarkets account?

No, you can use the Oddsmatcher without connecting your Smarkets account.

If you prefer, you can manually place your lay bets on Smarkets using the odds and lay stake shown in the Bet Summary.

However, connecting your Smarkets account allows you to place lay bets directly from the Oddsmatcher, making the process faster and more convenient.

If you’ve already connected your Smarkets account to Matched Betting Blog for the 0% commission offer, you’ll see a Place Lay Bet button within the Bet Summary. Otherwise, you’ll see the Connect Smarkets Account button.