Units: The Universal Language of Sports Betting
If you've spent any time in betting communities, you've heard "units." Someone says they went "+3.2 units on the weekend" or "down 12 units this month." But new bettors often don't understand what that actually means.
A unit is a standardized measure of bet size relative to your bankroll. Using units instead of dollar amounts lets you compare results across bettors with different bankroll sizes.
How to Define Your Unit
The most common approach: 1 unit = 1% of your starting bankroll.
If your bankroll is $1,000, your unit is $10. If your bankroll is $500, your unit is $5.
This definition makes unit-based results directly comparable. A bettor who wins 50 units on a $1,000 bankroll made the same proportional return as one who wins 50 units on a $5,000 bankroll — even though one made $500 and the other made $2,500.
Flat Betting vs. Variable Sizing
Flat betting: Every bet is 1 unit. Simple, disciplined, and recommended for most bettors. It removes the complexity of sizing decisions and eliminates the risk of over-sizing on emotional or high-confidence bets.
Variable sizing: Bigger bets on higher-conviction plays. This works when you have a genuine model that accurately measures edge. Without that, bettors tend to over-bet their worst decisions (when they're most emotionally committed) and under-bet their best ones.
Most recreational bettors should flat bet until they have 500+ bets logged and a clear picture of their edge.
Bankroll Preservation Rules
Rule 1: Never bet more than 5% of your bankroll on a single bet, regardless of confidence.
Rule 2: If your bankroll drops to 50% of starting value, reassess your strategy before continuing.
Rule 3: Keep your sports betting bankroll separate from your living expenses. Never deposit money you need.
Rule 4: Don't chase losses by increasing bet size after a losing streak. This accelerates ruin.
The Math of Going Broke
Even a winning bettor with a 55% win rate on -110 bets can go broke with poor bankroll management. If you're betting 20% of your bankroll per game, a 5-game losing streak (not uncommon) costs you 67% of your funds. The math of compounding losses is brutal at high bet sizes.
At 1-2% per bet, the same losing streak is a manageable setback, not a catastrophe.
Oddible tracks your units automatically based on your defined unit size, so you can see your unit P&L across any time period.
[Set your unit size and track units with Oddible →]
