What is a unit?
A "unit" in sports betting is a measurement of the size of someone's bet. Because everyone has different sized bankrolls for sports betting, using the term unit is a way to show your profit or loss in universal terms.
Someone who is betting $10,000 per bet against the spread in NFL and is up $18,000 on the season isn't nearly as impressive as someone who bets $10 per bet against the spread and is up $180 on the season. Using units gives us a tool to keep track of profits and losses without the dollar value.
To convert your earnings, simply multiply your unit size by the units won.
From the table above a $50 unit size would
be up $425.00 at this point on the season
[8.5 (units) x $50 = $425.00]
Basic sports betting strategy says you should be betting between 1-5% of your bankroll on each wager. It's accepted that a unit is equal to 1% of your bankroll. Nothing is set in stone, but this is an easy way to calculate a single unit. For smaller bankrolls in which 1% to 3% isn't a realistic bet size, consider the 5% to 8% range.
Using the above formula, someone who has a $1,000 bankroll would be betting $10 per unit (1% of $1,000), while someone with a $50,000 bankroll would be betting $500 per unit (1% of $50,00). For ease, we use a $20 unit size example in our daily reports.
When a bettor says they are +25 units on the year what does that mean?
This would be a measurement of his success on the season so far. Referring to being +25 units means they are “plus” 25x whatever 1 unit is to him. This could be +$25 for someone, while it could be +$25,000 for another.
How can a sports bettor with a 25-32 record be +15 units?
It is possible to have a sub .500 record but still be up units if you are betting on underdog or “plus money” selections. For example, picking only NFL underdogs on the money line could lead to a negative record but profits on the season.
be up $425.00 at this point on the season
[8.5 (units) x $50 = $425.00]
Basic sports betting strategy says you should be betting between 1-5% of your bankroll on each wager. It's accepted that a unit is equal to 1% of your bankroll. Nothing is set in stone, but this is an easy way to calculate a single unit. For smaller bankrolls in which 1% to 3% isn't a realistic bet size, consider the 5% to 8% range.
Using the above formula, someone who has a $1,000 bankroll would be betting $10 per unit (1% of $1,000), while someone with a $50,000 bankroll would be betting $500 per unit (1% of $50,00). For ease, we use a $20 unit size example in our daily reports.
When a bettor says they are +25 units on the year what does that mean?
This would be a measurement of his success on the season so far. Referring to being +25 units means they are “plus” 25x whatever 1 unit is to him. This could be +$25 for someone, while it could be +$25,000 for another.
How can a sports bettor with a 25-32 record be +15 units?
It is possible to have a sub .500 record but still be up units if you are betting on underdog or “plus money” selections. For example, picking only NFL underdogs on the money line could lead to a negative record but profits on the season.
