What Are Middles in Sports Betting?
Key Takeaways
- Middles are very unlikely
- When middles occur your profit can increase significantly
- If a promotional bet pushes as a result of a middle you may lose the promotion
What is a Middle?
A "middle" is a matched betting strategy where you place opposing bets with a chance to win both. For example, betting Bryce Harper over 1.5 hits on DraftKings, and betting Bryce Harper under 2.5 hits on FanDuel. If Harper has exactly 2 hits, both bets win.
When betting middles as part of a promotion, the conversion is typically lower than a traditional matched bet. If you are betting middles with cash on both sides, they frequently result in a loss, with a small chance of a large win.
The Likelihood of Middles
Every single middle is different, but in general, middles are very unlikely outcomes. Betting middles, just for the sake of hoping it wins, is often not a profitable strategy.
Middles vs. Traditional Matched Betting
Traditional matched betting typically involves placing one promotional bet and one hedge bet to guarantee a small but consistent profit. With middles, you sacrifice some of this guaranteed profit for a chance at larger winnings if the outcome falls within a certain range. While traditional matched betting offers guaranteed returns with minimal to no variance, middles introduce higher variance but the potential for greater profitability.
Types of Middles: Win/Win, Win/Push, and Push/Win
Beyond the standard win/win scenario, middles can also result in win/push or push/win outcomes:
- Win/Win: Both bets win if the outcome lands within the specified middle range, maximizing profit.
- Win/Push or Push/Win: One bet wins, and the other bet results in a push (stake returned) if the outcome hits an exact boundary line. When the bet that pushes is a promotional bet like a Bonus Bet, you are at risk of the Bonus Bet being voided and not returned. If the bet that pushes is a Qualifying Bet, you are at risk of it not qualifying for your reward.
When to Bet Middles
Betting middles should be strategic, not speculative. One of the best times to bet a middles is when a middle presents itself naturally while doing matched betting, particularly if the profit is close to a regualr matched bet; i.e. the profit on a regular Binus Bet is $73, and the guaranteed profit on a middle is $71 with a chance of $147.
When NOT to Bet Middles
Avoid middles when you do not understand the true odds of a middle occurring and are simply chasing a larger payout in the slim chance a middle hits.
Using the Middles Filter
All of the DarkHorse Odds Bet Finders have a Middles Only Filter. Enabling this filter will only display matched bets where a middle is possible.
Using The Middles Bet Finder
If you are new to using Bet Finders on DarkHorse Odds, start by reading our Tools & Features guides to learn how to use all the available features, such as filters and editing your Bet Slip.
Select the Middles Bet Finder:
In all of our guides, we filter to “Main Lines Only” as a way to avoid limits. Limits will significantly reduce your long-term earnings potential. Learn the best practices on preventing sportsbook limits in our Don't Get Limited guide. You can apply this by selecting Filters -> Main Lines Only. This is optional but highly recommended.
This sets Market Type to Money Line, Spread, and Total. It also sets Market Segment to Full Game+ and Full Game.
Select Your Middles
Enter your desired bet amount.
Place Your Primary Bet and Hedge Bet
After selecting the bet you want from the table above, you are presented with the bet slip, which provides all the details needed to hedge, ensuring maximum profit (or minimal loss). In this example, on any of DraftKings, you would place a $1,000 Primary Bet on under 205 points in the Warriors/Rockets game at -110. Then place a Hedge Bet on ESPN Bet of $964 on over 204.5 points in the Warriors/Rockets game at -102. Chances are you will lose ~$55. If there are exactly 205 points scored you will profit $945.
Middles Outcome Explanation
Clicking the information icon on the bet slip above shows the outcome explanation. The outcome explanation is a plain English description explaining exactly how you lose ~$55 if there are not exactly 205 points scored in the game.
In the Outcome Explanation, you can choose between the Expected Outcomes and Others. Others contains the possible middle outcomes. Here you can see exactly how you profit $945 if exactly 205 points are scored.
