Hedging Calculator
Our hedge calculator works out the exact stake you need to bet on the opposite side of a wager you've already placed, so you lock in a profit or minimize a loss no matter what happens. Whether a line has moved in your favor, you're sitting on a live in-play swing, or you're trying to turn a bonus bet into real cash, this calculator does the work instantly, completely free and with no signup required.
Hedging Calculator
Work out the stake needed to back the opposite side of a bet you've already placed, to lock in a profit or cut your losses either way.
Your original bet
Your hedge bet (the opposite side)
For guidance only, and covers two-outcome markets only (not three-way markets like football 1X2). Confirm your bookmaker's own terms on bonus bet conditions before placing a hedge.
Calculator by bookies.comHow to Use the Hedge Calculator
Start with your original bet, the one you've already placed. Enter its odds in whatever format you're used to, American, decimal or fractional, along with your stake. Not sure how your odds convert between formats? Use our Betting Odds Calculator first to check.
Next, enter the odds for the hedge bet, the opposite outcome, at whatever sportsbook or exchange is offering it. If you're betting on an exchange rather than a traditional sportsbook, enter the commission rate charged on winnings.
The calculator immediately shows your recommended hedge stake, the amount that locks in an equal profit (or equal loss, if the numbers don't allow for a profit) no matter which side wins. Use the slider to see what happens at any stake between no hedge at all and 150% of that recommended amount, or use the preset buttons to jump straight to No Hedge, Break-Even, or Equal Profit.
Hedging a Standard Bet
Say you bet $100 on the Kansas City Chiefs at 3.00 decimal odds (+200) to win the Super Bowl. Before the game, their opponent is now a 2.00 decimal (+100) favorite at another sportsbook. Check the latest NFL odds or read our guide to NFL betting for more on how lines move throughout the season. Enter $100 and 3.00 for your original bet, then 2.00 for the hedge bet. The calculator recommends a $150 hedge stake, since $150 × 2.00 equals the same $300 total payout as your original bet's $100 × 3.00. Whichever team wins, you walk away with a $50 profit.
Hedging a Bonus Bet
Bonus bets work differently, since you never get the stake itself back, only the winnings if it wins. Say a sportsbook gives you a $50 bonus bet, and you place it on a heavy underdog at 5.00 decimal odds (+400). You find the favorite at 1.25 decimal odds (-400) elsewhere. Check "Bonus bet" for your original wager, enter $50 and 5.00, then 1.25 for the hedge. The calculator recommends a $160 hedge stake, locking in a $40 profit regardless of the result, turning 80% of that free bet's face value into real, withdrawable cash.
Hedging with Exchange Commission
Betting exchanges like Betfair charge commission on winnings, not on your stake, which changes the equation slightly. If your hedge bet is on an exchange charging 5% commission, enter that in the "Exchange commission" field for that leg. The calculator reduces the effective odds on that side to account for the commission before working out your recommended stake, so the profit figure you see already has the commission built in rather than being an overestimate you'd need to adjust yourself.
What Is Hedging in Sports Betting?
Hedging means betting on the opposite outcome of a wager you've already placed, to reduce your risk or guarantee a profit regardless of the result. It's most useful in three situations: a futures bet where the odds have moved significantly in your favor since you placed it, a live game where the odds have swung during play, and cashing out value from a bonus or free bet, a strategy commonly known as matched betting.
Hedging isn't about being indecisive or afraid to back your original pick. It's a risk management tool, the same logic that leads a stock trader to lock in gains rather than risk giving them back. It's especially common with parlays that have hit on every leg but one, use our Parlay Calculator to check your potential payout before deciding whether hedging the final leg makes sense.
Equal Profit vs. Break-Even: What's the Difference?
The calculator's "Equal Profit" preset finds the hedge stake that gives you the exact same profit whichever side wins. The "Break-Even" preset finds something different: the minimum stake needed so that if the side you didn't originally back wins, it doesn't cost you money, without necessarily locking in a profit on your original side.
These aren't always achievable as a profit. If the odds have moved against you rather than in your favor since you placed your original bet, the best a hedge can do is minimize your guaranteed loss rather than turn it into a guaranteed profit. The calculator tells you clearly which situation you're in rather than just showing a number.
Limitations of This Hedge Calculator
This calculator covers two-outcome markets, bets where there are exactly two possible results, like a tournament winner narrowed to two finalists, or a spread bet. It doesn't currently support three-way markets like soccer's 1X2 (win, lose or draw), where hedging works differently across three outcomes rather than two.
It also treats both sides as ordinary back bets rather than modeling true lay betting on an exchange. The commission field lets you approximate betting on an exchange, but if you're laying a bet directly rather than backing the opposite side, the stake and liability work differently to what this calculator shows.
Hedging Calculator FAQs
When should I hedge a bet?
Hedge when the odds have moved meaningfully in your favor since you placed your original bet, when a live game swings in a way that changes the likely outcome, or when you want to convert a bonus bet into guaranteed cash. Hedging every bet you place isn't a winning long-term strategy, it's a tool for specific situations, not a habit.