Matched Betting Price Boosts
Price boosts are common, and one of the ways bookmakers look to entice new customers and existing customers to gamble more.
A price boost is when bookmakers boost the odds of a particular market (such as a team winning a game) beyond what they usually offer.
The odds we get from bookmakers are guaranteed to give the bookmaker profit in the long run with their mathematical edge (this is why you find them to be higher or more ‘true’ on the betting exchange) but matched bettors have an advantage and can profit matched betting price boosts (also known as matched betting enhanced odds)!
The key for matched bettors is that when bookmakers offer price boosts, the price they offer for your back bet can become higher than the lay price at the betting exchange, which means you profit from these price boosts instantly (as ever without gambling).
The amount you can profit from price boosts tends to be small at about £1.50-£3 on average; however, if you do them every day, you can easily make £100+ per week from these.
Similarly to arbs, you can profit instantly regardless of the result without free bets. Price boosts are different to Arbs, though, since the latter are unintentional, whereas price boosts are promotions the bookmakers are purposely running to entice customers.
Many may wish to avoid matched betting with arbs, whereas price boosts can be used to make some consistent profit (there are still some dangers which we will look at below) and exploit actual offers from bookmakers and so are inherently less risky.
Top Tip – You often find Best Price Guaranteed (‘BOGs’) offers at racing festivals such as the Grand National and the most profitable week for matched bettors – the Cheltenham Festival (full guides).
What is a Price Boost, and How Can We Profit Matched Betting?
The standard bookmaker odds available do not present opportunities for profit with matched betting unless we have a promotion.
This changes with price boosts. We make a profit when the bookmaker’s back odds are (temporarily) higher than the betting exchange’s lay odds due to a boost.
Top Tip: Bookmakers may have different terms for price boosts, such as Odds Boosts and Enhanced Odds, and they may feature as part of a more comprehensive promotion such as a ‘happy hour’.
Matched Betting Price Boosts - An Example
When a bookmaker runs a promotional price boost, their enticing odds will be higher for a particular team. This is why they are also known as matched betting enhanced odds!
For example, a high profile Premier League fixture could boost the back odds for a Liverpool win from 2.2 up to 2.8. The betting exchange lay odds will not have changed, and so, for example, the lay odds are likely to be approximately 2.6.
With back odds now 0.2 higher than the lay odds, the possibility for profit emerges. The matched odds directly provide us with auto-profit in a similar (but safer) way to an arb. If the back odds are higher, we can turn a profit, and the more significant the difference between these also result in a higher profit (as does the amount we stake, of course).
Remember in matched betting to always place your back bet before your lay bet. Odds tend to drop more sharply at a bookmaker compared to the exchange. It’s easier to cancel or amend the bets at the exchange than with a bookie, whereas it’s usually impossible at a bookmaker!
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Using the Matched Betting Calculator to Profit from Price Boosts
Enter the available back and lay odds into the standard matched betting calculator (we can also use the matched betting oddsmatcher calculator in qualifying bet mode). As ever, we use the calculator to provide us with the exact lay stake required to lock in a guaranteed profit.
We can stick with this (standard approach), or when we select the advanced function, we have three different options to choose from, as identified below.
Matched Betting Calculator Options: Underlay, Standard and Overlay
There are three different ways you can choose to lay off a bookmaker’s price boost (matched betting enhanced odds).
We receive profit from each of these options. They are selected from the matched betting calculator when in ‘advanced’ mode.
Top Tip: Many matched betting sites’ calculators provide a sliding scale. You can adjust between these options and move between guaranteed (smaller) profit and less guaranteed (but no risk) higher profit.
Underlay: When we underlay, we are essentially betting (but with the cover of a lay bet to ensure we don’t lose money) that the back bet will win, and if this occurs, we can lock in profit from the back bet.
In our example, if Liverpool wins, we profit £10 (more than the standard option), and if they lose, the outcome is neutral.
Standard: With standard, we lock in a smaller guaranteed profit. With this option, it does not matter the outcome, i.e. we will profit if the back bet or the lay bet wins.
Overlay: The last option to overlay is the same as underlay but the other way around. If the lay bet wins (we lose at the bookmaker), then we profit, but if the back bet wins then, we only break even.
Alongside picking up the basics of matched betting, it’s also essential to sign up to a matched betting site so you can identify the offers you need.
NB: The industry leader Profit Accumulator is highlighted below.
How to Find Matched Betting Price Boosts and Exploit them
As with other promotions, bookmakers will advertise their price boosts to you directly through email marketing and on their website, perhaps under a specific page or ‘Boosts tab’ as we advise with other strategies.
Paddy Power, William Hill, Betway, Sky BetBetVictor, Ladbrokes, and Unibet are all good options for price boost offers (known as matched betting enhanced odds).
It’s best to stick to football (such as the Premier League) or horse racing, to exploit matched betting enhanced odds, though the boosts work with many sports. You can find details of good matched betting price boost opportunities for the matched bettor by checking the current offers on your matched betting service.
Even if you discover matched betting price boosts yourself, without a matched betting service, you will need to manually check the betting exchange to see if the lay odds are lower than the favourable boosted back odds. With the OddsMonkey forum, you get notifications of price boosts and the lay odds!
Want to find out more about lay betting? Check out our betting exchange guide. We pick up how to amend unmatched and partially matched bets and deal with other typical Exchange issues. We recommend Smarkets for your betting exchange.
Matched Betting Price Boosts -
Things to Know and Final Thoughts
You may have to act fast with matched betting price boosts since bookmakers will only offer them for a brief period (perhaps only an hour or two), so you need to match your bets before the odds change back.
It’s worth remembering that price boosts usually have a maximum stake; another reason why you should always place your back bet first since if you didn’t already know, you will find out the maximum when you try to place your back bet. Again, a price boost forum can help you with this.
Not all price boosts or enhanced odds offers are created equal! Ensure that the odds offered (in conjunction with the lay bet available) present a viable, profitable opportunity. Some bookie offers may not be worth doing. Before placing your back bet, ensure that it’s possible to lay off the bet at an exchange. A more complex boost may not be viable (such as a team winning and having x number of corners or goals in a set period).
You might worry about the lay stake changing (as it often will due to the nature of the betting exchange and the more people laying driving the price down) but as we have mentioned, never place your lay bet first; it simply isn’t worth the risk. If the favourable back odds disappear after placing the lay bet, you will likely have to swallow up a small loss and miss the profit opportunity.
Although price boosts are not as risky as arb betting, you still need to be conscious of not taking too much value from a bookmaker, as you risk receiving unwanted attention and getting gubbed.
As you can see, there is every reason matched betting price boosts (matched betting enhanced odds) should form part of your profitable weekly activities!
There is profit with matched betting after welcome offers and profit without free bets! Fast, small yet consistent profit really adds up!
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