# Decimal vs Fractional vs American Odds: Which to Use and How to Convert Source: https://cricketin.org/en/compare/decimal-vs-fractional-vs-american-odds [By Nikhil Varma](/en/authors/betting-analyst), Betting and Odds Analyst. [Reviewed by Rajeev Sathe](/en/authors/editor-in-chief), Editor-in-Chief. Updated 10 Nov 2026. Editorial policy: https://cricketin.org/en/editorial-policy 18+. Betting carries financial risk and can become addictive. Free helpline Tele-MANAS: 14416. --- Decimal, fractional and American odds compared: what each number shows, every conversion formula, a ready chart and where rounding quietly costs you money. Decimal, fractional and American odds are three ways of writing the same price: 2.75, 7/4 and +175 all return ₹1,375 on a ₹500 stake and imply a 36.36% chance. Decimal is the easiest to compare and convert, because it already includes the stake and becomes a probability with one division, 1 ÷ odds. To convert, use decimal = fraction + 1, and American = 100 × (decimal − 1) at 2.00 or above, or −100 ÷ (decimal − 1) below 2.00. This page compares the formats, gives every conversion in one table with a chart of common prices, and shows where rounding between formats costs money. ## The three formats side by side The format changes how a price looks, never what it pays. The table sets out what each one puts in front of you. **Table 1. Decimal, fractional and American odds compared** | Question | Decimal | Fractional | American | |---|---|---|---| | What the number shows | Total return per 1 staked | Profit against stake | Profit on 100, or stake needed to win 100 | | Stake included? | Yes | No | No | | Even money | 2.00 | 1/1 | +100 | | A favourite looks like | Below 2.00, such as 1.40 | Left number smaller, such as 2/5 | Minus sign, such as −250 | | An outsider looks like | Above 2.00, such as 5.00 | Left number bigger, such as 4/1 | Plus sign, such as +400 | | Chance it implies | 1 ÷ odds | b ÷ (a + b) for a/b | Convert to decimal first | | Fine steps between prices | Easy, such as 1.91 to 1.95 | Awkward, such as 10/11 to 20/21 | Whole numbers, such as −110 to −105 | How to read each format on its own, with worked examples, is covered in our guide to [cricket odds](/en/guides/how-cricket-odds-work). This page is about choosing between them and moving from one to another. ## Which format is easiest to work with None of the three is more accurate than the others. They differ in how much work they leave to you. - **Decimal for comparing.** One number, stake included. Two prices compare at a glance, the chance is 1 ÷ odds, and the margin is the sum of those chances minus 100%. - **Fractional for profit.** 7/4 says "7 profit for every 4 staked" without any sum. It gets clumsy between round fractions, such as 8/13 or 30/100. - **American for a fixed unit.** −250 says "stake 250 to win 100" and +400 says "stake 100 to win 400". The sign flips at even money, so the scale jumps from −100 to +100 with nothing in between. For any sum involving more than one price, such as the margin on a market or a combined bet from our guide to [bet types](/en/guides/cricket-bet-types-explained), convert everything to decimal first. ## Every conversion in one table We checked every formula below by converting each price in the chart and back again. **Table 2. Conversion formulas between the three formats** | From | To | Formula | |---|---|---| | Fractional a/b | Decimal | a ÷ b + 1 | | Decimal d | Fractional | d − 1, written as a fraction | | Decimal d, 2.00 or above | American | +100 × (d − 1) | | Decimal d, below 2.00 | American | −100 ÷ (d − 1) | | American +A | Decimal | 1 + A ÷ 100 | | American −A | Decimal | 1 + 100 ÷ A | | American +A | Fractional | A/100, then simplify | | American −A | Fractional | 100/A, then simplify | | Any format | Implied chance | 1 ÷ decimal odds | **Inputs.** American −175. **Formula.** Decimal = 1 + 100 ÷ 175. Fractional = 100/175. Chance = 1 ÷ decimal. **Result.** Decimal 1.571. Fractional 100/175 = 4/7. Chance 63.64%. **Assumptions.** No rounding until the last step. Round early and the chain drifts, as the rounding section shows. ## A conversion chart for common prices The prices below fill the gaps between the twelve in our odds guide's cheat sheet, so the two together run from 1.20 up to 21.00 in small steps. **Table 3. Thirteen prices in all three formats, with the chance each implies** | Fractional | Decimal | American | Implied chance | |---|---|---|---| | 1/3 | 1.333 | −300 | 75.00% | | 2/5 | 1.400 | −250 | 71.43% | | 4/7 | 1.571 | −175 | 63.64% | | 5/8 | 1.625 | −160 | 61.54% | | 8/11 | 1.727 | −137.5 | 57.89% | | 10/11 | 1.909 | −110 | 52.38% | | 11/10 | 2.100 | +110 | 47.62% | | 11/8 | 2.375 | +137.5 | 42.11% | | 7/4 | 2.750 | +175 | 36.36% | | 5/2 | 3.500 | +250 | 28.57% | | 4/1 | 5.000 | +400 | 20.00% | | 7/1 | 8.000 | +700 | 12.50% | | 20/1 | 21.000 | +2000 | 4.76% | Decimals are shown to three places, because two places hide real differences: 8/11 is 1.727, and a screen showing 1.73 is paying a fraction more than 8/11. Chances are the ones the price implies, not the true chance of the result. ## Where conversion quietly costs money Each format rounds in its own way. Decimal prices are often shown to two places, American odds are whole numbers, and fractions snap to familiar pairs like 10/11. Move a price from one format to another and back, and it may not come home exactly. **Inputs.** A decimal price of 1.91. Stake ₹10,000. **Formula.** American = −100 ÷ 0.91 = −109.89, shown as −110. Back to decimal: 1 + 100 ÷ 110 = 1.909. **Result.** At 1.91 the return is ₹19,100. At −110 it is ₹19,090.91. Rounding cost ₹9.09 on one bet. **Assumptions.** The price is the same in both cases; only its display changed. The gap grows with the stake and with every bet placed at the rounded figure. Nine rupees is small on one bet. Across hundreds of bets it adds up, and it runs against you whenever the displayed price is rounded down. When a few paise matter, compare in decimal to three places. ## Spotting the margin in any format The fee inside a market shows only when you add up the chances. Convert both sides to decimal, take 1 ÷ odds for each, and add them. Anything above 100% is the margin, also called the overround ([Hegarty and Whelan, Estimating Expected Loss Rates in Betting Markets](https://www.karlwhelan.com/Papers/Overround.pdf)). **Inputs.** A two-way market priced −110 on both sides. **Formula.** Each side: decimal 1.909, chance 1 ÷ 1.909 = 52.38%. Total = 52.38% + 52.38%. **Result.** 104.76%, so the margin is 4.76%. **Assumptions.** Two outcomes only. A three-way market needs all three chances added. The same market in fractional form would show 10/11 on both sides, and the margin is just as hard to see. Our page on [overround](/en/guides/what-is-overround) shows what that fee costs in rupees over many bets. An exchange charges its fee differently, as commission on net winnings, so its prices can add up to much closer to 100%. Our comparison of a [betting exchange](/en/compare/betting-exchange-vs-bookmaker) and a bookmaker works through that sum. ## One bet, three displays **Inputs.** Stake ₹500 on a price of 2.75, written 7/4 or +175. **Formula.** Decimal: 500 × 2.75. Fractional: 500 + 500 × 7/4. American: 500 + 500 × 175/100. **Result.** ₹1,375 returned in all three, made of ₹500 stake and ₹875 profit. Implied chance 36.36%. **Assumptions.** The bet wins. Tax on winnings is not included. What the formats never tell you is whether a price is good value. That depends on the true chance of the result, and our guide to [expected value](/en/guides/expected-value-explained) shows how to test a price against your own estimate. Prices themselves come from a model plus a margin, then move with the money, as our breakdown of [how bookmakers set odds](/en/guides/how-bookmakers-set-odds) explains. The same arithmetic works on any market on [Cricketin](/en), whatever format the screen uses. Betting is for adults 18 and over, and it carries a real risk of losing money. To bet you need an account first, and the [sign up](/en/signup) page lists the steps and the errors that hold people up. ## Questions people ask ### Is 7/4 the same as 2.75? Yes. Fractional 7/4 converts to decimal as 7 ÷ 4 + 1 = 2.75, and to American as +175. A ₹500 stake returns ₹1,375 in all three formats. ### How do I convert American odds to decimal? For a plus price, decimal = 1 + A ÷ 100, so +250 is 3.50. For a minus price, decimal = 1 + 100 ÷ A, so −250 is 1.40. ### What does −110 mean in decimal odds? −110 means stake 110 to win 100. In decimal it is 1 + 100 ÷ 110 = 1.909, which implies a 52.38% chance. ### Why do converted odds not always match exactly? Each format rounds differently: American odds are whole numbers, fractions snap to familiar pairs and decimal screens often show two places. For example, 1.91 becomes −110, which converts back to 1.909. ### Which odds format shows the margin most clearly? Decimal, because the implied chance of each outcome is simply 1 ÷ odds. 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