Free betting tool
Sports betting unit calculator
Find out what one unit should be worth for your bankroll, and exactly how much to stake when a pick says 0.5u, 1u or 3u.
Betting unit calculator
Turn your bankroll into a unit size and a stake for every bet.
Most bettors use 1–3%. Smaller units survive longer losing streaks.
1 unit =
$50.00
50 units in a $2,500.00 bankroll.
| Units | Stake | Wins at -110 |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5u | $25.00 | +$22.73 |
| 1u | $50.00 | +$45.45 |
| 1.5u | $75.00 | +$68.18 |
| 2u | $100.00 | +$90.91 |
| 3u | $150.00 | +$136.36 |
Recalculate your unit when your bankroll changes a lot — for example at the start of each month.
What is a betting unit?
A unit is your standard bet size, set as a percentage of your bankroll. If your bankroll is $2,500 and you use 2%, one unit is $50. A 1.5-unit bet is $75, and a winning 1-unit bet at -110 returns $45.45 profit.
Units make results comparable. A bettor with $500 and one with $50,000 can both say they are +12 units this season, and it means the same thing. That's why every SlipBets pick is published with a unit stake and our record is kept in units.
How big should your unit be?
1%
Cautious
100 units in the bankroll. Built for long losing runs and newer bettors.
2%
Standard
50 units. A balance of growth and safety that suits most bettors.
3–5%
Aggressive
20–33 units. Faster growth, but a bad week can take a large bite.
Flat staking vs. confidence-based units
Flat staking bets one unit on everything. It's simple and keeps a single bad call from doing much damage.
Confidence-based staking varies the stake — say 0.5u for a speculative play and 2u for a strong one. It can add value if your confidence really tracks your edge. If you want a mathematical version of this, the Kelly criterion calculator sizes stakes directly from the edge.
Whichever you choose, losing streaks are normal. Over 1,000 bets, someone who wins 55% of the time has about a 60% chance of hitting eight losses in a row at some point — which is why the unit should be small enough to ride them out.
Frequently asked questions
What is a unit in sports betting?
A unit is a fixed slice of your bankroll used as your standard bet size. Talking in units instead of dollars lets bettors with different bankrolls compare results — a +10u month means the same to everyone.
How much should one unit be?
Most bettors use 1–3% of their bankroll. 1% is cautious and survives long losing streaks; 2% is a common default; above 3% the swings get large quickly.
What does "to win 1 unit" mean?
On favourites, some bettors stake whatever it takes to profit exactly one unit — at -150 that's 1.5 units risked. Our picks state the stake (risk) in units, which is the more common convention.
Should I change my unit size after a losing streak?
Recalculate on a schedule, such as monthly, rather than reacting to streaks. Raising stakes to chase losses is the classic way to blow up a bankroll.
More betting tools
- Bankroll trackerTrack balance, units, ROI and drawdown across one or more bankrolls.
- Bet trackerLog every bet and see your record by sport, odds and outcome.
- CLV calculator & trackerMeasure whether you beat the closing line, bet by bet.
- +EV calculatorFind the expected value of a bet and the no-vig fair odds.
- Kelly criterion calculatorSize a bet from your edge with full, half or quarter Kelly.
Put your unit size to work
Set your unit once in the SlipBets bankroll tracker and every bet, profit and drawdown is shown in both units and your currency.
18+. Betting involves risk and past results don't guarantee future outcomes. Only stake what you can afford to lose. Need help? See our responsible gambling resources.