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Ask ten sports bettors how much they bet per game and you’ll hear ten different answers. Some throw $10 on a hunch. Others push half their bankroll on a “lock.” Most fall somewhere in between, guessing their way through it. The truth is, how much you bet matters more than who you bet on.
You can pick winners and still go broke if your bet sizing is wrong. You can also survive long cold streaks, even thrive, if you size your bets properly.
The biggest mistake US bettors make is looking for a fixed number.
“How much should I bet per game?” doesn’t mean:
It means what percentage of your bankroll should be at risk on a single bet.
Bet sizing is about proportion, not dollars.
Before placing a single wager, you need a bankroll.
Your bankroll is:
If your bankroll is $1,000, betting $50 feels very different than if your bankroll is $200. The number alone means nothing without context.
For most US sports bettors, the safest and most practical approach is betting 1% to 3% of your bankroll per game.
Here’s how that looks:
This range gives you room to survive variance—the ups and downs that come with sports betting—without wiping out your account after a bad week.
Big bets feel confident. They feel decisive. They also destroy bankrolls fast.
When you bet 10% or 20% of your bankroll on a single game:
Even professional bettors go through losing streaks. The difference is they don’t let those streaks dictate their bet size.
Flat betting means wagering the same percentage on every standard bet.
Example:
Flat betting:
It’s not exciting—but it works.
Sometimes. Carefully.
Some bettors increase bet size slightly when they believe they have a strong edge. This is often called confidence-based staking.
A conservative version might look like:
Once you start jumping to 5% or higher, you’re no longer managing risk—you’re gambling with momentum.
Parlays are where bankrolls quietly bleed.
Because parlays have much lower true probabilities, they should usually be:
Many smart bettors cap parlays at 0.25% to 0.5% of bankroll, if they play them at all.
Big parlay payouts hide how unlikely they really are.
You may hear about the Kelly Criterion, a formula designed to optimize long-term growth by adjusting bet size based on edge.
In theory, it’s elegant. In practice:
Many bettors who reference Kelly actually use a fractional Kelly approach, betting half or a quarter of the suggested amount.
For most recreational US bettors, simple percentage staking beats complex formulas.
Your bet size should grow and shrink with your bankroll.
If your bankroll increases:
If your bankroll drops:
This automatic adjustment is what keeps disciplined bettors in the game long enough to see edges play out.
Even experienced bettors fall into these traps:
Consistency matters more than confidence
The best answer to “How much should you bet per game?” is simple, but not easy:
Bet small enough to survive, and consistently enough to grow.
For most US bettors, that means:
Winning bets feel great.
Staying in action long enough for skill to matter feels even better.
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