In a basketball match, a betting company offers a bet on the total over 150.5 and total under 158.5. The range from 151 to 158 points is the corridor. For example, if the match ends with a total score of 156, then both bets will win. If the final score does not fall within this range, then one bet will win. Depending on the odds, it will partially or completely cover the cost of the lost bet.
The search for opposite but overlapping events is called the corridor betting strategy.
The range of scores where both bets will win is called the corridor. In this example, the corridor spans 8 points.
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What sports might have corridors?
The most common place to find corridors is on totals and handicaps.
Corridors are formed in events that are opposite to one another: TU and TO, H1 and H2. The point is to find the range of values where two bets can intersect.
If the values form part of the corridor, the player earns a profit from both bets. If one of the bet options loses, the corridor insures the other bet to reduce the amount lost.
Total corridor
For example, you choose to bet on the Memphis Grizzlies — Los Angeles Lakers NBA match. In their last head-to-head match, the two teams scored 239 points. Before that, their totals were 220, 186 and 202. It would be risky to bet on a high total with statistics like these. So you bet on a corridor.
- You betEUR100 on TO 218.5 with odds of 1.58.
- You insure the first bet by betting EUR 100 on TU 224.5. Odds: 1.70.
If the teams score between 219 and 224 points total, then both bets will win a total of
EUR
328, and net profit will be EUR
128. If only one bet wins, you will end up in the red. Possible outcomes:- Only the first bet wins. You win EUR 158. You lose EUR 42.
- Only the second bet wins. You win EUR 170. You lose EUR 30.
Without the insurance of the second bet, in the event of a loss, you would lose
EUR
100 instead.You can influence the risk level by regulating the corridor's width. In this example, the width is 6 points. This option is relatively risky. Sports gave you the option of increasing the width to 8 points, where instead of betting on TU 224.5, you could bet on TU 226.5. However, the odds on that bet were lower, 1.58. In some matches, corridors can be wider and even reach double digits.
Handicap corridor
Let's use a Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton as an example.
- You bet EUR 100 on MC winning with a handicap of -1.5 and odds of 1.47.
- You bet EUR 100 on Wolverhampton winning with a handicap of +2.5 and odds of 1.62.
Both bets will win if MC wins by 2 goals: 2:0, 3:1 or 4:2. All other outcomes will result in only one of the bets winning, and you will lose either
EUR
38 or 53.Where else to look for corridors
You can also look for corridors in other types of opposite bets. For example:
- One team wins overall with the second team leading at halftime with a positive handicap.
- One team wins or the match ends in a draw, and the other team wins or the match ends in a draw.
It is important to watch the odds. The closer both are to 2.00, the better the corridor. If just one bet wins with odds below 1.40, then the corridor is bad. If only a bet with low odds wins, you will lose about 60% of what you bet.
How to find corridors?
Look at the odds in Sports
Corridors can be found manually. It is best to look for matches between equal teams. In these games, odds are relatively equal. If one bet does not win, then your losses will be minimum.
Events need to meet three criteria:
- Events cover all possible outcome options, where whatever the outcome, at least one event will take place.
- The events overlap, and in certain conditions both bets will win.
- The odds of both events are close to 2.00. Bear in mind that there is no exact value, and the odds can be much lower, for example, 1.57 and 1.85. The higher the odds, the smaller your losses if only one bet wins.
Choose when to bet: before the match or in Live
Corridors can be found in both Live and Pre-match.
- In Pre-match, there is more time to look for the best bets. You can calculate your potential winnings and losses based on the odds.
- In Live, odds are constantly changing, so you need to make decisions fast. There's also a chance of finding a corridor that is wider than in Pre-match.
Focus on totals and handicaps
It is easiest to find corridors in total and handicap bets. Depending on the sport, you can find a wide range of values where both bets will win.
Choose type of sport
There are wide corridors in sports where a large number of points are scored, such as basketball, volleyball and tennis. These sports are good for finding total corridors.
In less high-scoring sports, such as football, there is rarely a wide range of total bets. In football, it is better to look for handicap corridors.
Consider the chances of the corridor working
Compare the events with a focus on if they can both occur.
Probability can be calculated with this formula:
Probability = (100 / D1) + (100 / D2) - 100, where
- D1: odds of the first event
- D2: odds of the second event
For example, for an event with odds of 1.47 and 1.62, the probability of making it in the corridor is 30%: (100 / 1.47) + (100 / 1.62) - 100 = 68 + 62 - 100 = 30.
What are the pros and cons of the corridor betting strategy?
This strategy does not guarantee a profit, but it helps reduce risk. Before using it, we suggest you evaluate all of its advantages and disadvantages.
Benefits of betting on corridors
- High earnings if the strategy works. If the match results are within the range you need, both bets will win.
- Lower risk. If you only predict one event correctly, you will only lose an average of 30% of the total bet amount, not 100% (as is the case when you lose a regular bet).
- Accessibility. Corridors are easy to find manually, you do not need scanners or other paid tools.
Minuses
- No guaranteed profit. If only 1 of the 2 bets wins, you will lose a portion of what you bet.
- In the long term, this strategy can shrink your bank. Corridors do not prevent against major losses in the event of a series of bad bets.
- It is hard to find wide corridors that can significantly increase the probability of winning. Also, the wider the corridor, the lower the bet odds.
The use of corridors can lead to limits being restricted. Is this true?
The strategy may violate betting company rules and lead to lower limits if it is deemed a prohibited betting method, such as surebets. Sure-bettors look for corridors in different betting companies with odds that let them stay in the black regardless of the outcome. It is practically impossible to find odds like this manually. Sure-bettors buy special scanners or pay third parties for this information. This is a risky betting method for two reasons:
- Information provided about scanners and surebets from third parties is entirely unregulated. There is no guarantee that the player will not encounter scammers who will take their money and leave them without anything.
- Surebets are prohibited by all betting companies. When a surebet is detected, the maximum bet size on the account is reduced, or the bet can be rejected outright.