What is a unit?
A "unit" in sports betting is a measurement of the size of someone's bet. Because everyone has different sized bankrolls for sports betting, using the term unit is a way to show your profit or loss in universal terms.
Someone who is betting $10,000 per bet against the spread in NFL and is up $18,000 on the season isn't nearly as impressive as someone who bets $10 per bet and is up $180 on the season. Using units gives us a tool to keep track of profits and losses without the dollar value.
To convert your earnings, simply multiply your unit size by the units won.
From the table
above a $50
unit size would be up
$425.00 at this point
on the season
[8.5 (units) x $50 = $425.00]
When a bettor says she is +25 units on the year what does that mean?
This would be a measurement of her success on the season so far. Referring to being +25 units means she is “plus” 25x whatever 1 unit is to her. This could be +$25 for someone, while it could be +$25,000 for another.
How can a sports bettor with a 25-32 record be +15 units?
It is possible to have a sub .500 record but still be up units if you are betting on underdog or “plus money” selections. For example, picking only NFL underdogs on the moneyline could lead to a negative record but profits on the football season or betting on mostly underdogs for Major League Baseball and NHL moneylines.
