What are odds history points?

“Odds history points” refer to the number of intermediate values that a service records when the odds for an event change.

Simply put: The odds in the bookmaker's line are not static – they change over time (e.g., start at 2,00, then rise to 2,10, then fall to 1,95). Instead of showing only the current odds and possibly the opening odds, some services such as SureBet record several “snapshots” along the way.

Here's how it works in practice:

5 points – The service shows the current odds plus up to 4 previous changes (or 5 historical values including the very first one). You can see the trajectory of the line, but with some gaps.

10 points + opening odds – A more detailed picture: 10 intermediate values plus the very first odds set when the line opened. This helps you analyze more precisely how quickly and in which direction the line has moved.

Why is this useful for an arbitrage bettor?

1. Assess the risk of losing a bet. If the odds fall sharply but you bet on the opposite side, another bookmaker might not adjust in time.

2. Find “lagging” bookmakers. If the odds at one bookmaker have just changed but have not yet changed at another, you can place a bet in time.

3. Understand whether the odds are artificially inflated (a line error) or represent a natural movement.

Thus, the “number of points” is the depth of the odds history. The more points there are, the more accurately you can predict how the odds will behave in the near future.