It means that over many similar bets you expect to keep about 5% of the amount staked, not that this bet will win. On a $100 stake at 5% EV, the expected value is about $5. The bet itself still wins or loses in full: you either collect the winnings or lose the $100. The EV only becomes meaningful when you repeat it over a large number of bets, so judge ValueBet over the long term, never from one result. Read more: ValueBet Calculator

EV % = (sportsbook odds ÷ fair odds − 1) × 100, using decimal odds. If you work in American odds, convert first: a positive line is 1 + line ÷ 100 (+150 = 2.50) a negative line is 1 + 100 ÷ line (−120 = 1.83) Example: the sportsbook offers +150 (2.50) and the fair price is 2.38. (2.50 ÷ 2.38 − 1) × 100 ≈ 5, so you expect about +5% on that stake over the long run. Higher EV usually comes with longer odds and more variance. Read more: What is a ValueBet, how is the rating calculated, and how do the ValueBet tools work?

The fair odds are the consensus price of the worldwide betting market: the market's view of the outcome, with no sportsbook margin in it. A sportsbook's odds include its margin, so they usually sit below the fair odds. When a sportsbook offers more than the fair odds, the bet has value. Keep in mind that fair odds are an estimate of the real chance, not a prediction of the result. On a single game the market can be wrong, which is why value betting is judged over hundreds of bets. Read more: Do value bets work? How fair odds and EV are calculated, and our members' results

A ValueBet is a bet where the sportsbook's odds are higher than the fair odds of that outcome, so the price is more generous than it should be. You don't cover every outcome like in a SureBet: you place one bet, and it can win or lose. What matters is the result of many ValueBets over time, not any single one. Quick example: an outcome with a 50% chance has fair odds of +100. A sportsbook offering −110 has the edge; one offering +110 gives the edge to you. Read more: How ValueBet Works