Best odds guaranteed

Racing odds can fluctuate a lot before the start of each race, particularly within UK & Irish racing in which there is a lot of action from punters.

You could back a horse at 4/1 at 10:30am on the day of the race, and then a few hours later when the race is set to begin, it is possible that it has drifted to 7/1 because money has come in for other horses in the race.

If your bet was placed on the high street, you would have just had to settle for the 4/1 if it won. But with the best odds guaranteed promotion, which is implemented on many online betting sites, you'd be paid out at 7/1.

On the other hand, if you backed it at 4/1 and its starting price was 2/1, you would of course keep the 4/1.

Best odds guaranteed means you don't lose out if your horse's odds get bigger.

There are many promotions on horse racing betting sites, but perhaps none more important than best odds guaranteed (often shortened to BOG).

If you plan to place bets on horse racing or greyhounds, make sure you are using a bookmaker with BOG.

Best odds guaranteed can cause some confusion at first because while the bookmaker is offering you the best odds out of either the fixed odds or the starting price, they are not necessarily giving you the top prices on the market. 

Remember, even if a bookie is offering BOG, you might still find better odds on another online betting site. You should still shop around for the best fixed odds before locking in your wagers.

The 'guarantee' that you are being offered is that if you take a horse at a price a few hours before the race and its odds are greater at the start of the race, you will be paid at the bigger price if it wins.

A horse or greyhound's starting price is the final price offered before a race starts.

You can make the most of best odds guaranteed betting promotions every day, including during the Cheltenham Festival or Grand National.

All best odds guaranteed betting offers should apply to both win and each way wagers.

Compared with other betting promotions, there perhaps isn't much difference between one best odds guaranteed promotions and the next. They all mean the same thing, but there are some terms in the small print of each BOG offer that can make some more suitable for you than others.

• Eligible races

Usually, the bare minimum in terms of eligibility is all UK & Irish horse racing. Some bookies may also include all domestic greyhound racing, and in rare cases, international racing may also be a part of the betting offer.

• Time of day

Each betting site should specify what time your bet has to be placed from in order for it to qualify for best odds guaranteed. Of course, the earlier in the day the better, so that you can take the often valuable morning prices and be eligible for BOG. 8am onwards can be considered a good time, whereas 10am is less favourable. Bet365 allow you to place your bets the day before.

• Multiples

If you like to place accas and other multiples, you want to use a betting site that offers best odds guaranteed on these types of wagers, which isn't always the case. Some might offer BOG on doubles and trebles but not Lucky 15's and other similar multiples, so be sure to check beforehand.

• Maximum winnings

This is only really relevant to high stakes players, but winnings from best odds guaranteed promotions are capped per bettor on a daily basis. 

As best odds guaranteed promotions are only applied to horse and greyhound racing, you are most likely to find these kinds of offers on betting sites that specialise in those sports.

However, other bookmakers also offer best odds guaranteed promotions, so be sure to check new betting sites as many of them consider BOG an important deal to provide. 

Online betting sites often have a 'Promotions' page where you can see the deals currently offered, or you can check the page for the sport you are interested in. Be sure to read all applicable terms and conditions carefully before placing any bets.

Best Odds Guaranteed Promotions

1. Bet365 - Place your bets the day before
2. Paddy Power - Win up to £50k daily
3. BetGoodwin - BOG from 7am
4. TalkSPORT BET - All UK/Irish horses and dogs
5. Star Sports - Competitive pricing
6. Betfred - Available from 8am
7. BetVictor - Includes greyhounds
8. Unibet - Single & multiple bets
9. Betway - All UK & Irish horse races