How to calculate the win payoff from horse racing odds?  

Calculating the expected payoff on a win bet in horse racing is easy once you get the hang of it. Example:

Odds in horse racing are expressed as fractions, such as 8-5 or 5-2.

The win payoff is almost always calculated off a $2 wager and can be obtained thus: multiply the first number in the fraction (the numerator) by 2, divide the sum by the second number (the denominator), and add 2 to cover your original bet. So in the case of the 5-2 horse, the math looks like this: 5×2=10/2=5+2=7.

In other words, a $2 bet will return $7.

The actual payout after the race is declared official may deviate slightly due to an accounting practice known as rounding, but it should be very close to your prediction. AmWager, Nyra Bets and other horse betting sites offer you a set of tools to calculate a potential win.