M99M 
What odds really tell you
Odds do two jobs at once. They tell you how much a winning bet pays, and they reveal how likely the bookmaker thinks the outcome is. A short price such as 1.30 signals a strong favourite; a long price such as 6.00 signals an outsider. Every format below describes the same thing – only the way it is written changes.
At M99M, the sportsbooks in the lobby let you choose your preferred odds format in their settings. Pick one, learn it well, and use the conversion table on this page whenever you need to compare.
Decimal odds
Decimal (or European) odds show the total return per RM1 staked, including your stake. Return = stake × odds.
Example: RM100 at 1.85 returns RM185 – your RM100 stake plus RM85 profit. Decimal odds are always above 1.00, and they are the format used to calculate mix parlays.
Hong Kong odds
Hong Kong odds show the profit per RM1 staked, without the stake. They are simply decimal odds minus one: HK = decimal − 1.
Example: RM100 at HK 0.85 wins RM85 profit and returns RM185 in total – exactly the same bet as decimal 1.85.
Malay odds
Malay odds are the default in many Asian sportsbooks and can be positive or negative. Both halves of the scale always sit between −1.00 and +1.00.
Positive Malay odds (0 to 1.00)
These work like Hong Kong odds: you win the stake multiplied by the odds. At +0.80, RM100 wins RM80 and you risk RM100.
Negative Malay odds (−1.00 to 0)
Negative odds mean the outcome is less likely, so you win your full stake but only risk part of it. At −0.80, you risk RM80 to win RM100. The lower the absolute number, the better the price: −0.50 (risk RM50 to win RM100) pays more than −0.90 (risk RM90 to win RM100).
Indo odds
Indonesian odds mirror American odds divided by 100. Positive Indo odds (+1.00 or more) show how much you win per RM1 staked, so +1.50 wins RM150 on a RM100 stake. Negative Indo odds (−1.00 or less) show how much you must risk to win RM1, so −1.25 means risking RM125 to win RM100.
Odds conversion table
Use this table to translate any common price between formats. The last column shows the implied probability – the chance of winning that the price represents before any margin is removed.
| Decimal | Hong Kong | Malay | Indo | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | −4.00 | 80.0% |
| 1.50 | 0.50 | 0.50 | −2.00 | 66.7% |
| 1.80 | 0.80 | 0.80 | −1.25 | 55.6% |
| 1.90 | 0.90 | 0.90 | −1.11 | 52.6% |
| 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | +1.00 | 50.0% |
| 2.25 | 1.25 | −0.80 | +1.25 | 44.4% |
| 2.50 | 1.50 | −0.67 | +1.50 | 40.0% |
| 3.00 | 2.00 | −0.50 | +2.00 | 33.3% |
| 5.00 | 4.00 | −0.25 | +4.00 | 20.0% |
Conversion formulas
- Hong Kong = decimal − 1
- Malay = HK when HK is 1.00 or less; otherwise −1 ÷ HK
- Indo = +HK when HK is 1.00 or more; otherwise −1 ÷ HK
- Decimal from positive Malay = 1 + Malay
- Decimal from negative Malay = 1 + (1 ÷ the Malay number without its minus sign)
- Implied probability = 1 ÷ decimal
Worked example: Malay −0.80 → HK = 1 ÷ 0.80 = 1.25 → decimal 2.25 → implied probability 1 ÷ 2.25 = 44.4%.
Implied probability and bookmaker margin
Add up the implied probabilities of every outcome in a market and you will get more than 100%. The extra is the bookmaker’s margin (also called the overround or “juice”).
| Market | Prices (decimal) | Implied probabilities | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian handicap (two-way) | 1.90 / 1.90 | 52.63% + 52.63% | 105.26% |
| Asian handicap (two-way) | 1.95 / 1.95 | 51.28% + 51.28% | 102.56% |
| 1X2 (three-way) | 2.40 / 3.30 / 3.00 | 41.67% + 30.30% + 33.33% | 105.30% |
The lower the total, the fairer the market. A 1.95/1.95 line gives back noticeably more over a season than a 1.90/1.90 line – one more reason to compare the sportsbooks in the M99M lobby before you bet.
Value means backing an outcome whose real chance is higher than its implied probability. If you believe a team wins 55% of the time and the price is 2.00 (50%), the bet has value by your estimate. Value does not guarantee a win on any single bet; it is about long-run decisions.
Reading Asian handicap and goal-line notation
Asian sportsbooks sometimes write quarter lines as two numbers separated by a slash. They mean the same thing:
| Shown as | Same as | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0/0.5 | 0.25 | Half the stake on 0, half on 0.5 |
| 0.5/1 | 0.75 | Half the stake on 0.5, half on 1 |
| 1/1.5 | 1.25 | Half the stake on 1, half on 1.5 |
| 2/2.5 (goal line) | 2.25 | Half on over/under 2, half on over/under 2.5 |
| 2.5/3 (goal line) | 2.75 | Half on over/under 2.5, half on over/under 3 |
For a full table of what each handicap line pays when a team wins by one, draws or loses, see our sports betting guide.
Why odds move
Prices change for three main reasons. Money: heavy betting on one side pushes its price down. News: injuries, line-ups and weather shift expectations. Match events: in-play, every goal, red card or dangerous attack changes the numbers immediately. Watching the movement between the opening price and kick-off can tell you a lot about how the market sees a match.
Using odds at M99M
Open a sportsbook
Log in at M99M and open SBOBET or another sportsbook from the Sports section. No account yet? Join M99M for free.
Choose your odds format
Look for the odds-type option in the sportsbook settings and select Malay, HK, decimal or Indo.
Compare before you commit
Check the same market in another book; pick the better price.
Confirm the return on the slip
The bet slip always shows the potential return – use it to double-check your maths.
Frequently asked questions
What are Malay odds?
Malay odds are an Asian odds format that runs from −1.00 to +1.00. Positive values show your profit per ringgit staked; negative values show how much you risk to win one ringgit.
Why are some Malay odds negative?
A negative Malay price means the outcome is considered less likely than evens. You win your full stake but only risk the stated fraction of it, for example risking RM80 to win RM100 at −0.80.
Which odds format is best?
None pays more than another – they are different ways of writing the same price. Decimal is easiest for beginners and for parlays; Malay and HK are standard for Asian handicap markets.
How do I calculate winnings from Hong Kong odds?
Multiply your stake by the HK odds to get the profit, then add the stake for the total return. RM50 at HK 0.90 wins RM45 and returns RM95.
What does 0/0.5 mean on a handicap?
It is a quarter line equal to 0.25. Half of your stake goes on the 0 line and half on the 0.5 line, which is why a draw produces a half result.
Ready to play at M99M?
Create a free account on the official M99M site or log in to continue. For players aged 18 and over only.