Getting Started with Sports Odds APIs

Introduction

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start working with sports odds APIs, from choosing a provider to making your first API request and handling the data.

What You'll Learn

• Choosing the right odds API for your needs
• API authentication and key management
• Making your first API request
• Understanding odds data formats
• Handling rate limits and errors
• Best practices for production apps

Step 1: Choose Your Odds API

Start by selecting an API that fits your project requirements:

For Learning & Prototypes

Look for providers offering:

• Free tier with 100-500 requests/month
• Good documentation with code examples
• No credit card required to start

See all free odds APIs →

For Production Applications

Evaluate based on:

• Sportsbook coverage (how many bookmakers?)
• Market depth (moneylines, spreads, player props?)
• Update frequency (polling vs. WebSocket)
• Historical data availability

Step 2: Sign Up and Get Your API Key

Registration Process

1. Visit your chosen provider's website
2. Create an account (usually requires email verification)
3. Navigate to API settings or dashboard
4. Generate your API key

ODDS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
ODDS_API_URL=https://api.your-provider.com/v1

Step 3: Make Your First API Request

Most odds APIs follow a similar pattern for fetching data. Here's the general approach:

General Request Pattern

GET /sports/{sport}/odds
    ?apiKey={your_api_key}
    ®ions={us,uk,eu}
    &markets={h2h,spreads,totals}

Tip: Check your chosen provider's documentation for exact endpoint URLs, parameter names, and authentication methods. Each provider has slightly different conventions.

Step 4: Understanding the Response Data

Typical Odds API Response Structure

{
  "id": "abc123",
  "sport_key": "americanfootball_nfl",
  "sport_title": "NFL",
  "commence_time": "2025-02-04T23:30:00Z",
  "home_team": "Kansas City Chiefs",
  "away_team": "San Francisco 49ers",
  "bookmakers": [
    {
      "key": "draftkings",
      "title": "DraftKings",
      "markets": [
        {
          "key": "h2h",
          "outcomes": [
            {
              "name": "Kansas City Chiefs",
              "price": -120
            },
            {
              "name": "San Francisco 49ers",
              "price": +100
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "key": "spreads",
          "outcomes": [
            {
              "name": "Kansas City Chiefs",
              "price": -110,
              "point": -1.5
            },
            {
              "name": "San Francisco 49ers",
              "price": -110,
              "point": 1.5
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Key Fields Explained

• commence_time: When the game starts (ISO 8601 format, UTC timezone)
• bookmakers: Array of sportsbooks offering odds
• markets: Bet types (h2h = moneyline, spreads, totals)
• price: American odds format (negative = favorite, positive = underdog)
• point: Spread or total number (if applicable)

Step 5: Handle Rate Limits

All APIs have rate limits to prevent abuse. Here's how to work within them:

Common Rate Limit Strategies

const cache = new Map();
const CACHE_DURATION = 60000; // 1 minute

async function getCachedOdds(sport) {
  const cacheKey = `odds_${sport}`;
  const cached = cache.get(cacheKey);

  if (cached && Date.now() - cached.timestamp < CACHE_DURATION) {
    return cached.data;
  }

  const freshData = await fetchOdds(sport);
  cache.set(cacheKey, {
    data: freshData,
    timestamp: Date.now()
  });

  return freshData;
}

const remaining = response.headers.get('x-requests-remaining');
const used = response.headers.get('x-requests-used');

if (remaining < 10) {
  console.warn('Low on API requests!');
}

async function fetchWithRetry(url, retries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < retries; i++) {
    try {
      const response = await fetch(url);
      if (response.status === 429) {
        // Rate limited, wait and retry
        const waitTime = Math.pow(2, i) * 1000;
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, waitTime));
        continue;
      }
      return response;
    } catch (error) {
      if (i === retries - 1) throw error;
    }
  }
}

Step 6: Best Practices for Production

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics, here are some ideas for what to build:

• Odds Comparison Tool: Show best odds across multiple sportsbooks
• Line Movement Tracker: Track how odds change over time
• Arbitrage Finder: Identify profitable arbitrage opportunities
• Betting Calculator: Calculate parlays, teasers, and potential payouts
• Discord/Telegram Bot: Post odds alerts to your community

Start with a free API →