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Walk into any sports betting Discord and you'll hear people throwing around "units" like everyone knows what they're talking about. "I'm up 12 units this month." "That play was 3 units." "Tommy's claiming +88 units."
But if you're new to sports betting, this whole unit system probably feels like a foreign language.
I've been reviewing picks services since 2020, and honestly, understanding units was the single biggest shift in how I managed my bankroll. Before that? I was just betting random dollar amounts and wondering why my account balance looked like a roller coaster. Once I figured out what are units and how to actually use them, everything changed.
Let me break down sports betting units explained for beginners — no BS, just the practical stuff you need to know before you place your next bet.
Key Facts
- A unit in sports betting represents a fixed percentage of your total bankroll, typically 1-2%.
- Unit size betting protects you from going broke during losing streaks by keeping bet amounts consistent relative to your bankroll.
- Professional bettors use units to track performance independent of dollar amounts, making results comparable across different bankroll sizes.
- Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props claims +88 units this month with 9,785 members following their picks.
- Most beginners betting in dollar amounts without a units guide blow through their bankroll 3-5 times faster than those using proper unit sizing.
- Tracking units instead of dollars reveals true performance — a $500 win means nothing if you risked $2,000 to get it.
What Are Units in Sports Betting?
Here's the simplest way to think about it: a unit is your base betting amount. That's it.
Instead of saying "I bet $100 on this game," you'd say "I bet 1 unit." For you, 1 unit might be $100. For someone else, it might be $10. For a high roller, it could be $1,000.
The beauty of units is they let everyone talk about performance in the same language. When someone says they're up 20 units, you know exactly how they're doing — regardless of whether their unit is $5 or $500.
Why Dollar Amounts Don't Work
Back in 2019, I followed a picks service that kept posting about their "$2,000 profit days." Sounded incredible, right?
Turns out they were betting $5,000 per play to get those $2,000 wins. They were actually losing money overall, but the dollar amounts made it sound impressive. That's why units matter — they cut through the hype and show real performance.
How to Calculate Your Unit Size
This is where unit size betting becomes practical. You need to figure out what one unit should be for your bankroll.
Most experienced bettors use 1-2% of their total bankroll as one unit. Some conservative bettors go as low as 0.5%. Aggressive players might push to 3-5%, but honestly, that's asking for trouble during a cold streak.
Let's say you've got $1,000 in your betting account. At 1% per unit, your unit size is $10. At 2%, it's $20. That's your standard bet amount for a 1-unit play.
Adjusting as Your Bankroll Changes
Here's what most units guide resources don't tell you: your unit size should change as your bankroll grows or shrinks.
If you start with $1,000 and grow it to $1,500, your 1% unit increases from $10 to $15. If you drop to $800, it decreases to $8. This keeps your risk consistent relative to what you actually have to work with.
I recalculate my unit size every two weeks. Some people do it monthly. Just don't keep the same unit size forever while your bankroll fluctuates — that defeats the whole purpose.
How Picks Services Use Units
When you see services like Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props claiming +88 units this month, they're tracking their picks in standardized units.
Each pick comes with a unit rating — usually between 1 and 5 units. A "lock" might be 3 units. A regular play might be 1 unit. A high-confidence VIP pick could be 5 units.
But here's the catch: their unit size isn't your unit size. If they're betting $1,000 per unit and you're betting $10 per unit, their $88,000 month translates to your $880 month — same percentage gain, totally different dollar amounts.
That's exactly why units work. At $59.99/month, Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props gives you access to daily VIP locks and player props picks across a 9,785-member community — but your actual dollar results depend entirely on your unit size.
The Problem with Unverified Unit Claims
I've tracked enough picks services to know this: unit claims without transparent records are just numbers on a screen.
Some services delete losing picks. Others inflate their unit counts by only posting wins. A few straight-up lie about their results. That's why I started tracking every pick myself — can't trust what you don't verify.
Common Unit Mistakes Beginners Make
I see the same mistakes constantly, and they all come from not understanding sports betting units explained properly.
Betting Too Many Units Per Play
If you're betting 10 units on a single game because you "really like it," you're not using units correctly. You're just gambling with bigger numbers.
Standard plays should be 1-2 units. Confident plays might be 3 units. Anything above 5 units is just asking to blow up your bankroll during a losing streak.
Not Tracking Units at All
You can't improve what you don't measure. Start a simple spreadsheet — date, pick, units risked, result, running total. That's it.
I've been using this method since 2020, and it's the only way to know if you're actually profitable or just remembering the wins and forgetting the losses. For more detailed tracking methods, check out my full comparison of tracking systems.
Chasing Losses with Bigger Units
Down 10 units for the week? The temptation is to bet 5 units on the next "sure thing" to get it all back.
Don't. This is how you turn a bad week into a catastrophic month. Stick to your unit size regardless of recent results.
Using Units with Discord Picks Services
Most betting communities on Discord and Whop operate on a unit system. When you join a service, they'll post picks with unit ratings.
Your job is to translate their unit ratings into your personal unit size. If they post "Lakers -5.5, 3 units" and your unit is $20, you'd bet $60. Simple.
The 9,785 members in Tommy's community aren't all betting the same dollar amounts — but they're all using the same unit ratings to size their bets proportionally. With livestreaming sessions included, you can see how the picks are developing in real-time and adjust your unit allocation accordingly.
At the current growth rate of sports betting communities, I honestly don't know how long mid-tier pricing like $59.99/month will hold — most successful services raise prices as their member base expands.
Should You Follow Unit Ratings from Picks Services?
Honestly? Use them as a starting point, but don't blindly follow high-unit plays just because someone labels them as such.
I've seen services rate terrible picks as "5-unit locks" just to generate excitement. On the flip side, I've seen conservative cappers who never go above 2 units even on their best plays.
If you're following a service like Locks By Tommy Monthly Player Props, track their picks over time to see if their higher-unit plays actually hit at a better rate than their standard plays. If not, you might be better off flattening everything to 1-2 units regardless of their ratings.
Start Tracking Units Today
Understanding what are units is step one. Actually implementing unit size betting is step two. Most beginners read about units and then go right back to betting random amounts.
Don't be that person. Calculate your unit size tonight — 1-2% of your total bankroll. Use that amount for every 1-unit play. Track every bet in a spreadsheet with the unit amount and result.
If you're looking for daily picks with clear unit ratings, communities like Discord-based picks services make it easy to follow along. Just remember: their units work at any dollar amount, as long as you stay consistent with your own unit size.
Your bankroll will thank you in three months when you're still in the game instead of reloading your account for the fourth time.
