# Best sports betting API in 2026: seven providers compared by job

The best sports betting API depends on the job. For a free prototype, GetOdds (1,000 requests a day) or The Odds API (500 credits a month); for broad bookmakers, The Odds API from $30/month; for US pick’em plus sportsbook prices and AI agents, GetOdds at $149/month.

Canonical page: https://getoddsapi.com/best-sports-betting-api

## Free API key

Get a free GetOdds API key: **1,000 requests per UTC day and 60 per minute, no card**. One key covers REST and the hosted MCP server.

Sign up: https://getoddsapi.com/sign-up?ref=ai-claudebot

## Quickstart

1. Create an account at https://getoddsapi.com/sign-up?ref=ai-claudebot, open https://getoddsapi.com/dashboard and issue a key with the sources you need (draftkings, fanduel, betrivers, prizepicks or underdog). Keep it in a server environment variable named GETODDS_API_KEY.
2. Read current DraftKings NBA spreads with curl:

```bash
curl --fail-with-body "https://getoddsapi.com/api/v1/odds?sport=NBA&market=spread&fresh_only=true&limit=50" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GETODDS_API_KEY"
```

3. The same request in Python (standard library only):

```python
import json, os, urllib.request

req = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://getoddsapi.com/api/v1/odds?sport=NBA&market=spread&fresh_only=true&limit=50",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + os.environ["GETODDS_API_KEY"]},
)
with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as res:
    rows = json.load(res)["data"]
for row in rows:
    print(row["away"], "at", row["home"], row["side"], row["line"], row["american"], row["observed_at"])
```

4. Check `observed_at`, `age_seconds` and `stale` on every row before using a price. Full reference: https://getoddsapi.com/docs

## Use with Claude (MCP)

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http getodds https://getoddsapi.com/api/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $GETODDS_API_KEY"
```

The MCP tools follow the key's source grants and share its allowance. Setup guide: https://getoddsapi.com/use-with-claude

## Pricing

| Plan | Allowance | Price |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free key | 1,000 requests a day, 60 a minute | $0, no card |
| Developer Bundle | 10,000 requests or credits a month on each of four sources | $149 a month |

Free development allowance: 1,000 requests per UTC day and 60 per minute per account, with no payment step. Paid: the Developer Bundle at $149 per month, with 10,000 monthly requests or credits on each of four sources.
Details: https://getoddsapi.com/bundle

## Guide


Canonical: https://getoddsapi.com/best-sports-betting-api
Reviewed: 2026-11-07 UTC

The best sports betting API depends on the job. For a free prototype, GetOdds (1,000 requests a day) or The Odds API (500 credits a month); for broad bookmakers, The Odds API from $30/month; for US pick’em plus sportsbook prices and AI agents, GetOdds at $149/month.

## Pick by the job, not the logo count

Prototype for free: GetOdds gives 1,000 requests a day; The Odds API gives 500 credits a month; SportsGameOdds gives 2,500 objects a month.

Many bookmakers worldwide: The Odds API (from $30 a month) or OddsPapi (priced per bookmaker).

US pick’em and sportsbook prices together, or an AI agent workflow: GetOdds ($149 a month bundle, hosted MCP).

Push delivery and +EV tooling: SharpAPI (from $79 a month, WebSocket add-on $99 a month).

Enterprise feeds with a contract: OpticOdds or SportsDataIO through sales.

- [Get a free GetOdds key](https://getoddsapi.com/sign-up): Start reading odds in minutes.
- [The Odds API alternative](https://getoddsapi.com/the-odds-api-alternative): A closer look at the most common switch.

## Seven providers compared

Copied from public pricing pages on 9 November 2026.

| Provider | Free access | Lowest listed paid price | Scope worth knowing |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GetOdds | Free key: 1,000 requests a day, 60 a minute | $149/month Developer Bundle | DraftKings sportsbook prices plus PrizePicks, Underdog and Pick6 thresholds; hosted MCP endpoint for agents |
| The Odds API | Starter: 500 credits a month | $30/month for 20,000 credits | More than 100 bookmakers and 100 sports; historical snapshots back to 2020 |
| SportsGameOdds | Amateur: 10 requests a minute, 2,500 objects a month | $99/month Rookie; $299/month Pro | US leagues plus soccer; historical data on higher plans |
| SharpAPI | Free tier with a 60-second data delay | $79/month Hobby; $229 Pro; $399 Sharp | US sportsbooks with arbitrage, middles and +EV detection; WebSocket add-on $99/month on Hobby and Pro |
| OddsPapi | Free account | Priced per bookmakers, sports and requests | Large bookmaker list; WebSocket and historical data |
| OpticOdds | No public free tier | Quote through a sales form | Enterprise feeds, odds screen and an MCP connector |
| SportsDataIO | Free trial | Quote through sales | Odds alongside scores, injuries, lineups and depth charts |

## What to check before you commit

Read observation times, not just prices. A line without a timestamp cannot tell you whether it is current.

Count requests the way the provider counts them. Credits, objects and requests are not the same unit, so a cheaper plan can cost more for the same board.

Check redistribution terms if you will show prices to your own users.

## Your first GetOdds request

Five moneyline rows for the NBA. Each row carries observed_at, age_seconds and stale.

```bash
curl --fail-with-body \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GETODDS_API_KEY" \
  "https://getoddsapi.com/api/v1/odds?sport=NBA&market=moneyline&limit=5"
```

## Questions

### What is the best free sports betting API?

For daily testing, GetOdds allows 1,000 requests a day on a free key. For occasional pulls across many bookmakers, The Odds API Starter plan gives 500 credits a month.

### Which sports betting API includes PrizePicks and Underdog data?

GetOdds links PrizePicks, Underdog, DraftKings Pick6 and FanDuel sources in one Developer Bundle at $149 a month, alongside DraftKings sportsbook prices.

### Do these APIs give betting advice?

No. They return quoted prices and thresholds. Any model or pick is your own work.

## Sources

- [The Odds API plans](https://the-odds-api.com/#get-access)
- [SportsGameOdds pricing](https://sportsgameodds.com/pricing)
- [SharpAPI pricing](https://sharpapi.io/pricing)
- [OddsPapi pricing](https://oddspapi.io/en/pricing)
- [OpticOdds pricing](https://opticodds.com/pricing)
- [SportsDataIO](https://sportsdata.io/)
- [GetOdds OpenAPI contract](https://getoddsapi.com/openapi.json)

Independent product; not affiliated with the operators named. No picks or predicted profits.

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GetOdds is an independent developer product and is not affiliated with any sportsbook or pick’em operator. Prices describe data, not betting advice.