Bankroll Management 101
Sharp bettors survive losing streaks because they manage money before they manage picks. Here is how we think about bankroll, units, and discipline at AlphaLine.
Flat betting means risking roughly the same amount on every play. It removes emotion from the equation and protects you during cold streaks.
Chasing is doubling your bet after a loss to "make it back." It is the fastest way to blow up a bankroll. Even a profitable bettor will hit losing stretches. Flat betting makes sure you are still in the game when the edge returns.
A unit is your standard bet size, expressed as a percentage of your total bankroll. We recommend that bettors use 1% to 5% per unit.
- If your bankroll is $5,000 and you use 2% units, one unit is $100.
- If your bankroll is $10,000 and you use 3% units, one unit is $300.
Every pick is labeled with the number of units we're playing to win — not the amount risked. A 1U play is our standard position, so on a -110 favorite, that means laying 1.1 units to win 1. Anything above 1U signals a higher-confidence play.
Scroll down to use the unit-size and wager calculators and see the math in action.
1 unit
$100.00
Risk (stake)
$110.00
To win
$100.00
Shuffle the monthly results to see how winning and losing months compound.
| Month | Beginning Bankroll | Unit % | Unit $ | Units Won | Profit | Ending Bankroll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $100.00 | +7.0 | +$700.00 | $5,700.00 | ||
| Feb | $5,700.00 | 2.00% | $114.00 | +9.5 | +$1083.00 | $6,783.00 |
| Mar | $6,783.00 | 2.00% | $135.66 | -3.5 | −$474.81 | $6,308.19 |
| Apr | $6,308.19 | 2.00% | $126.16 | +8.0 | +$1009.28 | $7,317.47 |
| May | $7,317.47 | 2.00% | $146.35 | +6.0 | +$878.10 | $8,195.57 |
| Jun | $8,195.57 | 2.00% | $163.91 | +12.0 | +$1966.92 | $10,162.49 |
| Jul | $10,162.49 | 2.00% | $203.25 | +7.5 | +$1524.38 | $11,686.87 |
| Aug | $11,686.87 | 2.00% | $233.74 | -4.0 | −$934.96 | $10,751.91 |
| Sep | $10,751.91 | 2.00% | $215.04 | +8.0 | +$1720.32 | $12,472.23 |
| Oct | $12,472.23 | 2.00% | $249.44 | +5.0 | +$1247.20 | $13,719.43 |
| Nov | $13,719.43 | 2.00% | $274.39 | +9.0 | +$2469.51 | $16,188.94 |
| Dec | $16,188.94 | 2.00% | $323.78 | +7.5 | +$2428.35 | $18,617.29 |
Year result: +$13617.29 (272.3%)
Illustrative only — not a projection or guarantee. The point is the math: disciplined sizing lets modest monthly edges compound into meaningful growth.
- Set a bankroll you can afford to lose completely.
- Decide your unit size before you place a single bet.
- Track every play, including the price you got and the result.
- Never increase your unit size to chase losses.
- Shop for the best line across sportsbooks; even marginal differences increase your edge in the long run.
Our record is public because we believe transparency is the only real marketing in this space; transparency only helps if you size your bets correctly. A winning model can still lose money for a bettor who chases or over-leverages.
Bankroll management turns a sharp edge into a compounding advantage. Treat it like the most important part of your process — because it is.
Ready to see the picks?
Every play is posted with a price, a unit size, and a public grade.