Connect Claude or ChatGPT to Live Odds with the Odds-API.io MCP Server (2026)

Quick answer

Odds-API.io publishes an official, read-only MCP server (odds-api-mcp-server, 25 tools) that runs locally over stdio, so Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and Codex can query live odds from chat ^[1]. ChatGPT's custom MCP connectors use remote SSE or streaming-HTTP servers, so there the simplest route is the docs context method ^[2] ^[3].

What you need

What you need: Node.js (for npx) or Docker, an MCP-capable client, and an Odds-API.io key (paid plans) ^[1].

Get a key: Odds-API.io Partner link

Partner link — we may earn a commission. See our affiliate disclosure.

Code status: Not tested end to end: this setup follows the vendors' current documentation (checked 3 November 2026), but we did not run it with a live key. Check field names against your first real response.

1. Claude Code: one command

Claude Code adds MCP servers from the terminal ^[4]; the command below is the one Odds-API.io publishes ^[1].

claude mcp add odds-api \
  --env ODDS_API_KEY="your-api-key" \
  -- npx -y odds-api-mcp-server

2. Claude Desktop or Cursor: a JSON block

Add this to claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json and restart the app ^[3] ^[5].

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "odds-api": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "odds-api-mcp-server"],
      "env": { "ODDS_API_KEY": "your-api-key" }
    }
  }
}

3. Ask in plain language

Good first prompts: “Which Premier League matches this weekend have the biggest gap between Bet365 and Unibet on the match result?” or “Show the Polymarket and Kalshi prices for Arsenal's next match and their implied probabilities.” The assistant calls tools such as get_events and get_multi_odds; tool calls are normal API requests and count toward your 5,000 requests/hour ^[1]. Check any number it gives you with the Odds converter or Implied probability & no-vig calculator.

4. ChatGPT and Codex

ChatGPT connects custom MCP servers by URL (or a Secure MCP Tunnel) using SSE or streaming HTTP ^[2], while the Odds-API.io server is stdio-only with no hosted proxy ^[1]. In ChatGPT, paste a context block and point it at the machine-readable docs so it writes correct code ^[3]:

You are helping me build with the Odds-API.io sports odds API.
API Base URL: https://api.odds-api.io/v3
Authentication: API key as query parameter (?apiKey=YOUR_KEY)
Read the full docs first: https://docs.odds-api.io/llms-full.txt
OpenAPI spec: https://docs.odds-api.io/api-reference/openapi.json
Only use endpoints and fields that appear in those documents.

OpenAI's Codex CLI does run local stdio servers ^[1]:

codex mcp add odds-api \
  --env ODDS_API_KEY="your-api-key" \
  -- npx -y odds-api-mcp-server

5. Keep a human in the loop

The server only reads data and cannot place bets; the key stays on your machine and is sent only to api.odds-api.io ^[1]. Language models can still misread numbers, so verify before you act.

Frequently asked questions

Is the MCP server free?

The server is free and open source (MIT), but it needs an API key, and keys come with paid plans starting at £49 a month.

Can I use it with ChatGPT?

Not directly as published: ChatGPT custom connectors need a remote SSE or streaming-HTTP server, and this one runs locally over stdio. Use the docs context in ChatGPT, or Codex CLI, which supports local servers.

Which bookmakers will the assistant see?

Those selected on your plan; it can run get_selected_bookmakers to list them.

About this guide

Pred-Data publishes independent, source-linked explainers about prediction markets and the AI tools used around them. Every factual claim on this page links to a primary or reputable secondary source, checked on the date shown above. We do not run a trading venue, take bets, or give personal advice.

Author: Ken Lin · Corrections: if you spot an error, we review it and date-stamp the fix.

Affiliate disclosure

Some links on this site (marked “Partner link”) may be affiliate links: if you sign up through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Partner links use rel="sponsored nofollow" and never change our assessment. Platform links in our comparison tables are plain, non-affiliate links to official sites.

Sources

Odds API MCP server — Odds-API.io, accessed 2 Nov 2026
Add custom MCP server (ChatGPT: SSE and streaming HTTP; Secure MCP Tunnel) — OpenAI developer docs, accessed 2 Nov 2026
AI & Vibe Coding (llms.txt, OpenAPI, copy-paste context, MCP setup) — Odds-API.io docs, accessed 2 Nov 2026
Connect Claude Code to tools via MCP — Anthropic docs, accessed 2 Nov 2026
Getting started with local MCP servers on Claude Desktop — Anthropic Help Center, accessed 2 Nov 2026

Use live odds in Claude and ChatGPT with MCP