# The Odds API vs DraftKings API

The Odds API or this DraftKings API? Sourced notes on bookmakers, credits, historical snapshots, Pick6 and DFS, and when The Odds API is the better pick.

Canonical page: https://draftkingsapi.com/compare/the-odds-api. Markdown: https://draftkingsapi.com/compare/the-odds-api.md. Site index for agents: https://draftkingsapi.com/llms.txt.

## Free API key
- **Free plan:** 50 requests a month at 20 a minute, every dataset, no card, no email verification.
- **Sign up:** https://draftkingsapi.com/auth/sign-up?ref=ai-claudebot
- **From inside an agent session:** POST https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/agent/signup with JSON `{"data_wanted": "...", "use_case": "...", "ref": "ai-claudebot"}`, show your user the approval_url, then poll https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/agent/token with device_code. The key is returned once.
- **No key yet:** `curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/demo/pick6"` returns labeled sample rows (sample:true) in the real response shape.

## Quickstart

1. Create a free key at https://draftkingsapi.com/auth/sign-up?ref=ai-claudebot (no card) and export it: `export DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY=...`

2. Call the API with curl:

```bash
curl --max-time 30 --fail-with-body 'https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/pick6/projections?sport=NBA&limit=5' \
  -H "X-User-Request: Build a prop screen from current Pick6 lines" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"
```

3. Or call it from Python:

```python
import os, requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/pick6/projections?sport=NBA&limit=5",
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer " + os.environ["DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"],
        "X-User-Request": "Build a prop screen from current Pick6 lines",
    },
    timeout=30,
)
if not response.ok:
    raise RuntimeError(f"API {response.status_code}: {response.text}")
print(response.json())
```

4. Full walkthrough: https://draftkingsapi.com/quickstart. OpenAPI: https://draftkingsapi.com/openapi.json. Every route accepts format=csv on list endpoints.

## Use it from Claude (MCP)

MCP server: https://draftkingsapi.com/api/mcp (Streamable HTTP). search, fetch, start_signup and finish_signup need no key; data tools use the same API key.

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user draftkings https://draftkingsapi.com/api/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"
```

Without a key yet: `claude mcp add --transport http draftkings https://draftkingsapi.com/api/mcp`, then call start_signup. Setup for other clients: https://draftkingsapi.com/agents.md.

## Pricing

| Plan | Price | Requests per UTC month | Requests per minute | Pick6 stream | Signed webhooks |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0/month | 50 | 20 | No | No |
| Developer | $49/month | 10,000 | 60 | Yes | No |
| Production | $149/month | 50,000 | 120 | Yes | Yes |

- **Free:** Build and test against every dataset.
- **Developer:** Keep your app running with more requests and push delivery.
- **Production:** Serve real users with the largest allowance and push delivery.

Plans and checkout: https://draftkingsapi.com/pricing

## The short version

Choose The Odds API for odds across many bookmakers and years of historical snapshots. Choose this API for DraftKings Pick6 line history, DFS salaries and native DraftKings scopes. Statements about other companies are paraphrased from the linked pages as they read on 11 Nov 2026, and may have changed. They are that company's claims, and we have not measured them. This site is not affiliated with any company named here.

## Side by side

Read on 11 Nov 2026 from The Odds API's home page, bookmaker list and historical odds page.

|  | The Odds API | DraftKings API (this site) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Books | DraftKings under the `us` region, alongside many US, UK, EU and AU bookmakers [source](https://the-odds-api.com/sports-odds-data/bookmaker-apis.html) | DraftKings only |
| Pick6 | `pick6` under the `us_dfs` region. Selections with non-default multipliers sit in `_alternate` markets, and DFS odds are described as indicative only [source](https://the-odds-api.com/sports-odds-data/bookmaker-apis.html) | Current lines with standings multipliers per side, line history per prop and a change stream |
| DFS salaries | Not listed on the pages we read [source](https://the-odds-api.com/) | Slates, contests and roster-slot salaries |
| Free plan | Starter, 500 credits a month, without historical odds [source](https://the-odds-api.com/) | Free key, no card |
| Paid plans | 20,000 credits for $30, 100,000 for $59 and 5M for $119 a month [source](https://the-odds-api.com/) | See [pricing](/pricing) |
| Historical odds | Featured markets from 6 June 2020, at 10-minute snapshots and 5-minute snapshots from September 2022. Player props and other additional markets from 3 May 2023. Paid plans only [source](https://the-odds-api.com/historical-odds-data/) | Recorded since 3 Nov 2026, with every captured change |

## Where The Odds API is stronger

These are real reasons to choose it, and this API cannot match them.

- Many books in one schema. Comparing DraftKings with other sportsbooks or exchanges needs a multi-book feed, and its bookmaker list spans several regions [source](https://the-odds-api.com/sports-odds-data/bookmaker-apis.html).
- Years of history. Its featured-market snapshots start in June 2020 [source](https://the-odds-api.com/historical-odds-data/), and our recording started in November 2026.
- A low entry price for paid credits, starting at $30 a month on its home page [source](https://the-odds-api.com/).

Snapshots taken every few minutes and a log of each captured change answer different questions. If you need the exact path of one Pick6 prop between snapshots, test both on that prop.

## Where this API fits

Choose this API when your product is about DraftKings itself, and especially Pick6 and DFS, which multi-book odds feeds rarely describe in depth.

- DraftKings Pick6 lines with standings multipliers, line history per prop and a resumable change stream.
- DFS slates, contests and roster-slot salaries behind the same key.
- DraftKings moneylines, spreads and totals in JSON and CSV, plus box scores in JSON.
- Native scopes for NFL moneylines, spreads and totals across 27 U.S. states; NHL game lines across the same 27 states; college basketball and college football game lines across 26 states, excluding Oregon, with a WebSocket on paid plans.
- MCP tools for agents, and a free key with no card and no sales step.

Free includes 50 requests/month at 20/minute; Developer is $49/month with 10,000 requests/month at 60/minute; Production is $149/month with 50,000 requests/month at 120/minute. Pick6 changes: Developer and Production include the resumable stream, and Production also includes signed webhooks. Native sportsbook scopes: paid plans can use a server-side WebSocket at `/api/v1/sportsbook/ws`. ESPN-attributed sportsbook rows and DFS rows have no push delivery.

Recording began around 2026-11-03. Retained history is short, and it is not a complete opening-to-close archive. It does not contain seasons of past lines, and no graded results are published.

## Test both on one market

A table will not settle this. Pick one game or slate you care about, pull the same market from The Odds API and from this API, and compare each one's stated update time and value with the DraftKings screen at that moment.

```
curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/odds?sport=NFL&market=spread&status=pre&limit=25" \
  -H "X-User-Request: Compare sportsbook lines across games for a dashboard" -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"

curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/pick6/projections?sport=NFL&view=compact&limit=25" \
  -H "X-User-Request: Build a prop screen from current Pick6 lines" -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"
```

```
curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/coverage" \
  -H "X-User-Request: Check which DraftKings datasets fit a new app" -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"
```

## FAQ

### Does The Odds API include DraftKings Pick6?
Its bookmaker list showed a pick6 key under the us_dfs region when we read it on 11 Nov 2026, with non-default multipliers placed in alternate markets.

### Is The Odds API historical data free?
Its historical odds page says historical data is only available on paid usage plans, and its free Starter plan is shown without historical odds.

### Can I use both?
Yes. A multi-book feed for prices and this API for Pick6 history and DFS salaries is a reasonable setup. There is no shared ID between them, so match on teams, player names and start time.

### Is there a free DraftKings API?
Yes. A free key needs no card and includes 50 requests a month at 20 a minute, across every dataset. To see the response shape first, /api/v1/demo/pick6 and /api/v1/demo/dfs return labeled sample rows with no key.

### Is this an official DraftKings API?
Independent service operated by DD Inc., not affiliated with or endorsed by DraftKings. No wagering: this service does not place, recommend or settle entries or bets.

### Can I use it from an AI agent?
Yes. Connect the MCP server at https://draftkingsapi.com/api/mcp, or call REST with a Bearer key. An agent can get a key for its user with start_signup.

### How do I reach support?
Email support@draftkingsapi.com.

Independent service operated by DD Inc., not affiliated with or endorsed by DraftKings. No wagering: this service does not place, recommend or settle entries or bets.