Moneyline Betting Explained

Money Line: The sports betting term 'Money line' explained. At the Online Gambling Paper we always stride in helping bettors by explaining the basic sports betting terminology in the simplest way possible. Here we will look at the term 'money line', its variations, mistaken meanings and more. Everyone makes moneyline bets without even knowing it. Even non-gamblers make moneyline bets. Betting the moneyline for a game is possibly the most simple way to wager on sports. Bettors just choose a player or team to win. If the bettor chooses the winning side, the sportsbook will pay the amount due. It’s really that simple.

  1. Moneyline bets represent just one of several different wagering options, which include point spread, totals, parlays, and in-game betting. A moneyline wager allows the bettor to put a bet on which team or athlete will win a contest, straight up. The moneyline underdog will always pay out at better odds than the favorite.
  2. Moneyline prices are also available on prop betting options and they are often preferred by parlay bettors. Rather than paying $580 to win $200, with single bets on the Patriots and Eagles, the.

Moneyline bets present the most straightforward way to wager on a sports contest. A moneyline wager simply asks the bettor to choose which team will win a game, with no point spread involved.

The payout odds on the favorite and underdog can differ significantly on a moneyline bet. Using a moneyline calculator breaks down the math on the odds, which allows bettors to assess the true value on each side.

The following page includes the GamingToday.com MoneyLine Calculator, as well as several valuable tables and graphs designed to help bettors gain an edge with moneyline bets.

Moneyline Calculator

Fill in the dollar amount for your bet and the American Odds (for example -110) and calculate the implied probability and the return on the moneyline.:

What Is A Moneyline Bet?

Legal US sportsbooks generally present several different ways to wager on sports. Moneyline bets represent just one of several different wagering options, which include point spread, totals, parlays, and in-game betting.

Moneyline Bets

A moneyline wager allows the bettor to put a bet on which team or athlete will win a contest, straight up. The moneyline underdog will always pay out at better odds than the favorite.

Skilled bettors look for value on moneyline bets by evaluating teams that have a better chance of winning than the implied probability of the odds might dictate.

Moneyline favorites are listed with “-” odds, and the underdog is listed at “+” odds.

For example, here’s a look at a line offered by PointsBet on Game 1 of the 2020 World Series:

Point SpreadTotalMoneyline
Tampa Bay Rays+1.5 (-150)Over 7.5 (+100)+140
LA Dodgers-1.5 (+130)Under 7.5 (-121)-165

American Odds

PointsBet sets the Los Angeles Dodgers as the favorite in the game, with -165 moneyline odds. To calculate “-” odds, divide 100 by the odds, then multiply that quotient by the amount you bet.

For example, suppose you want to calculate how much profit a $50 bet on the Dodgers would yield. First divide 100 by 165 (without the “-”), which yields 60.6. Then multiply that number by your $50 bet to arrive at the profit (60.6*$50=$30.30).

A $50 bet on the Dodgers at -165 odds would yield $30.30 in profit. The $50 wager would return $80.30 to the bettor ($30.30 profit plus the original $50 bet).

To calculate “+” odds, divide the odds by 100 and multiply that product by the amount of the wager.

A $50 bet on the Tampa Bay Rays, for instance, would calculate as 140/100 (which yields 1.4), multiplied by $50 (1.4*$50=$70). A winning $50 moneyline bet on the Rays returns $120 total to the bettor ($70 profit plus the original $50 bet.)

Decimal Odds

Decimal odds can be used to make a simple calculation of odds multiplied by wager amount to arrive at the total amount returned to the bettor.

The -165 odds on Los Angeles, for example, convert to 1.6061 decimal odds using the Gaming Today moneyline calculator. Multiplying that by a $50 bet yields $80.30, and subtracting the original bet amount yields the profit earned ($80.30-$50=$30.30).

What Is A Moneyline Calculator?

The Gaming Today Moneyline Calculator allows for quick calculations for any wager amount and payout odds. Using American, decimal, fractional, Hong Kong, Indonesian, or Malay Odds, you can input the odds and the amount of a wager and see the payout that would come if the bet is a win.

While it’s valuable to understand and be able to calculate favorite and underdog Moneyline odds for all of the different odds notations, the moneyline calculator can save a significant amount of time and energy.

One of the most important features of the Gaming Today Moneyline Calculator is the Implied Probability feature.

For any favorite or underdog input, the calculator produces the implied probability of that team winning. Astute bettors can use the calculator to find teams that have a higher actual win probability than the implied probability dictated by the odds.

The “To Win” window displays the amount of profit yielded by any combination of odds and wager amount. To calculate the return to the bettor, add the “To Win” number to the original amount of the wager.

How To Use The Moneyline Calculator To Place A Sports Bet

Suppose you wanted to put the Gaming Today Moneyline Calculator to work to decide how you wanted to bet on Game 1 of the 2020 World Series. Here’s another look at the lines offered on that game by PointsBet:

Point SpreadTotalMoneyline
Tampa Bay Rays+1.5 (-150)Over 7.5 (+100)+140
LA Dodgers-1.5 (+130)Under 7.5 (-121)-165

To calculate a $50 moneyline wager on the Tampa Bay Rays, input $50 in the “Bet Amount” window and put “+140” in the “American Odds” window. Hit enter or click on the “Convert Odds” button and see how the moneyline calculator converts that information into several different useful categories.

The calculator converts the “+140” odds into all of the different notations you might see used by a sportsbook.

The +140 American odds convert to 2.40 decimal odds, 7/5 fractional odds, 1.40 for Indonesian/Hong Kong odds, and -0.7143 Malay Odds. A tool like our moneyline calculator can be a crucial component of a betting strategy when evaluating odds at sportsbooks that use different notations.

The “Implied Probability” output tells you that at +140 odds, the Rays have a 41.67% implied probability of winning. A skilled bettor will take that bet if they think Tampa Bay’s actual chance of winning the game is higher than that.

The “To Win” output yields the profit produced if the Rays win. A $50 winning bet on the Rays yields $70 in profit and a $120 total return to the bettor ($70 profit plus the $50 original bet).

Looking for other calculators to use when sports betting? Check out:

Calculating Positive And Negative Moneyline Odds

The math used in calculating the payout on a moneyline is pretty simple. It is one of the most important first steps to understanding sports betting and is crucial to success. Below is a graph of profit won on $100 bets for negative odds. Note that it is a curve that approaches, but will never get to $0. Even -1,000,000 odds still yields some profit from a win:

Explained

And here is a graph of profit for positive numbers. The really important difference is that the line is linear. as the odds increase, so does the profit. That goes on forever.

Looking at the odds offered by the sportsbook, note whether they are negative odds (for example -110) or positive odds (for example +120). The calculation changes based on if it is a positive or negative odd. Below we work through an example of a bet of $100 at -110 moneyline odds. It is important to notice that multiplying by -1 is required to give us the positive payout:

Moneyline Betting Explained

PAYOUT = BET AMOUNT / (-1 *MONEYLINE ODDS / 100)

So that looks like:

$90.91 = $100 / (-1 * -110/100)

That also means that you will be returned that amount AND your original bet, meaning you now have $190.91. Let’s work another negative example of a $100 bet at -150:

$100 / (-1 * -150 / 100) = $66.67

Now let’s work through a positive money example. Let’s say you bet $100 at +120

PAYOUT = BET AMOUNT * ODDS / 100

That looks like:

$120 = $100 * 120 / 100

In that case, you are returned your original bet plus profit, so you now have $220.

What Is Line Movement?

Sportsbooks make money by setting lines that bring in an appropriate amount of wagers on both sides of a bet. The house offers odds that factor in a cut of overall wagers, known as vig, that goes to the sportsbook.

In the World Series Game 1 example from above, if 90% of bets come in on the Dodgers, the sportsbook stands to lose big money if Los Angeles wins. A Tampa Bay win in that situation is even more disastrous for the sportsbook.

If the bets coming in on a game are too one-sided, the line on the game will start to move to try to prompt more bets for the other side. It’s important to remember that sports betting isn’t a zero-sum game, and you’ll be losing in the long run even if you win 50% of the time.

Legal Online Sports Betting In The US

A federal mandate known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned in May 2018, giving US states the legal clearance to offer state-regulated sports betting. Several states now offer both retail and online sports betting, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, and several others.

The top online sport betting brands in the US include the following:

DraftKings Sportsbook

One of the biggest brands to emerge in the booming online sports betting industry, DraftKings Sportsbook offers mobile sports wagering in eight states. The sportsbook offers every imaginable kind of wager across multiple sports.

That betting menu includes daily moneyline opportunities on all major US sports leagues, as well as numerous international leagues. A tool like the Moneyline Calculator can be an indispensable tool to use for evaluating the odds and implied win probabilities at DraftKings Sportsbook.

FanDuel Sportsbook

Another huge player in the legal sports betting market, FanDuel Sportsbook offers mobile sports wagering in seven states. Along with DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbooks stands as one of the top two mobile sports betting brands in the US.

FanDuel Sportsbook’s vast selection of moneyline wagering options becomes a potentially profitable market for bettors using a moneyline calculator. Such a tool allows sharp players to compare odds across multiple sportsbooks and only place the most favorable bets.

FOX Bet

A collaboration between FOX Sports and The Stars Group, the FOX Bet brand operates online sportsbooks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

The moneyline odds at FOX Bet can vary greatly versus some of its competitors, and bettors using a moneyline calculator tool gain a significant edge versus players that don’t.

Moneyline Calculator FAQs

Yes. More than a dozen states either currently offer online sports betting or have a launch of mobile sports betting products pending.

New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania represent the three biggest online sports betting markets in the US. Other states with legal online sports wagering include Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, West Virginia, and a few others.

The Gaming Today Moneyline Calculator can be used as a valuable resource on any moneyline bet. It’s especially useful for evaluating the implied probability of winning and payout odds.

The moneyline bet calculator’s ability to display odds across multiple notation formats (American, Decimal, Fractional, Indonesian/Hong Kong, and Malay odds) allows bettors to compare lines across sportsbooks that use different notations.

Even if you’re a veteran sports bettor, running every bet you’re considering through the calculator provides significant benefit.

Yes. Nothing in the terms and conditions of any US legal online sportsbooks prohibits the use of a moneyline calculator.

The calculator provides computations that any person could produce with pen and paper but in a much faster and more efficient manner.

Moneyline betting odds explained
How Do I Convert American Odds To Fractional Odds?

For “+” American odds, divide the odds by 100 and convert that quotient into a fraction. To convert +160 into fractional odds, for example, divide 160 by 100 (160/100) and reduce that fraction to the lowest whole number denominator. American odds of +160 would convert to 8/5 fractional odds.

For “-” American odds, divide 100 by the odds and convert to the simplest form fraction. For -160 odds, for example, the calculation looks like 100/160, which reduces to 5/8 fractional odds.

How Do I Convert American Odds To Implied Probability?

To convert “+” American odds to implied winning probability, the formula looks like this:

100 / (“+” American odds + 100)*100 = implied probability

For example, +160 odds would be calculated as 100/(160+100)*100. This converts to 100/260*100, which ends up yielding a 38.46% implied probability.

To convert “-” odds, the formula looks like this:

“-” odds / (“-” odds + 100)*100 = implied probability

For instance, -160 odds would translate to 160/(160+100)*100, converting to 160/260*100, which yields a product of 61.54. The implied probability of -160 odds is a 61.54% chance of winning.

Several online sportsbooks offer comprehensive coverage of sports and ways to bet. Some of the best choices for online sports betting in the US include DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, PointsBet, FOX Bet, and BetMGM.

A moneyline bet is a wager made on which side you expect to win. It’s as simple as that. Heck, even if you’re new to sports betting, you’ve probably made a moneyline bet before without even knowing it. In this guide, we’ll cover what a moneyline bet is and how it works.

What is a moneyline bet?

Moneyline bets are the simplest form of wagers in sports betting. All you have to do is pick the side you want to win straight up, with no point spread involved. If it’s a team sport you’re wagering on, then a moneyline bet is a bet on which team will win the game. If it’s an individual sport, you’re wagering on which person will win the game.

With a moneyline wager, you don’t need to have the side you’re betting on win by a certain amount. The amount the side wins by doesn’t matter. With a moneyline bet, it only matters that the team or individual win.

It is common to see moneyline listed as “money line” or simply as “ML,” but they are all the same things.

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How does a money bet work?

Moneyline bets often have one side listed as the favorite and the other side listed as the underdog. How to know which side is the favorite and which is the underdog comes down to the odds that are listed. The moneyline odds are the price for each side of the bet.

In moneyline betting, the favorite is displayed using a minus (-) sign next to the team or individual name. This is known as negative odds. With the favorite, the odds are handicapped as such that you’re going to need to lay money when betting on this side.

An underdog in moneyline betting is displayed using a plus (+) sign next to the team or individual name. This is known as positive odds. When betting an underdog on the moneyline, you’ll stand to win more than what you wagered.

The price of the odds on a moneyline bet is determined by sportsbooks and oddsmakers. The odds are what are used to handicap the match, instead of using a point spread. Most of the time, there will be a favorite and an underdog, but sometimes the odds will be even.

What if the two sides aren’t equal?

When two teams, or two individuals, aren’t viewed are equal in a match, the sportsbook or oddsmaker will adjust the odds to bet on each side. The odds are the price bettors receive on wagers.

As you can imagine, there is bigger risk when betting on the underdog and that’s why you’re often getting positive odds.

Moneyline betting examples

To help further illustrate moneyline betting, let’s take a look at a couple of examples.

For the first example, we’ll take a look at a sample NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, using the odds below.

  • Pittsburgh Steelers +225
  • Kansas City Chiefs -285

In this example, the Chiefs are the home team, which is commonly the case as the Chiefs are displayed on the bottom of the two teams. Kansas City is the favorite at a moneyline price of -285. The Steelers are on the road and underdogs at a price of +225. That’s a fairly large gap in the prices and should signify how big of a favorite Kansas City is.

Using this example, a bettor would need to place a $285 wager on the Chiefs moneyline to win $100. Conversely, a $100 moneyline bet on the Steelers would return $225 if won.

For a second example, let’s take a look at a sample game between the rival Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

  • Boston Red Sox -125
  • New York Yankees +105

In this MLB example of a moneyline bet, the Red Sox are road favorites over the Yankees, but the odds are much closer than the example between the Steelers and Chiefs.

Using this MLB example, a bettor would need to bet $125 on Boston to get a return of $100. A $100 moneyline bet on the Yankees to win would return $105.

In a third example, we’ll explore how the moneyline odds are commonly displayed when the two sides are viewed as equal. We’ll use a sample NBA matchup for this one.

  • Los Angeles Lakers -110
  • Boston Celtics -110

In this example between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, the two sides are viewed as even in the matchup and the price is the same on each side of the moneyline. A $110 bet on either side will return $100.

Can moneyline odds change?

Yes, moneyline odds can change and it’s fairly common to see. Various news items can cause a sportsbook or bookmaker to adjust the odds of a moneyline bet. Injuries can play a big role in how the betting lines move for moneyline wagers, too.

The changes in odds for a moneyline bet can be commonly referred to as “line moves,” but the odds won’t change for a bet that has already been placed. The line moves are only in effect for the current betting price.

For example, let’s say you placed a moneyline bet on the Steelers to beat the Chiefs at a price of +225 (using the example we gave above). You made this bet when the lines came out on Monday and the game isn’t until Sunday, six days later. On Wednesday, you check the odds and see that the Steelers are now +200 to win. This doesn’t mean you’re now getting a worse price. Your bet would still be locked in at +225 if you confirmed the wager. In fact, it should make a bettor feel good to see this sort of line move because the bettor would be getting a better priced than the market. But, if you wanted to place another bet on the Steelers, you would need to do so at the new market price of +200.

Nfl moneyline betting explained

Using line moves to make better moneyline bets

Moneyline Betting 120

In betting, line moves and changes to the odds can be your friend. One way they can be your friend is by helping you to determine where the public is betting. If you’re someone who likes to fade all of the more recreational sports bettors out there in an attempt to be on the sharp side, line moves can help you do that.

Line moves can also help you to get better odds or determine if you got a very good price. Let’s say you take a side that is +200 to win. In order to break even, this side would need to win one out of three times. You figure the side should win one of out every two times and you place the bet. Now, let’s say the line moves to +300. With a new wager, you’d be getting an even better price. If you figure that the real odds of the team winning haven’t changed, you can place another bet you deem as a valuable one.

What if the odds go the other way? In this example, the team you bet on was +200 but you check back and they’re now the favorite at -200 due to a big injury on the other side. Look how much you’re beating the market by, as the market is telling you that this team should now win two out of three times and you’re holding a ticket at a much, much better price.

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Tips for making winning moneyline bets

When it comes to betting on the moneyline, both favorites and underdogs can have their temptations. It can be tempting to just pick the favorite because that’s the better team or individual. It can be equally tempting to just bet on the underdog because you are going to win more money than if you bet on the favorite. It’s important to not just pick one side of the other without doing your homework – do your homework.

When it comes to picking moneyline favorites, make sure you’re not laying an extreme price that simply isn’t worth the risk. You won’t see as extreme of prices in professional sports, but you will see them quite often in the college ranks. In this cases, do you really want to risk $2,500 to win $100 on a -2500 favorite? If you didn’t have $2,500 to bet and had $250 to bet, odds of -2500 would return a $10 win. Is that really worth the risk?

Nfl Moneyline Betting Explained

For underdogs, remember that sportsbooks and oddsmakers know that teams are underdogs for a reason and they’ll bake this notion into the prices. If a team is +900 to win, that sounds like a great return of $900 on a $100 wager, but in reality the team may be +1500 to win so you’re not getting a good price.

Whether it’s the favorite or the underdog you’re betting on, it’s important to do your research. Pay attention to things such as who is playing at home and who is traveling, injuries, strength of the two sides, and recent outings. All of these things can help bettors to handicap games and make better moneyline bets.

Football Moneyline Betting

Sharp bettors commonly refer to “fading the public.” There are various tools out there to help bettors determine where the public money is coming in on a game and this is the side sharp bettors often want to fade. For more on fading the public, check out our write-up on the topic.

Sports Betting Moneyline Explained

Line shopping is an important tool that needs to be in any sports bettor’s notebook. Line shopping is the practice of looking around the industry at different legal sportsbooks to find the best price. Whether it’s a moneyline, a point spread, or a prop bet you’re wagering on, it’s very important to line shop. You’d be surprised how much better of a price you can get simply by looking at a couple of other sportsbooks offering the same bet.