Let's say the New York Giants are facing the Washington Redskins in a regular season NFL game. The Giants are at odds of -110 to cover the betting line of -3.5 points. The probability implied in the odds -110 is 52.4%. You've done your research and have determined the Giants are a 60% chance to cover the -3.5 betting line. Simply put, a moneyline tells you how much you have to wager in order to make a profit of $100. Consider a hypothetical baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers. When looking at the moneyline for the game, a bettor will see something like this: Chicago Cubs +120. Is bet365 better than FOX Bet? After scoring sportsbooks on over 100 different variables, FOX Bet is better than bet365. While FOX Bet is an excellent option for online poker and casino games, FOX Bet will also satisfy most sports bettors thanks to its offering of sports, bet variety, promotions, and features. What Happened To Bet365. For example, in the United States you would most likely find bookmakers such as Ladbrokes or Eilersbite. These companies would offer you two different lines. One line would be used to win cash and the other line would be used to bet on the teams that you felt would win the game.
Money lines (also called American Odds) are one of the most common ways to bet on sports. They do not use a point spread, and are straight-up bets on who will win the game or event.
To properly explain how to bet the money line, the first thing to understand is the difference between a negative and positive money line. Both money lines use $100 as the basis point for calculating payouts, but they're calculated differently.
How to Calculate Money Line Payouts
A negative money line is indicated with a ‘-‘ in front of a number, like -230. The number represents the amount of money that would need to be wagered in order to win $100 in profit. So, a -230 money line would require a wager of $230 to win $100 more, for a total payout of $330 ($230 wager + $100 profit). Of course a $230 bet is not required, it's just the basis for calculating the payout. With odds of -230, a $23 bet would return $10 in profit, or a $2.30 bet would return $1 in profit.
A positive money line is indicated with a ‘+' in front of a number. In this case, the number represents the amount that would be won from a $100 wager. So, a +170 money line means that a $100 wager would return $170 in profit, for a total payout of $270 ($100 wager + $170 profit = $270). A bet of $10 would result in a $17 profit, and a total payout of $27 ($10 wager + $17 profit = $27).
More About Negative Lines
Generally a negative money line represents the favored team in a match. There are exceptions to this and we'll discuss that later. For now, think negative money line = favorite.
In most two-team games like football, baseball or soccer, one team will have a negative money line, and the opponent will have a positive money line. The team with a negative money line is the favorite, and the team with the positive money line is the underdog.
Example:
Mobile Bet365
- New England Patriots +140
- Indianapolis Colts -160
In this case, the Colts are the favorite. It would take a bet of $16 to win $10 in profit, for a total payout of $26 ($16 wagered + $10 profit = $26). For the Patriots, as the underdog, it would only take a bet of $10 to win $14 in profit, for a total payout of $24 ($10 wager + $14 profit = $24).
Since the favored team is considered more likely to win, and because no handicap is being used, it takes a larger wager to win a smaller profit on them.
More About Positive Lines
In a 2-team game where one team has a positive money line, they are always the underdog. Since they're underdogs, it requires a smaller wager to win a larger profit.
Example:
- Pittsburgh Penguins +130
- New York Rangers -150
In this case, a bet of $10 on the Penguins would result in a $13 profit if they win, for a total payout of $23 ($10 wager + $13 profit = $23). For the Rangers, it would take a bet of $15 to win $10 in profit, for a $25 total payout ($15 wager + $10 profit = $25).
Games Where Both Teams Are Negative
In games like baseball or football, it's not uncommon to see both teams represented with a negative money line. When this happens, it means the teams are very closely matched.
For Example:
- New York Yankees -113
- Boston Red Sox -107
What Does Money Line Mean On Bet365
In the scenario above, the game is considered very close, with a slight edge towards the Yankees. It would require a bet of $113 to win $100 on the Yankees, or $107 bet to win $100 on the Red Sox.
Sports With Multiple Teams or Competitors
Of course there are sports with multiple competitors in a single event, like horse racing, Olympic events, and golf. This is also the case in futures bets, where the handicapper is choosing between multiple teams to win a seasonal champion.
In this case, there will generally be one favorite, indicated with a negative money line, and the rest of the field will have positive money lines. Sometimes, when there are no clear favorites, there may not be a single competitor with a negative money line. In this case, the competitor with the lowest positive money line is favored.
Example:
Tiger Woods +600
Phil Mickelson +850
Martin Kaymer +1300
Lee Westwood +1600
Steve Stricker +2300
In this case, Tiger Woods is the favorite, but he has a positive money line. A bet of $10 on him would result in a $60 profit if he wins. A bet of $10 on Steve Stricker would result in a $230 profit if he were to win.
Converting Moneyline Odds to Fractional Odds
We all learned how to do fractions in elementary school, and once you understand money line odds, the conversions are simple.
How to Convert Positive Money Lines to Fractional Odds
To convert a positive money line into fractional odds, divide the number in the money line by 100.
Examples:
- +250 Money Line: 250/100 = 2.5/1 (5/2) Fractional Odds
- +400 Money Line: 400/100 = 4/1 Fractional Odds
- +650 Money Line: 650/100 = 6.5/1 (13/2) Fractional Odds
How to Convert Negative Lines to Fractional Odds
To convert negative money lines to fractional odds, divide the number in the money line by 100. Put that number on the right side of a fraction which begins with ‘1/'. Some numbers on the right side of the fraction will have a decimal in them. Since decimals are not used in fractional odds, they are removed by multiplying both numbers in the fraction by 2.
Examples:
- -200 Money Line: 200/100 = 2. Put the 2 on the right side of a fraction beginning with 1/, resulting in fractional odds of 1/2.
- -350 Money Line: 350/100 = 3.5. Put the 3.5 on the right side of a fraction beginning with 1/, resulting in fractional odds of 1/3.5. Multiply both numbers in the fraction by 2 to remove the decimal = 2/7 fractional odds.
- -650 Money Line: 650/100 = 6.5. Put the 6.5 on the right side of a fraction beginning with 1/, resulting in fractional odds of 1/6.5. Multiply both numbers in the fraction by 2 to remove the decimal = 2/13 fractional odds.
Converting to Decimal Odds
Positive money lines show the profit that would be won from a $100 bet, not including the original wager. Negative money lines show the wager required to win $100 in profit. Neither of these reflect the total payout. This is different in decimal odds.
Using decimal odds, a handicapper can easily calculate their entire payout. For example, a team with decimal odds of 3.0 would be multiplied by the wager amount to calculate the entire payout. A $20 bet with 3.0 decimal odds would pay out a total of $60 ($20 x 3.0 = $60).
The calculation to convert a positive money line to decimal odds is different from the calculation of a negative money line to decimal odds. Here's how they convert:
How to Convert a Positive Money Line to Decimal Odds
To convert a positive money line to decimal odds, divide the money line by 100, then add 1.
Examples:
- +200 / 100 = 2 + 1 = 3.0 Decimal Odds
- +350 /100 = 3.5 +1 = 4.5 Decimal Odds
- +625 / 100 = 6.25 +1 = 7.25 Decimal Odds
Negative Lines to Decimal Odds
To convert a negative money line to decimal odds, start with the number 100 and divide it by the number in the money line, then add 1.
Examples:
- -200 Money Line: 100 / 200 = .5 +1 = 1.5 Decimal Odds
- -350 Money Line: 100 / 350 = .286 +1 = 1.286 (1.29) Decimal Odds
- -625 Money Line: 100 / 625 = .16 +1 = 1.16 Decimal Odds
Pros & Cons of Money Line Bets
When compared to a point spread, for the underdog, the benefit of a money line bet is the increased odds a handicapper receives. For the favorite, the benefit is that no handicap is given to the underdog, making it more likely their bets will win.
For the underdog, the negative is that they don't receive a handicap, making it more difficult to win these bets. For the favorite, the negative is that the punter receives lower odds than they do when they're giving up points on the spread.
Comparing the money line to the run line in baseball or puck line in hockey, the benefit ‘can' be slightly reduced juice (vig, or commission). For example, many online sportsbooks charge a 5% vig on baseball or hockey money line bets. However, it's harder to find reduced juice on run lines and puck lines, where punters normally pay 10% vig. Over the course of a season and a lot of bets, 5% can be the difference of being a winning or losing handicapper.
Money lines are the most popular way to bet on MLB baseball and NHL hockey, so the lines can move dramatically from the time they're posted to the time they close. If you know how to watch lines move and predict where they're going, money lines can offer a lot of value. For example, when betting on big underdogs in baseball, the best money line odds can often be found as soon as the lines open – before other bettors see the same value you do and bring the odds down. For big favorites, it's often best to wait until 1-2 hours before game time. For big games with a lot of action, sharp bettors often place big wagers just before a game, which can also create optimal betting opportunities.
For casual bettors, money line bets are easier to make. There is no point spread to mull over, and all that matters is that you choose the winner.
There are many types of bets, but the most common are: moneyline bets, spread bets, total bets, parlays, teasers and futures. In the beginning we will explain how to read betting lines and then we will deal with different types of bets.
Betting line
Betting line usually shows current odds or moneyline, point spread (handicap) and total for a particular event. For example we can have a line like this:
| Bet Number | Team | Moneyline | Spread or Handicap | Total Points |
| 461 | Bengals | +150 | +6 | over 44 |
| 462 | Patriots | -170 | -6 | under 44 |
Sportsbooks can stuff a lot of numbers in a betting line and sometimes even don't indicate what they mean. When you learn what all these numbers mean you won't be confused any more.
A positive money line is indicated with a ‘+' in front of a number. In this case, the number represents the amount that would be won from a $100 wager. So, a +170 money line means that a $100 wager would return $170 in profit, for a total payout of $270 ($100 wager + $170 profit = $270). A bet of $10 would result in a $17 profit, and a total payout of $27 ($10 wager + $17 profit = $27).
More About Negative Lines
Generally a negative money line represents the favored team in a match. There are exceptions to this and we'll discuss that later. For now, think negative money line = favorite.
In most two-team games like football, baseball or soccer, one team will have a negative money line, and the opponent will have a positive money line. The team with a negative money line is the favorite, and the team with the positive money line is the underdog.
Example:
Mobile Bet365
- New England Patriots +140
- Indianapolis Colts -160
In this case, the Colts are the favorite. It would take a bet of $16 to win $10 in profit, for a total payout of $26 ($16 wagered + $10 profit = $26). For the Patriots, as the underdog, it would only take a bet of $10 to win $14 in profit, for a total payout of $24 ($10 wager + $14 profit = $24).
Since the favored team is considered more likely to win, and because no handicap is being used, it takes a larger wager to win a smaller profit on them.
More About Positive Lines
In a 2-team game where one team has a positive money line, they are always the underdog. Since they're underdogs, it requires a smaller wager to win a larger profit.
Example:
- Pittsburgh Penguins +130
- New York Rangers -150
In this case, a bet of $10 on the Penguins would result in a $13 profit if they win, for a total payout of $23 ($10 wager + $13 profit = $23). For the Rangers, it would take a bet of $15 to win $10 in profit, for a $25 total payout ($15 wager + $10 profit = $25).
Games Where Both Teams Are Negative
In games like baseball or football, it's not uncommon to see both teams represented with a negative money line. When this happens, it means the teams are very closely matched.
For Example:
- New York Yankees -113
- Boston Red Sox -107
What Does Money Line Mean On Bet365
In the scenario above, the game is considered very close, with a slight edge towards the Yankees. It would require a bet of $113 to win $100 on the Yankees, or $107 bet to win $100 on the Red Sox.
Sports With Multiple Teams or Competitors
Of course there are sports with multiple competitors in a single event, like horse racing, Olympic events, and golf. This is also the case in futures bets, where the handicapper is choosing between multiple teams to win a seasonal champion.
In this case, there will generally be one favorite, indicated with a negative money line, and the rest of the field will have positive money lines. Sometimes, when there are no clear favorites, there may not be a single competitor with a negative money line. In this case, the competitor with the lowest positive money line is favored.
Example:
Tiger Woods +600
Phil Mickelson +850
Martin Kaymer +1300
Lee Westwood +1600
Steve Stricker +2300
In this case, Tiger Woods is the favorite, but he has a positive money line. A bet of $10 on him would result in a $60 profit if he wins. A bet of $10 on Steve Stricker would result in a $230 profit if he were to win.
Converting Moneyline Odds to Fractional Odds
We all learned how to do fractions in elementary school, and once you understand money line odds, the conversions are simple.
How to Convert Positive Money Lines to Fractional Odds
To convert a positive money line into fractional odds, divide the number in the money line by 100.
Examples:
- +250 Money Line: 250/100 = 2.5/1 (5/2) Fractional Odds
- +400 Money Line: 400/100 = 4/1 Fractional Odds
- +650 Money Line: 650/100 = 6.5/1 (13/2) Fractional Odds
How to Convert Negative Lines to Fractional Odds
To convert negative money lines to fractional odds, divide the number in the money line by 100. Put that number on the right side of a fraction which begins with ‘1/'. Some numbers on the right side of the fraction will have a decimal in them. Since decimals are not used in fractional odds, they are removed by multiplying both numbers in the fraction by 2.
Examples:
- -200 Money Line: 200/100 = 2. Put the 2 on the right side of a fraction beginning with 1/, resulting in fractional odds of 1/2.
- -350 Money Line: 350/100 = 3.5. Put the 3.5 on the right side of a fraction beginning with 1/, resulting in fractional odds of 1/3.5. Multiply both numbers in the fraction by 2 to remove the decimal = 2/7 fractional odds.
- -650 Money Line: 650/100 = 6.5. Put the 6.5 on the right side of a fraction beginning with 1/, resulting in fractional odds of 1/6.5. Multiply both numbers in the fraction by 2 to remove the decimal = 2/13 fractional odds.
Converting to Decimal Odds
Positive money lines show the profit that would be won from a $100 bet, not including the original wager. Negative money lines show the wager required to win $100 in profit. Neither of these reflect the total payout. This is different in decimal odds.
Using decimal odds, a handicapper can easily calculate their entire payout. For example, a team with decimal odds of 3.0 would be multiplied by the wager amount to calculate the entire payout. A $20 bet with 3.0 decimal odds would pay out a total of $60 ($20 x 3.0 = $60).
The calculation to convert a positive money line to decimal odds is different from the calculation of a negative money line to decimal odds. Here's how they convert:
How to Convert a Positive Money Line to Decimal Odds
To convert a positive money line to decimal odds, divide the money line by 100, then add 1.
Examples:
- +200 / 100 = 2 + 1 = 3.0 Decimal Odds
- +350 /100 = 3.5 +1 = 4.5 Decimal Odds
- +625 / 100 = 6.25 +1 = 7.25 Decimal Odds
Negative Lines to Decimal Odds
To convert a negative money line to decimal odds, start with the number 100 and divide it by the number in the money line, then add 1.
Examples:
- -200 Money Line: 100 / 200 = .5 +1 = 1.5 Decimal Odds
- -350 Money Line: 100 / 350 = .286 +1 = 1.286 (1.29) Decimal Odds
- -625 Money Line: 100 / 625 = .16 +1 = 1.16 Decimal Odds
Pros & Cons of Money Line Bets
When compared to a point spread, for the underdog, the benefit of a money line bet is the increased odds a handicapper receives. For the favorite, the benefit is that no handicap is given to the underdog, making it more likely their bets will win.
For the underdog, the negative is that they don't receive a handicap, making it more difficult to win these bets. For the favorite, the negative is that the punter receives lower odds than they do when they're giving up points on the spread.
Comparing the money line to the run line in baseball or puck line in hockey, the benefit ‘can' be slightly reduced juice (vig, or commission). For example, many online sportsbooks charge a 5% vig on baseball or hockey money line bets. However, it's harder to find reduced juice on run lines and puck lines, where punters normally pay 10% vig. Over the course of a season and a lot of bets, 5% can be the difference of being a winning or losing handicapper.
Money lines are the most popular way to bet on MLB baseball and NHL hockey, so the lines can move dramatically from the time they're posted to the time they close. If you know how to watch lines move and predict where they're going, money lines can offer a lot of value. For example, when betting on big underdogs in baseball, the best money line odds can often be found as soon as the lines open – before other bettors see the same value you do and bring the odds down. For big favorites, it's often best to wait until 1-2 hours before game time. For big games with a lot of action, sharp bettors often place big wagers just before a game, which can also create optimal betting opportunities.
For casual bettors, money line bets are easier to make. There is no point spread to mull over, and all that matters is that you choose the winner.
There are many types of bets, but the most common are: moneyline bets, spread bets, total bets, parlays, teasers and futures. In the beginning we will explain how to read betting lines and then we will deal with different types of bets.
Betting line
Betting line usually shows current odds or moneyline, point spread (handicap) and total for a particular event. For example we can have a line like this:
| Bet Number | Team | Moneyline | Spread or Handicap | Total Points |
| 461 | Bengals | +150 | +6 | over 44 |
| 462 | Patriots | -170 | -6 | under 44 |
Sportsbooks can stuff a lot of numbers in a betting line and sometimes even don't indicate what they mean. When you learn what all these numbers mean you won't be confused any more.
The -170 and +150 are money lines which are used in moneyline bets.
The -6 and +6 are the point spread which are used in a spread bet.
The over 44 and under 44 are the total points which are used in the total bet.
The minus sign (-) always indicates the favorite. The plus sign (+) always indicates the underdog.
Moneyline betting
Money line bets are on the winner of the event. In the example the -170 for the Patriots means that you have to risk $170 to win $100. The moneyline on the Bengals is +150 which means that a $100 bet on the Bengals would win $150, if the Bengals win the game. Of course when you bet $100 on the money line bet and win $150, you will receive $250 on payout.
Spread betting or point spread betting
Spread bet is a bet on score difference between two opponents. In the example above the Patriots are favored to win by 6 points and that is marked with -6 next to their name. So you can make two spread bets: 1) that the Patriots will win by 7 or more points or 2) that the Bengals will lose by 5 or less points. If the Patriots win by exactly 6 points, then the spread bets would be a push and the initial stakes would be paid back to the bettors. Usually with a spread bet the bettor stakes $110 to win $100.
Total bet
These are bets on the number of points scored in the game by both teams combined, including points scored in the overtime. In the example above the bettor bets whether the total points between the Bengals and the Patriots will be over or under 44. Like in the spread betting the odds are -110, that means risk $110 to win $100.
Parlay
The parlay is a bet on multiple sports events in which all teams must win or cover for the bettor to win and yield huge payout. If just one game doesn't win you lose the entire bet. If one or more games end push then these games are ignored. If you win all other games you get paid according to the games you won.
Teaser bet
A teaser is a special type of parlay in which the point spread on each game moves a particular number of points in the player's favor. Price of moving the point spread are lower odds.
Futures
What Is Moneyline On Bet365
Futures are bets on future events. At the beginning of the season, the bookmakers give odds for teams who will win the championship. Futures are really difficult type of bet just for wise guys.
