Sports Betting 101: The Moneyline
Moneyline bets are perhaps the most popular among sports bettors. The moneyline bet is a straight-up wager on who wins a game, fight, event or other matchup. Although moneyline wagers are popular among experienced bettors, many rookies don’t know exactly what a moneyline is. Don’t worry. FantasySP has you covered.
The Moneyline
When placing a moneyline bet, you are simply selecting the winner of a single event. There is nothing to worry about outside of the winner of the contest. Let’s take a look at an NFL example.
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| Dallas Cowboys | +2.5 | +135 | 49.5 (-110) O |
| Philadelphia Eagles | -2.5 | -135 | 49.5 (-110) U |
Calculating The Payout On Moneyline Bets
For the purposes of this article, we are only looking at the moneyline. As you can see, if you take the Cowboys, you would win $135 if betting $100 since they are the underdog. If you take the Eagles, you would have to bet $135 in order to win $100 since they are the favorite. That is how moneyline bets work. Your wager is entirely dependent on who wins the game, nothing else.
Breaking Down The Moneyline
The team that has a (+) sign next to their odds is considered the underdog while the team that has a (-) sign is considered the favorite by the sportsbook. In some cases, both teams will have (-) signs next to them. In this case, the team with the number farther from zero should be regarded as the favorite. For example, -120 would be the faovirte over -110.
Remember, you will always receive a higher payout when you bet the underdog on the moneyline. However, the risk of losing is also much higher.
Popular Sports With Moneyline Odds
You can find moneyline odds for almost any sport. Below are some of the most popular:
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- UFC
Moneyline odds will look similar across the board. The positive number indicates the betting favorite and the negative number is assigned to the underdog.
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