Moneyline vs Point Spread Betting Explained If you are at all familiar with sports betting, you will know that there is a stark difference between moneyline and point spread bets. Although both of these bets are placed on the outcome of a game, one is focused simply on the end result, whereas the other measure the degree of success. How to Read Moneyline Odds: Let's take the AFC Championship game between the Patriots.
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.
- Use Promo Code: SHARPSIDE
- Available In 31 States!
- Fun, Fast Prop Picks
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. Best odds casino.
Moneyline Bets Explained
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.
Moneyline vs Point Spread Betting Explained If you are at all familiar with sports betting, you will know that there is a stark difference between moneyline and point spread bets. Although both of these bets are placed on the outcome of a game, one is focused simply on the end result, whereas the other measure the degree of success. How to Read Moneyline Odds: Let's take the AFC Championship game between the Patriots.
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.
- Use Promo Code: SHARPSIDE
- Available In 31 States!
- Fun, Fast Prop Picks
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. Best odds casino.
Moneyline Bets Explained
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.
Using line moves to make better moneyline bets
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.
- Use Promo Code: SHARPSIDE
- Available In 31 States!
- Fun, Fast Prop Picks
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?
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.
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.
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.
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. As usual examples will be provided to help you better understand what money line means in sports betting. So let's begin without wasting any more time.
The term 'money line' will be seen in sports betting mostly in the United States and it's often referred to as 'American odds' (although this is a mistake, read last paragraph). It usually takes the form of a plus '+' or minus '-' sign, followed by a three digit number, for example, -110. The simplest explanation of the money line term in sports betting is - the odds on an outright (or straight-up) outcome of a game or other sporting event. This makes money line the best bet for beginners, since you simply bet on who will win the game, period. Here is an example, at the online sportsbook Bookmaker, the money line on the NFL game Broncos @ Patriots is as follows: Denver +145, New England -165. This means that the money line odds on Denver to win the game, without any other conditions, such as point spread, straight-up are +145 and the money line on the Patriots to win the game is -165. Here would be a great time to explain what these numbers (or 'lines') mean:
Moneyline Sports Betting Explained
Calculating the American odds, or money line odds, is very simple, although to a foreign or a beginner bettor it would be a complete gibberish. This is how you calculate the money line - if there is a plus sign '+' in front of the number, the number shows how much money you will win for every $100 you wager, if your bet is a winner. For example, if the Denver Broncos win the game, you will win $145 for every $100 wagered, i.e. if you bet $200 you will win $290. And if the sign if front of the money line odds is minus '-', the number shows how much you have to bet in order to win $100. Looking at the above example, if the Patriots win the game you will have to bet $165 to win $100, i.e. if you bet $165 on the Pats to win the game and they do, your money will go from $165 to $265 (the $165 you initially wagered + the $100 won). By looking at the money line odds you can easily spot the favorite and the underdog - the favorite team holds money line odds beginning with minus and the underdog holds odds beginning with plus. There is one other form the money line odds can take, that being 'EVEN', often posted by the sportsbooks as 'EV'. This simply means that you will get paid even money on your bet. For example, if the money line odds on the Broncos were listed as 'EVEN' you will get $100 for every $100 bet, or $150 for every $150, etc.
Now that you know how the money line works in sports betting, here would be the perfect place to clear a confusion often ran into by people new to betting or to the American system of betting odds. It's very important to make a clear distinction between 'money line' and just 'line'. As we already explained, 'money line' is a form of bet, relating to the straight-up outcome of the game. In this aspect, money line is similar to 'point spread' or 'total'. On the other side, 'line' is the payout on the bet, i.e. how much you will win if your bet is a winner. In this regard, 'line' is similar to 'odds', the form for calculating payout in the U.K. (fractional) or 'coefficient', the form for calculating payouts in Europe, also called 'decimal'. I know it got overly complicated all of a sudden so let's look at an example once again. The image below has been taken from the online sportsbook BodogLife and shows part of their NFL betting sheet. To show you the difference between 'money line' the bet and 'line' the form of calculating the payout, we have circled 'money line' with red and some of the 'lines' with blue:
Moneyline Betting Meaning
As you can see, the Titans line on the point spread is -115 or how much you will win if the team covers the spread, while the money line on the Titians is -400 or how much you will win if the Titans win the game.
Related Articles and Explanations:
| How sports betting and the betting odds work? |
| What is point spread, how point spread works, what ATS means |
Moneyline Betting Explained Poker
E-mail: news@ogpaper.com
