Betting Basics
Moneylines
The simplest bet in sports. How moneyline odds work, what the plus and minus mean, and how to read them as prices.
By Jared Narz · · 2 min read
A moneyline is a bet on who wins. No point spread, no margin of victory. If your side wins, you win.
Reading the odds
Moneylines use American odds:
- Negative odds (favorites) show how much you risk to win $100. -150 means risk $150 to win $100.
- Positive odds (underdogs) show how much a $100 bet wins. +144 means a $100 bet wins $144.
You don't have to bet $100. At +144, a $10 bet wins $14.40. At -150, a $10 bet wins $6.67.
Converting to decimal odds
Prediction markets and many apps use decimal odds, which show your total return per $1 (stake included):
- Positive:
decimal = 1 + odds / 100, so +144 → 2.44 - Negative:
decimal = 1 + 100 / |odds|, so -150 → 1.67
Where moneylines are common
Baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, MMA and boxing, where scoring is low or there's no margin to cover. In football and basketball, most action is on spreads, though moneylines are always available.
Think in prices
A moneyline is a price on a probability. -150 implies the favorite wins about 60% of the time; +144 implies about 41%. The question isn't just "who wins?" but "is this price right?" Learn the conversion in Understanding Implied Probability.
Examples are illustrative and use hypothetical numbers. This article is educational content, not financial advice or a guarantee of results. 21+. Bet responsibly.