Betting odds guide: Everything to know about how to read odds and how odds work
The point spread is essentially the projected margin of victory or defeat for the two teams in a given matchup. Let’s say you’re looking at two teams competing in a sporting event. In this case, the betting odds will refer to the chances of the favorite winning by more than the point spread or the underdog losing by less than the point spread (or even winning outright). Since baseball teams score in runs and not points, the run line is the baseball betting equivalent to the point spread bet in football or basketball. There are some instances in which both teams are designated by the minus sign.
Reading betting odds on your standard sportsbook in the US, you’ll probably be looking at American odds. A push is when the outcome lands exactly on the line, so the bet neither wins nor loses and the bettor receives the initial stake back. Odds change when a sportsbook needs to adjust the price of a betting market.
So a person who bet $10 on NC State at 19.00 had a potential payout of $190 ($10 initial stake x 19.00 decimal odds). And the bigger the fraction (i.e. 100/1), the longer the odds and the bigger the underdog. So the smaller the fraction (i.e. 1/2), the shorter the odds and the heavier the favorite. However, the Huskies won the title, so people betting $10 on UConn at 1-2 odds received $5 in winnings ($10 x ½) plus their initial stake of $10 for a total payout of $15. So a $10 bet on the Boilermakers to win the championship at 2-1 odds would have won $20 ($10 x 2/1) in addition to the initial $10 stake for a total potential payout of $30.
Our sure bets page shows a way to cover every outcome of a match across different bookmakers so that the combined odds return a profit, as long as the prices are still available when you place the bets. A single bookmaker’s price — open a match to compare every bookView all odds → Bettors can compare odds and betting lines from the best sports betting apps and sites year-round for major events and leagues.
That’s true regardless of any other changes to the point spread, projected totals, or moneyline involving any of the teams in the parlay after the wager is placed. Parlays also survive eventualities such as a rainout in baseball or a tie. In a totals wager, the bettor bets on whether the cumulative point/run total of the two teams in a game will be more or less than the total set by the sportsbook. Oddsmakers set point spreads to get wagers on both teams as evenly as possible.
Find out how to read lines, visit our FAQ page, or if you’re interested in mobile wagering, visit our online sports betting section to find out where you can get the best available bonuses and promotions. Futures odds cover outcomes decided over a full season or event, such as championship winners, division titles, and player awards. Vegas odds are the game-level lines for scheduled matchups (moneyline, spread, and total) and they change constantly right up to kickoff. A heavy favorite is cheap to back on the spread and expensive on the moneyline; the spread is where you take a view on how much a team wins by. A plus sign marks the underdog and shows what a $100 stake returns (at +200), $100 wins $200.
In tennis we follow the ATP and WTA tours every week, the Challenger and ITF events in between and the four Grand Slams, from the Australian Open to Wimbledon and the US Open. Our basketball odds page brings together the games of the day, while results and standings go back several seasons. Each sport has its own page on OddsPortal, with today’s matches and the best odds, plus results, standings and every league and tournament available for betting. It is where the hot odds of the day show up first, and you can filter it by the last hour, 12 hours or 24 hours, by the percentage of bookies cutting their price and by market.
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A minus sign marks the favorite and shows what you must stake to win $100 (at -200), a $200 wager returns $100 in profit. Bettors wager on major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB), season-long awards, and major events such as the Super Bowl, March Madness, the Olympics, and more. Vegas odds are lines that are featured from sportsbooks based in Las Vegas, including Caesars, BetMGM and Circa. The betting favorite of any game will have a minus sign next to its money line and point spread since it is viewed as more likely to win. With +300, the plus sign and the 300 mean that bettors would wager $100 to win $300 (or $20 to win $60 or any equivalent). With -150, the minus sign and the 150 tell bettors that they have to lay $150 to win $100 (or $75 to win $50 or any equivalent).