The potential payout on a favored team will be less than the payout on the underdog. The favorite is the team that the sportsbook presents as having the better chance to win the game. One team is the favorite, and the other team is the underdog. Most moneyline wagers involve a contest between two teams. Understanding moneyline odds provides a key building block to an overall winning strategy for sports bettors. The latest in this series of betting guides offers a detailed look at how moneyline bets work. In general, moneyline bets offer a much broader range of payout odds than point spread bets. The more a team is favored in the eyes of the sportsbook, the less money you’ll make if you pick the favorite and your team wins.Ĭonversely, major underdogs can pay out big on the moneyline if that team ends up as the winning bet. Moneyline favorites payout at less favorable odds than moneyline underdogs. The payout on the moneyline varies from bet to bet, and the lines on moneyline wagers are usually notated in American odds format. Sportsbook odds determine the potential payout on a moneyline wager. Moneyline bets simply require that you pick a team to win the game, with no point spread or any other correlation to margin of victory involved. Vasquez-USA TODAY SportsĪ moneyline bet represents the most simple and basic way to bet on sports.
