Today, bookmakers offer many types of odds and types of bets, each of which has its designation. In this article, we will answer a popular question, what do plus (+) and minus (-) signs mean in sports betting?
Jul 08, 2019 When you see a minus (-) sign in front of a price, it shows you that team is the favorite to win the game. That number also indicates how much money you need to bet/spend in order to win $100. For example, a -220 money line means you need to bet $220 in order to win $100 provided the team you bet on actually does win. A $10 bet on +120 odds would pay out $12 in profits. Examples: Below is an example of NFL betting odds taken from an online betting site. In this example you can see Los Angeles is listed at +130 ($100 bet pays $130 plus of course your original wager back) and New England is listed at -150 ($150 bet pays $100).
What does +100 or -100 mean in sports betting?
A plus or minus sign and a three-digit number denote the odds in US bookmakers (you can find the rating of the best of them on Meta.reviews).
The value of the odds with a plus sign is the amount of potential net profit that can be obtained from a $100 bet. For example, odds at +125 mean that a $100 bet will generate a net profit of $125. The total profit, in this case, will be $225 ($100 bet + $125 net profit).
The value of the odds with a minus sign is the amount you need to bet to get $100 in net profit. For example, odds at -120 mean that a $120 bet will generate a net profit of $100. In this case, the full payment will be $220 ($120 bets + $100 net profit).
What does +1.5 or -1.5 mean in sports betting?
A plus or minus sign and a fractional or whole single or two-digit (for bets on the total in basketball) number usually denotes a handicap bet.
Handicap is a bet on the victory of a particular team with some adjustment. The handicap is added to the final result, and if the final result is in favor of the selected team, the bet wins.
For example, let's take the soccer match Manchester City – Sunderland. If the player bets H1(-1.5), he will win if Manchester City win the match with a difference of 2 or more goals (2:0, 3:1, 3:0 and so on). The bettor will lose if Manchester City win by just 1 goal or fail to win at all (1-0, 0-0, 1-2, etc.).
Now consider the Real Madrid – Atletico Madrid match. The bet is H2 (+1.5). The bettor will win if Atletico Madrid win or draw or lose by just 1 goal. The bet loses if Real Madrid win with a difference of 2 or more goals.
Mrgreen ws. The peculiarity of handicap betting is that bookmakers define any sporting competition as a 50/50 contest of equal chances, adding one (usually the underdogs) a point advantage at the expense of the clear favorites of the match. It can be said that in this way bettors' chances are somewhat equalized, which makes them focus more on luck than on the skill and experience of the sports team.
Types of handicaps
- A handicap can be an integer: (-1), (+1) and so on. With such a bet the player can get a return if, for example, he bet on -1 for the first team, and it wins with a difference of only one goal.
- A handicap can be fractional: (-1.5), (-2.5), (+1.5), (+2.5) and so on. In this case, a return is possible only if the match is canceled.
- Positive handicaps are usually given to a clear underdog. In case a player bet on the victory of an underdog with a handicap (+2.5), and the match ended with a minimal victory of the favorite, it can be said that the bet won.
- Negative handicap, respectively, is set to the favorite. So, if a capper made a bet with a negative handicap (-1.5), and the match ended with a landslide victory of the favorite, the bet wins.
- The essence of the zero handicap is that the player will win if the team on which he bet wins, and get a refund if the match ends in a draw.
Story by Julia Gahan
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What Does Minus 120 Mean In Betting Terms
In the world of sports betting, a money line bet is simply betting on which team you expect to win. It doesn't have anything to do with a spread. You may also see a money line bet listed as 'Money Line' or 'ML' in different spaces.
Money lines are represented in negative and positive values.
Negative money line: -145, -220, or anything similar
When you see a minus (-) sign in front of a price, it shows you that team is the favorite to win the game.
That number also indicates how much money you need to bet/spend in order to win $100.
For example, a -220 money line means you need to bet $220 in order to win $100 provided the team you bet on actually does win.
Heavy favorites are known in sports betting as a 'chalk' pick. A heavy favorite usually has a number pushing +300 or more. Here, you're wagering a lot on the favorite to win a little. Don't assume that a heavy favorite, or chalk pick, is a guaranteed winner…
Positive money line: +145, +220, or anything similar
When you see a plus (+) sign in front of a price, it shows you that team is the underdog. Higher numbers like +400, +500, +5000, etc. represent how much of an underdog the team is in the game. The higher the number the more likely the team is expected to lose in the eyes of the oddsmakers.
The number also indicates how much money would win in comparison to every $100 you wager.
Money lines are represented in negative and positive values.
Negative money line: -145, -220, or anything similar
When you see a minus (-) sign in front of a price, it shows you that team is the favorite to win the game.
That number also indicates how much money you need to bet/spend in order to win $100.
For example, a -220 money line means you need to bet $220 in order to win $100 provided the team you bet on actually does win.
Heavy favorites are known in sports betting as a 'chalk' pick. A heavy favorite usually has a number pushing +300 or more. Here, you're wagering a lot on the favorite to win a little. Don't assume that a heavy favorite, or chalk pick, is a guaranteed winner…
Positive money line: +145, +220, or anything similar
When you see a plus (+) sign in front of a price, it shows you that team is the underdog. Higher numbers like +400, +500, +5000, etc. represent how much of an underdog the team is in the game. The higher the number the more likely the team is expected to lose in the eyes of the oddsmakers.
The number also indicates how much money would win in comparison to every $100 you wager.
For example, a +150 money line means you would win $150 for each $100 wager you place should that team win the game.
Money line examples:
Lets use an NFL example here:
New England Patriots -240
Miami Dolphins +220
To bet the New England Patriots to win on the money line, you would need to spend $240 on the bet for a chance to win $100 if the Patriots beat the Dolphins. Your return would be $340 – the original $240 stake (bet) and the $100 bet profit.
To bet the Miami Dolphins to win on the money line, you would spend $100 on the bet for a chance to win $220 if the Dolphins, as the underdog, beat the Patriots. Your return would be $320 – the original $100 stake (bet) and the $220 profit.
What Does Minus 120 Mean In Betting Numbers
In both situations, it doesn't matter if the team you bet on wins by one point or 100 points. You're purely betting on the team you believe will win the game. As Al Davis said, 'Just win, baby.' That's exactly what you'd be looking for out of your selection. It doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to happen or your original stake is lost.
