The most common and popular of sports bets is the point spread. A $10 bet on the Pacers pays $35 while a $10 bet on the Cavs pays $2.27. This ratio holds true for a wager of any amount. And that you would have to wager $440 on the Cavs to win $100. This means a $100 bet on the Pacers to win pays $350. The Cavs are the favorites on the moneyline with -440. The Pacers are the underdog on the moneyline at +350. Let’s look at an example of a moneyline bet with an NBA game and how it would appear in Vegas. Obviously, a bet on the favorite is going to pay out less than a bet on the underdog. With a moneyline bet you’re simply picking the winner and the payout is determined by the odds. It’s where “American odds” can easily be seen. Simply put, a bet on the moneyline is an odds bet. Let’s look at how to read them in Vegas with the odds. The moneyline, the point spread, and the totals (over/under) are all bets available on the board. These odds will come into play a few ways depending on the type of bet you place. Hang in there because we have some examples forthcoming.

Or mean that you can only bet as much as $100. This is the amount you will receive if you were to bet $100. On the other hand, the underdog’s odds will begin with a plus (+) sign. This is the amount you need to bet in order to win $100. So, for a favorite, the odds will begin with a minus (-) sign. They’ll indicate the amount you need to wager to win $100 or the amount you’ll win if you bet $100. Why would sports gambling be any different?Īmerican odds are presented in the form of a $100 bet. Vegas odds are often referred to as “American Odds” because Americans always have to be different. And smart gamblers use all the information available in order to do so. They want to make smart bets, win 60-70 percent of the time, and move on to the next bet.īut how do the big boards in Vegas work? What are they telling us? And what can we derive from them? It is just as important to know the odds you’re gambling with as it is to know the sport you’re gambling on. Knowing how to read Vegas Odds is important to every gambler not just to place a bet, obviously, but to place a smart bet. The big boards in Vegas tell us many things. These boards are copied and pasted into the newspapers or shrunk to fit computer screens and smartphone apps but nothing measures up to the real thing.

A slick cross between the New York Stock Exchange and a McDonald’s walk-up menu, the boards are updated moment to moment and bet to bet, giving a sports gambler all the data he needs to make a smart bet. The big board at any Vegas sports book is a sight to behold.

How to read football odds