Understanding Sports Odds
Identify the type of line you are taking a look at. All online sports books offer you the opportunity to get your traces in an”American” or”Money line” version. If I were you, I would use this as my standard. An”American” line uses either a + or before a number to signify chances. So a -120 plus a +120 are two very different odds on a group… I will explain the differences shortly. Two other less common variations exist: decimal odds and fractional chances.
Briefly:
–Fractional odds are most frequently seen in racing. A 10/1 payout ought to be read”$10 paid for every $1 wagered.” When the bigger number is on the left, you will discover that wager is normally an underdog in the race. Also note, however, that if such as”Who will win the Super Bowl in the NFL?” You may see all the groups listed as”underdogs”… i.e. paying 2/1 (some around 300/1 or longer ).
Identify the preferred. Lines using a – until the amount (i.e. -200) signal the preferred. A -200 ought to be read as:”For every $200 wagered, I win $100.” Whenever there’s a negative sign, the line should be read with terms of 100. That does not mean that you have to bet that much, it’s just easiest to understand! When a + signal is present, just reverse the reading, constantly keeping reference to 100:
Cases:
1) -150: For every $150 wagered, I win $100 ($50 wagered would win $25).
2) +300: For every $100 wagered, I win $300 ($50 wagered will win $150).
3) 100 (could be +/-): For every $100 wagered, I win $100 ($50 wagered will win $50).
4) Most commonly: -110: For every $110 wagered, I win $100.
You visit”4″ most commonly because the additional $10 you have to bet to win $100 is known as the”juice” the books keep as a charge for making the lineup available to you.
The main thing you can educate yourself early on is:”Just because the novels assign one side to be the favorite (even large, -200 or -300, favorites), doesn’t mean they will win.” We’ve got all seen favorites become mad, and it is crucial to avoid the temptation of finding comfort in the fact that the lines makers put one group as a favored.