If you’re a new sports bettor, those terms have likely been thrown around, and you’ve probably seen numbers — with plus (+) and minus (-) signs in front of them — by them. Whether you’re betting on the NFL, NBA or any other sport these concepts are important to know in order to make a well-informed wager. In this article, we’ll outline what the + and – symbols mean in sports betting, explain how you can understand them and use them to make your bets more strategic. Knowing the Fundamentals o...
If you’re a new sports bettor, those terms have likely been thrown around, and you’ve probably seen numbers — with plus (+) and minus (-) signs in front of them — by them. Whether you’re betting on the NFL, NBA or any other sport these concepts are important to know in order to make a well-informed wager. In this article, we’ll outline what the + and – symbols mean in sports betting, explain how you can understand them and use them to make your bets more strategic.
Knowing the Fundamentals of Sports Betting Odds
What do + and - mean in sports betting: When you’re in the sports betting game, every price has a plus (+) or minus (-) in front of it. These signs denote either a favorite or an underdog in a matchup and indicate how much you can win or must wager. The plus and minus signs are used to take the confusion out of the betting odds for new bettors once these symbols become known.
What Is the Plus (+) in Sports Betting?
In sports wagering, the + symbol is used for the underdog. It is the amount that you can potentially win if you were to bet $100 on that team. The number after the + indicates how much profit you will make on a $100 bet. Basically, the higher the number after the + sign, the larger the underdog.
Example of + Odds:
Suppose you notice the odds for a football game and they look like this:
If you bet on Team A (+200) and it wins, for every $100 you wager, you will win $200. In this instance, you’re putting money on the underdog and if it hits, receive a larger return. The + sign serves as a reminder that you’re at risk to lose should you choose to bet on the underdog, but the return on investment is higher.
What Does the Minus (-) Sign Mean in Sports Betting?
The - sign denotes the favorite in the matchup. The figure after the minus tells you how much you’d need to wager in order to win $100. When wagering on the favorite, you need to risk more money than you stand to win, as indicated by these odds.
Example of - Odds:
Think back to that same football game:
If Las Vegas was betting on Team B (-150), then the price of the bet would likely be $150 to win $100. The minus sign denotes the favorite; because they’re favored to win, your potential profit is less than what you’d bet on Team A.
How to Figure Out Payouts If Betting + and – Odds
The foundation of much of sports betting is based on knowing your bets and how the potential profit relates to risk.
How to Compute Wins on + (Positive) Odds
The odds are positive (+), showing how much profit you will make on a $100 bet. The formula is simple:
Profit = (Amount Bet x Odds) / 100
Example for + Odds:
Say you make a $50 bet on a team that has +200 odds:
That means that if your bet wins, you’ll profit $100 and get your original $50 stake back, for a total of $150.
How to Figure Out Payout on - Odds
If the odds have a negative value (–), that is how much you would have to bet to win $100. The formula is:
Profit = (Bet Amount / Odds) x 100
Example for - Odds:
Let’s say you wager $150 on a team with -150 odds:
So if you win your bet, you