Guides
How to Read a Betting Line
Learn to read sports betting lines in under 2 minutes. Covers favorite vs. underdog, moneyline odds, spreads, and calculating your payout.
A betting line shows three things: which team is favored, by how much, and what you pay to bet each side. Here is how to read all three in about two minutes.
Negative vs. Positive Numbers#
Every betting line uses American odds format:
- Negative number (e.g., -150): This team is the favorite. You must risk $150 to win $100 profit.
- Positive number (e.g., +130): This team is the underdog. A $100 bet wins $130 profit.
The larger the negative number, the heavier the favorite. The larger the positive number, the bigger the underdog.
How to Calculate Your Payout#
For a favorite at -150 with a $50 stake:
- Profit = 50 × (100 / 150) = $33.33
- Total return = $83.33
For an underdog at +130 with a $50 stake:
- Profit = 50 × (130 / 100) = $65.00
- Total return = $115.00
Use the Single Bet Calculator to calculate any payout instantly — no math required.
What the Spread Means#
A point spread levels the matchup between two teams. Example:
- Kansas City Chiefs -3.5
- Philadelphia Eagles +3.5
A bet on the Chiefs wins only if they win by 4 or more points. A bet on the Eagles wins if they win outright or lose by 3 or fewer.
Half-point spreads (like -3.5) eliminate pushes — there is no tie outcome.
The Vig (Juice)#
Sportsbooks build a fee — called the vig or juice — directly into the odds. The most common price on spread bets is -110 on both sides.
At -110, you risk $110 to win $100. This means the book collects a margin regardless of which side wins. Your break-even win rate at -110 is 52.38%.
Shopping lines across multiple sportsbooks is the simplest way to reduce the vig you pay over time.