1. Moneyline Meaning In Betting
2. How Does The Moneyline Work
3. Negative Moneyline Meaning

A moneyline wager simply asks the bettor to choose which team will win a game, with no point spread involved. The payout odds on the favorite and underdog can differ significantly on a moneyline bet. Using a moneyline calculator breaks down the math on the odds, which allows bettors to assess the true value on each side.

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.

1. Moneyline Definition A moneyline bet requires you to simply pick the winner of the game or event. The odds are adjusted based on each team or player’s ability. How Does a Moneyline Work?
2. What is a Money Line? A money line bet is arguably one of the most straightforward ways of betting on sports like the NFL. In fact, it is probably the type of bet that we are all most familiar with, as it involves simply placing a bet on the team that you think is going to win.

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.

Moneyline Meaning In Betting

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:

How Does The Moneyline Work

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.

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.

Have you ever wondered what the chances of a team winning was based off of the money line for the game? That’s a key part of understanding money line bets. First, we have a simple calculator that you can use to plug in any moneyline (American style odds) and quickly get the fair market probability that it implies. We’ve also included a chart below the calculator for reference, and to see how favorites and underdogs compare.

Money Line Calculator (Implied Probability)

The following chart shows how likely a team is to win based off the odds. This is helpful in handicapping because you can see just what percentage of your wagers you need to win at each given money line in order to profit.

The left chart is to be used for favorites, the right for underdogs.

Win % – Percentage of wins required to show a profit at a given money line.

For example, you would need to win 80% of all of your bets just to break even if you only bet on -400 money line favorites (over 80% to turn a profit).

Moneyline Conversion: Odds to Percentage Chart

Negative Moneyline Meaning

Spread to Moneyline by Sport Conversion