American odds explained
A minus price tells you what to risk to win $100; a plus price tells you what $100 wins.
Key points
- -150 means you risk $150 to win $100, and the price implies a 60% chance.
- +150 means $100 wins $150, and the price implies a 40% chance.
- At -110 a bet has to win 52.4% of the time just to break even.
On this page
How to read a price
The sign tells you which side is favored. A minus price is the favorite: the number is what you risk to win $100. A plus price is the underdog: the number is what a $100 bet wins.
The same game, both sides
- Favorite
- -150
- Risk to win $100
- $150
- Underdog
- +130
- $100 wins
- $130
A winning bet also gets the stake back: $150 at -150 returns $250, $100 at +130 returns $230.
Stakes scale in a straight line. $15 at -150 wins $10, and $20 at +130 wins $26. A bigger number after the minus sign means a bigger favorite and less profit per dollar; a bigger number after the plus sign means a longer shot and more profit.
+100 is even money: risk $100, win $100. Prices between -100 and +100 don't exist in American odds, so a price is always 100 or more on either side of zero.
Turn any price into a win chance
Every price implies how often the bet has to win to break even. For a minus price, divide the number by itself plus 100. For a plus price, divide 100 by the number plus 100.
| Price | Calculation | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| -200 | 200 / 300 | 66.7% |
| -150 | 150 / 250 | 60.0% |
| -110 | 110 / 210 | 52.4% |
| +100 | 100 / 200 | 50.0% |
| +150 | 100 / 250 | 40.0% |
| +300 | 100 / 400 | 25.0% |
Add up both sides of a game and you get more than 100%. At -110 on each side it's 52.4% + 52.4% = 104.8%. The extra 4.8% is the sportsbook's margin, worked through in our vig and juice guide.
Today's biggest favorite
Here is the most lopsided game on the board at the four sportsbooks we compare. The implied chance comes straight from the price; the second figure removes the margin by scaling both sides so they add up to 100%.
The biggest favorite in the next three days at MyBookie, Bovada, BetOnline and BetUS, with the best price on each side.
- -2000UNLV Rebels, favorite: 95.2% implied, 91.6% with the margin removed
- +1050Northern Illinois Huskies, underdog: 8.7% implied, 8.4% with the margin removed
college football, Northern Illinois Huskies at UNLV Rebels, Sat, Oct 31. Prices at MyBookie, Bovada, BetOnline and BetUS, updated Oct 31, 7:16 PM ET.
A big favorite pays little. At -1000 you risk $1,000 to win $100, so one loss wipes out the profit from ten wins. That math is why big favorites are popular parlay legs, covered in our parlay guide.
Convert American, decimal and fractional odds
Decimal odds show the total return per $1, stake included. For a plus price, divide by 100 and add 1: +150 is 2.50. For a minus price, divide 100 by the number and add 1: -150 is 1.67. Fractional odds show profit over stake, so +150 is 3/2 and -150 is 2/3.
Our odds pages show American odds by default, with a switch to decimal at the top of the page.
Why the same team has different prices
Each sportsbook sets its own prices, so a team can be -150 at one book and -140 at another. The better price wins more and needs a lower win rate to break even: -140 implies 58.3%, against 60.0% at -150.
$100 on the same favorite at two books
- At -150
- $66.67
- At -140
- $71.43
- Difference
- $4.76
Over 50 winning bets that gap is $238 in extra profit. Our line shopping guide shows this week's biggest gaps.
Our NFL odds page and the other sports' odds pages show MyBookie, Bovada, BetOnline and BetUS side by side, with the best price on each side marked.
Frequently asked questions
What does -110 mean?
You risk $110 to win $100, so a winning bet returns $210. The bet has to win 52.4% of the time to break even.
What does +200 mean?
A $100 bet wins $200, for $300 back in total. The implied chance is 100 / 300 = 33.3%.
Which is the favorite, -150 or +130?
The minus price, -150. A plus price always marks the underdog.
How do I convert American odds to decimal?
For a plus price, divide by 100 and add 1 (+150 is 2.50). For a minus price, divide 100 by the number and add 1 (-150 is 1.67).
Why do both sides add up to more than 100%?
The extra is the sportsbook's margin. Two -110 prices imply 104.8% together, so the margin is 4.8%.
21+ only. Sportsbook offers and availability vary by location. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-MY-RESET.