Vig and juice explained
The vig is the margin a sportsbook builds into its prices, and you can work it out from any two-sided market.
Key points
- Two -110 prices imply 52.4% each, 104.8% together: a 4.8% margin.
- Removing the margin turns -110 / -110 into 50% / 50%, or +100 on both sides.
- At -110 you need to win 52.4% of bets to break even; at -105, 51.2%.
On this page
Where the vig comes from
On a fair coin flip both sides would pay even money, +100. A book prices both sides at -110 instead, so you risk $110 to win $100. If it takes the same money on each side, it pays the winners from the losers' stakes and keeps the rest.
$110 on each side of a -110 / -110 game
- Taken in
- $220
- Paid to the winner
- $210
- Book keeps
- $10
- Share of stakes
- 4.5%
$10 / $220 = 4.5%. That's the book's cut of the money; the 4.8% margin below is the same thing measured on the prices.
Work out the margin from two prices
Turn each price into an implied chance, add them up and subtract 100%. The American odds guide has the conversion: 110 / 210 = 52.4% for -110.
| Prices | Implied | Total | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| -110 / -110 | 52.4% + 52.4% | 104.8% | 4.8% |
| -105 / -105 | 51.2% + 51.2% | 102.4% | 2.4% |
| -150 / +130 | 60.0% + 43.5% | 103.5% | 3.5% |
| -200 / +170 | 66.7% + 37.0% | 103.7% | 3.7% |
Remove the vig to get a fair price
Divide each side's implied chance by the total. For -150 / +130: 60.0% / 103.5% = 58.0%, and 43.5% / 103.5% = 42.0%. Those are the book's chances with its margin taken out.
The fair price for 58.0% is about -138, and for 42.0% about +138. If another book offers the favorite at -135, that's better than fair by this measure. Our pick cards show a win chance worked out the same way, from the best price on each side.
This week's margins at four sportsbooks
Margins differ from book to book and from sport to sport. Here is each book's average margin on this week's NFL moneylines.
| Sportsbook | Average margin | Games |
|---|---|---|
| BetUS | 3.7% | 11 |
| BetOnline | 3.8% | 12 |
| Bovada | 3.9% | 13 |
| MyBookie | 5.0% | 14 |
This week's NFL moneylines at MyBookie, Bovada, BetOnline and BetUS, updated Oct 31, 7:48 AM ET. Lowest margin highlighted.
A lower average margin means cheaper prices on average, not the best price on every game. The cheapest book on a given bet changes from game to game, which is what our line shopping guide is about.
What the margin costs you
The margin raises the win rate you need to break even: 52.4% at -110, 51.2% at -105. Here is the same record at both prices, each bet sized to win $100.
100 bets, 52 wins and 48 losses
- At -110
- -$80
- At -105
- +$160
- Difference
- $240
At -110: 52 x $100 - 48 x $110 = -$80. At -105: 52 x $100 - 48 x $105 = +$160.
Frequently asked questions
What is the vig in betting?
The margin a sportsbook builds into its prices. On -110 / -110 it's 4.8%: the two implied chances add up to 104.8%.
Is juice the same as vig?
Yes. Vig (short for vigorish) and juice both mean the sportsbook's margin.
How do I find the no-vig price?
Divide each side's implied chance by the total of both. For -110 / -110 that's 52.4% / 104.8% = 50%, or +100.
Does the vig change between sportsbooks?
Yes. Each book sets its own prices, so margins differ by book, sport and bet. This week's NFL averages are in the table above.
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