Football Moneyline Explained
A moneyline is a type of straight wager where the bettor wagers simply on who will win the contest, straight up – without any spread involved. The easiest way to think of moneyline betting odds is that you are only betting on who wins the game. It does not matter how many points or goals they win by, all that matters is who wins. Sep 11, 2018 Moneyline betting is generally offered on all sporting events, even those that also use the point spread, such as football and basketball. In these instances, you'll have to do some quick math to see which form of oddsmaking promises a greater payout, if any. The term moneylines can have two definitions: a type of bet and also the odds attached to certain bets. Starting with the type of bet, moneyline bets simply focus on the outright winner of a game. NFL Moneylines Explained NFL Money Line betting is the simplest and a popular form of betting. With NFL money line betting you are simply picking which team will outright win the game. The moneyline odds will list the the favorite in a given game as a negative number (ie.200) that means you will have to bet that amount to win $100. Betting line usually shows current odds or moneyline, point spread (handicap) and total for a particular event. For example we can have a line like this: Sportsbooks can stuff a lot of numbers in a betting line and sometimes even don't indicate what they mean. When you learn what all these numbers mean you won't be confused any more.
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You’re clearly intrigued by the idea of sports betting, but maybe view it as a sort of foreign language. That’s okay! We were all rookies who had to ask questions at some point.
We’ll breakdown what moneyline bets are and walk you through everything you need to know about them.
The Moneyline Made Easy
You’ve already learned how to read and interpret the three types of odds you’ll encounter, so let’s move onto the elements of sporting events you can bet on.
When making a fundamental moneyline bet, you’re simply selecting the outright winner of a single game. This is the most straightforward bet you can make. There are no other contingencies.
When making a fundamental moneyline bet, you’re simply selecting the outright winner of a single game. This is the most straightforward bet you can make. There are no other contingencies. Here’s an example:
To place your bet, all you need to do is click on the moneyline number attached to the team you believe is going to win the game. If you think Anaheim will win, click on the +135. If you like Nashville, click on the -135.
Breaking Down the Moneyline
College Football Moneyline Odds
The moneyline numbers next to each team are American odds which:
Football Moneyline Bet
- indicate each team’s implied probability
- determine how much money you would win, based on your wager.
The team that has a “+” sign on next to its moneyline number is the underdog, while the team with “-” next to its moneyline number is seen by your sportsbook as the favorite.
In some cases, both teams will have “-” signs next to them. In this case, the team with the number farther from 0 should be regarded as the favorite (eg. -120 would be the favorite over -105).
The moneyline is a relatively easy concept to understand, once you get the hang of it.
Why Are There Fractions or Decimals on the Moneyline?
This depends on the audience your sportsbook targets. The + and – signs you see are referred to as “American” odds. As such, American-facing books will almost always represent the moneyline in this format.
Oftentimes, sportsbooks outside of North America display the moneyline with either a decimal or fractional format. Rest assured, the moneyline always refers to betting on the winner of the game, no matter what.
Oftentimes, sportsbooks outside of North America display the moneyline with either a decimal or fractional format. Rest assured, the moneyline always refers to betting on the winner of the game, no matter what.
If you need a refresher on calculating all types of odds, be sure to check out our guide. This skill is essential to understanding the moneyline and giving you a return on wagers!
Why Is There No Moneyline Option Listed for a Particular Game?
Sportsbooks don’t always offer a moneyline option for a game. Sometimes, they will simply offer totals and spread bets.
For example, many sportsbooks only offer an option to bet on the NFL moneyline if the spread is between 3 and 10 points. If one team is a heavy favorite (and the spread is listed at 14 points or more), many sportsbooks will choose to offer only spread and totals bets. This is an industry-standard, in most cases. However, there are exceptions to this rule at select online sports betting sites.
