What is the "Moneyline" in Sports Betting?
Updated: Apr 14, 2022
If you're a beginner in sports betting, the two things you want to understand are the odds and the terminology. One of the most important terms to learn is the moneyline.
Moneyline
A moneyline bet is a bet on a team to win a game, regardless of margin of victory.
Odds on moneyline bets differ, rather than being at -110 like a spread or total bet. If Team A is favored over Team B, betting on Team A moneyline the odds may be at -250 meaning a bettor will risk $25 to win $10.
When betting on moneyline there is less risk when betting a favorite because they don't need to cover the spread, they just have to win. But if they lose, a bettor will lose more money than they would on a spread bet.
On the flip side, betting on an underdog to win has a high reward. A moneyline bet on an underdog of +250 would win a bettor $25 on a $10 dollar bet. The risk of betting the moneyline on an underdog instead of spread is that they need to win the game, rather than cover the spread.