Understanding Plus (+) and Minus (-) Mean in Sports Betting Odds

If you’re just starting to explore the world of sports betting, learning the basics about betting odds is key. Sports betting odds are the backbone of your betting game — they’re the first thing that jumps out when you access your sportsbook account.

Let’s take a sample betting line from a theoretical sportsbook, featuring Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Golden State (+150) and LA Lakers (-180). It’s an example of a Money line betting odds, meaning you’re simply betting on which team wins the match. Sure, we have a team to support in mind, but what does the ‘-’ and ‘+’ even mean? If you’re still feeling lost or just want the full details, then we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll briefly explain how sports betting odds work and a few tips to get you started!

Sports Betting Odds Explained: Plus (+) and Minus (-), and What it Means for Your Payouts

If you’ve found yourself puzzled by the plus (+) and minus (-) signs you see on your dashboard, don’t worry – we’ll clear things out. These signs represent American odds or the Moneyline odds and dictate the probability of an event happening. In our case, it tells us the probability of a sports outcome happening and the potential payout.

Here’s a quick rule on how to read sports betting odds: the ‘+’ indicates the player or team that’s less likely to win (the underdog), and ‘-’ means the favorite. Also, sports betting odds indicate the potential payout in case you win. As a rule, the number following the plus sign tells the amount you’ll win for every $100 bet.

Let’s go back to our example, with the Warriors at +150, which means they’re the underdogs. Placing a $100 bet on the Warriors nets you $150 if they win. Your total payout for this winning bet is $250, including the $100 bet and $150 profit. You’ll probably think that the higher the value, the better it is for you. Not exactly–the higher the plus odds, the less likely a team’s going to win.

Now, let’s pay attention to ‘-’, or the faves in sports betting odds lingo.

In our example, the Lakers are the favorite to win at -180. This means a bettor needs to wager $180 to win a payout of $100.

Applying Plus (+) and Minus (-) Odds in Different Betting Markets

In sports betting, positive and negative odds can be applied to a variety of betting markets such as Moneyline, Over/Under, and Prop bets. Let’s start with the simplest format – a moneyline bet. Here, the minus (-) sign represents the favorite, where it’s less likely to win, while the plus (+) sign indicates the underdog, where it’s expected to win.

For the Over/Under betting market, sportsbooks set a total number of points expected to be scored in a game. You can wager whether the total final score will go over or under the set number. In this case, the minus (-) odds indicate a higher probability of the outcome with a lower payout, while the plus (+) odds represent a lower probability but a higher payout.

Another betting market is Prop bets, which focus on the performance of a specific player or team. These may include bets on the first player to score or total passing yards.

How are Sports Betting Odds Calculated?

Online sportsbooks count on complex models and algorithms in calculating the odds. In this section, let’s cover the most common factors considered in setting betting odds for popular sports.

• Team performance and player statistics: This includes the historical performances of players and teams, along with the recent trends in sports betting. Player statistics including their standout performances, Injuries, and even suspensions, may also affect the odds calculation.
• Betting trends: The sportsbook monitors how money is being placed on each side of the bet. They adjust the odds if one outcome gets too many bets, to encourage betting on the other side.
• Market conditions: Sportsbooks consider market conditions like home-court advantage, weather, or travel fatigue to calculate odds better.

Win Big- Learn How to Read Sports Betting Odds

If you want to become a strategic bettor, start by knowing how to read sports betting odds and calculate your profits for each odds. And, understanding what plus (+) and minus (-) mean in sports betting is an effective way to unlock smarter betting strategies and decisions. In simplest words, the plus (+) sign indicates the underdog and how much profit you’ll get from a $100 wager, while the minus sign is on the favorite and tells the amount of bets to be placed to win $100.

Put your knowledge to the test – mag-register na ng account sa BK8 at i-enjoy ang competitive odds for various markets and sports like basketball.

Tumaya, maglaro, at manalo ngayon gamit ang BK8 betting app account!