What is a MoneyLine Bet?

If you are new to sports betting, the easiest bet to make is a Moneyline bet. You likely have experience with informal bets between friends or acquaintances similar to a moneyline bet at a sportsbook. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of moneyline betting, how to place bets on the moneyline, and provide insight and context that could prove valuable to making successful moneyline bets in the future.

Top 5 Rated Sportsbooks For Best Moneyline Odds

What is a Moneyline Bet? A Moneyline Bet Explained

A moneyline bet is placing a bet on the outcome of a sporting event. When you place a bet on the moneyline, you are placing a bet on whom you think the winner of the competition will be. A moneyline bet is the most straightforward bet anyone can place on any sporting event. Many people reading this have likely engaged in an informal moneyline-style bet on the outcome of sports with friends, family, or rival team fans, with varying conditions for payment. But what about sports where games can end in a tie? Moneyline bets in soccer have a third line for a draw or tie. Placing a moneyline bet in soccer requires more thought and research into the competitors’ recent performances and strategies, along with intangibles like weather or the game’s location, to be successful. Even still, a moneyline bet is simply a bet based on a sporting event’s outcome.

What are the Rules for Moneyline Betting?

There are no conditions, caveats, or rules on Moneyline bets. Some online sportsbooks might give bettors the option to cash out on a game/competition before completion, which comes with individual rules and conditions of the sportsbook. However, a moneyline bet is fundamentally the same everywhere you can make a moneyline bet and has no rules or conditions attached to the bet’s success. The only thing that matters for moneyline chances is the outcome of the competition. You win a moneyline bet by picking the outcome of the competition correctly. Even in sports that can end in a tie or draw, the only rule that governs moneyline bets is that if you have picked the outcome of the completion correctly, you win.

Do Research To Find The Best Moneyline Odds and Spot the Best Value Odds Before They Change

To find the best moneyline odds, bettors must do some internet research. There are websites which list the current odds across multiple sports books, often sharing line movements. Shifting betting odds on the moneyline reflect whom the betting public and odds makers are favoring.  Another factor in finding the best moneyline odds is paying attention to the sports you’re betting on.  That’s right, paying attention to sports could help you find the best moneyline odds before they change. If you believe in a heavy underdog gaining wins and momentum, you’ll want to find the best odds before other bettors do. Once people start placing bets on the underdog in a sporting competition, the odds gap between the underdog and favorite closes. Working knowledge and paying attention to the sports you’re betting on can provide insight into a competition that odds don’t reveal on the surface.

Reading Moneyline Odds: Giving A Moneyline Bet Meaning

Moneyline odds will be listed with a favorite and an underdog. The favorite will be listed at negative odds (i.e., Los Angeles Dodgers -200), while the underdog is always listed with positive odds (i.e., Oakland Athletics +175).  The positive odds for the underdog means that a winning bet will pay out more money than the amount of the original bet. For example, a successful $100 bet on the Oakland Athletics at +175 results in a $275 payout (return of the initial bet and $175 from winning the bet). The negative odds for the favorite means that a successful bet will pay out less than the initial betting amount. For example, placing a  bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers at -200  results in a $150 payout (return of the initial $100 bet and $50 from winning the bet). Most sportsbooks will immediately calculate your potential moneyline bet winnings on your virtual betting slip. You can check betting odds and parlay payouts through online betting odds calculators.

Moneyline Bets the Easiest Type of Bet to Place

There is no more straightforward or more basic bet that you can place than a moneyline bet. A moneyline bet is simply a bet on who will win, with no conditions or caveats to meet. The only things required to place a bet on the moneyline for any game are money and an opinion on who will win the game. Betting on sports can’t get simpler than betting on who will win the competition. People have been conducting informal Moneyline bets on sports in bars and living rooms for decades. Just because moneyline bets are the easiest to place doesn’t mean they are the easiest to win or the most profitable. When a team or competitor is listed as the favorite with enormous odds, you’ll need to spend a lot of money to make anything in return. However, when a team or competitor is the underdog, picking the underdog could be highly profitable, despite the risk. This is especially the case in combat sports. A fighter listed as a massive betting favorite on the money is the favorite because they should win the fight, but anything can and often does in a fight. Combat sports have seen some of the most significant betting underdogs on the Moneyline achieve improbable upsets of dominant champions. James “Buster” Douglas’ stunning knock-out of Mike Tyson in Tokyo as a 42-1 underdog and Matt Serra’s stunning TKO/KO of MMA all-time great Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69 as a +850 underdog immediately spring to mind. St. Pierre entered UFC 69 as a -1300 betting favorite on the Moneyline. However, the being favorite on the Moneyline is the betting favorite for a reason: they are the likely winner of the competition. A Moneyline bet is simply picking whom you think the winner is. At UFC 83, the odds between St. Pierre and Serra were significantly closer, with GSP listed as the favourite at -495 and underdog Serra at +445. Unlike their shocking first fight, St. Pierre proved he was the rightful favorite in both fights, dominating and TKO’ing Serra in the second round. 

Top 5 Rated Sportsbooks For Moneyline Bets

Moneyline FAQs

How do I tell who the favorite or underdog on the Moneyline is?

All sportsbooks will have the favorite listed with negative odds (i.e., 150). The Underdog is always listed with positive odds (i.e., +150). An easy way to remember this is that the underdog always adds on top of your starting bet, thus the positive odds.

How do I place a bet on the Moneyline?

First, have an opinion on who will win the competition! Second, research to find the best odds on your competition of choice. Third, navigate to the sports book – this is often done simply by clicking on the provided sportsbook icon or betting odds. Finally, pick the outcome of the competition on the sportsbook and place the bet. This will require having a registered profile on the betting site and the ability to transfer money online.

How does Moneyline relate to Point Spread?

Moneyline and point spread is always connected. A team listed as a big favorite on the moneyline will be a significant favorite on the point spread. If a team is a heavy favorite on the money line, then it’s not a matter if they’ll win the game but by how much. The closer the moneyline odds between the betting favorite and underdog, the closer the point spread and the point spread’s odds.

Can I parlay a Moneyline bet with other bets?

Absolutely! In fact, bettors can find great value parlaying multiple picks together. However, buyer beware: if one bet on your parlay is unsuccessful, you will lose the entire bet, regardless of how successful the rest of your best is.

Can my Moneyline odds change after I’ve made my pick?

No! Once you have locked in your moneyline bet, those are the odds of your successful bet payout. If the odds for the moneyline shrink and close after making your bet, you will still receive the larger odds from your initial bet. However, once you have made your bet, cancelling your bet might be difficult to almost impossible, depending on your chosen sportsbook. Make sure you read the Sportsbooks terms and conditions before placing any moneyline bets.