How to Read Betting Money Lines

Betting is popular on all kinds of professional sports.

Sports betting is a popular pastime across the country and the world. In places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, betting constitutes a multi-million dollar industry. Beginners may struggle to know which type of bet is best for their purposes. You need to understand money line bets to place them successfully; it can help you bet on heavy favorites or getting large payouts on underdogs.

Instructions

1. Look at the money line and notice what team is listed with a "+" and which team is listed with a "-". The "+" is the favorite and the "-" is the underdog. If both teams feature a "+" or "-", the game is a pick 'em, or too close to call.

2. Wager the amount of the negative number with the favorite to win $100. For example, if a team is listed at -300, a $300 bet would win $100. All other bets can be contrived with mathematics from there. A $100 bet would win $33.33 and a $30 bet would win $10.

3. Wager $100 on the underdog to win the amount listed in front of the plus. If the underdog is at +400, a $100 would win $400. Or, likewise, a $10 would win $40 and a $400 bet would win $1600.

References

• Pre-Game: Money Line Betting