What Is the Moneyline? A Beginner's Guide

The moneyline is the simplest bet in sports: pick who wins. Learn how moneyline odds work and when to bet them.

01What Is the Moneyline?

The moneyline is a bet on which team will win the game outright, with no point spread. The favorite is listed with negative odds (e.g., -150) and the underdog with positive odds (e.g., +130).

At -150, you bet $150 to win $100. At +130, you bet $100 to win $130. The bigger the negative number, the heavier the favorite.

02Moneyline vs Spread

The spread gives the underdog a head start in points. The moneyline has no head start - you are betting on the outright winner.

Favorites are more expensive on the moneyline than against the spread. A -7 favorite might be -300 on the moneyline. Underdogs pay more on the moneyline than against the spread because winning outright is harder than covering.

03When to Bet the Moneyline

Bet the moneyline on underdogs when you think they can win outright - the payout is significantly better than the spread. A +3.5 underdog might pay +150 on the moneyline versus -110 against the spread.

For heavy favorites, the moneyline is often poor value. Risking $300 to win $100 means one loss wipes out three wins. Many bettors prefer the spread for big favorites.

04Moneyline in Other Sports

In baseball and hockey, the moneyline is the primary way to bet because games are low-scoring and the spread (run line / puck line) is less popular. A baseball favorite at -150 is standard.

In basketball and football, the spread dominates because scoring is higher and point differentials matter more.