In order to make money betting on sports, you need to be able to read the sportsbook. This may seem daunting at first, but with a little practice, you will be able to do it like a pro.
Getting Started
The first thing that you need to do is find a sportsbook that you trust. This is important, as you don’t want to end up losing money because of a bad sportsbook. Once you have found a good sportsbook, it’s time to start looking at the odds. The odds will tell you how likely it is for a team to win, and they are displayed in a variety of ways.
Some sportsbooks will display the odds as a fraction, while others will use decimals. For example, the odds for the New England Patriots to win their next game may be displayed as follows:
New England Patriots:
Fraction: 1/2
Decimal: 0.50
What this means is that for every $100 that you bet on the Patriots, you will win $50.
+ and – Mean in Sports Betting?
The – and + on a sports betting line indicate both your potential payout and whether you’re betting on the favorite or underdog.
Negative numbers represent the favorite on the betting line. The negative number indicates how much you would have to bet to win $100.
If the number is positive, you’re considered the underdog, and if the amount is $100, you’ll win that much money if you wager $100.
How To Calculate The Winnings
Now that you know how to read the sportsbook, it’s time to learn how to calculate your winnings. To do this, you will need to use the odds and the amount of money that you are willing to bet.
For example, let’s say that you want to bet $100 on the New England Patriots. The odds for the Patriots are 1/2, which means that you will win $50 if they win and your payout will be $150.
Now, let’s say that you want to bet $100 on the New York Jets. The odds for the Jets are +100, which means that you will win $100 if they win and your payout will be $200.
