What is a Money Line Bet & How to Bet on It?
The money line bet is the easiest type of wager, where you bet on a team or athlete to win the game or match. You don’t have to predict the winning margin or other in-game events; it’s just the winning team. This betting guide explains what is a moneyline bet and why it is the obvious choice for new bettors who want to make money betting on football.
The money line applies to all sports betting types, making it the most versatile bet online. The odds reflect the likelihood of an event to happen, and they are expressed in decimal, fractional, or American formats. Due to the straightforward nature of this bet, it is perfect for beginners who place their first sports betting wager.
- 1How to Read Money Line Odds
- 2How to Calculate Money Line Bets
- 3Moneyline vs Spread Bets
- 4How to Find Value in Money Line Bets
- 5Money Line Bets Across Major Sports
- 6Money Line Parlays
- 7Moneyline Bet Strategies
- 8Mistakes to Avoid in Money-Line Betting
- 9Claim Easy Wins with Moneyline Bets
- 10FAQs About Money Line Betting
Best Bookmakers for Moneyline Betting in 21 November 2024 – Updated List
How to Read Money Line Odds
If you are wondering how to bet on the moneyline, you must understand what’s a money-line. Then you can use it to place money-line wagers on any sport. The betting odds reflect the likelihood of an event and potential winnings. Depending on the best odds bookmaker you choose and preferred formats, this is how to read the money line:
How to Calculate Money Line Bets
The sports betting exchanges will publish the odds in one format, allowing you to switch to the preferred version. The potential payouts and net profits are the same regardless of the format chosen since the betting math is the same. However, moneyline bets are calculated differently depending on how the odds are displayed.
Decimal betting odds are the easiest to calculate because you multiply the odds with the stake. Negative American odds tell you how much money you must bet to win $100. Conversely, positive odds tell you the net profit if you bet $100 on the underdog. In fractional odds, the numerator tells you the amount you win, while the denominator represents the stake. If you get odds of 3/2 for your straight bets, you win three dollars for every two dollars invested.
Additionally, a money-line calculator can be useful in determining the potential payout for parlay money-line odds. In this case, money-line bets are combined into a single wager.
Moneyline vs Spread Bets
The beauty of moneyline bets is that they are easy to understand when you just learned how betting on sports works. Moneyline bets are straightforward as you need to predict only the winning team and can be found on any safe betting site. On the other hand, point spread bet gives you more flexibility in predicting the margin of victory. There are two faces of the same coin, so it is worth using them to make the most of each bet slip:
Even following the best advice about how to win at sports betting, you still need to guess two things: which team will win/lose the match and what the point difference will be. You need to predict both of these correctly. And if you are successful, you will be paid a lot more than moneyline betting. From a “profit” point of view, the winner of betting moneyline vs spread comparison is point spread betting. Simply put, these bets will pay more. However, they are much harder to win and calculate, even if you choose some of the best sports to bet on.
You can guess what the potential payout will be in a money-line bet without using a money-line odds calculator. But spread bets are more complex and not easy to understand what the spread money line total will be. In short, the point spread is an advanced form of sports betting and it is not suitable for beginners.
However, after a while, you should definitely try it. It is more exciting and the rewards are much bigger.
SPREAD VS MONEYLINE
SPREAD VS MONEYLINE
How to Find Value in Money Line Bets
Once you have the money line odds explained, it is time to focus on value football betting. Betting on favorites all the time is just as fruitless as randomly betting on underdogs. To be successful at online betting sites, you need to find those games where the rewards exceed the risks.
Knowing how to read money lines allows you to do this by calculating implied probability. This results from the odds, equal to 1/Odds x 100.
Money Line Bets Across Major Sports
The beauty of this betting market is that is available to all bookmakers, and you can place the moneyline wager days and sometimes weeks before the match starts. Many sportsbooks offer promotions for new users when making their first deposit. These are some of the most popular sports for this bet type:
Money Line Parlays
The obvious way to bet on the money line spread is on single bets. These have the advantage of requiring a single prediction to pay. Parlay and system bets have the advantage of multiplying the odds and a better return on investment. A moneyline bet calculator will determine faster the odds and the potential profits for each combination.
A classic parlay bet combines several moneyline betting options on the same betting slip. This is possible pregame as well as in play at live bookmakers. The more games you add, the greater the odds, but the risks also increase. That’s because you need all the predictions to be correct; otherwise, the parlay will be lost. Combinations of live moneyline betting and future games further increase the risk.
Moneyline Bet Strategies
Understanding what is a moneyline bet is important, but not sufficient. To offset the house edge and be successful in the long run, you should use sports betting tips and proven strategies. These can boost your chances and decrease the odds of losing:
Tip
- Undertake thorough research and only bet on sports you know well
- Take advantage of bonuses and use the bonus bet stake to decrease the impact of the house edge
- Shop around for the best odds of traditional bookies and betting sites that accept crypto
- Steer clear of the favorites, as they require sizable bets to make a small profit
- Set a dedicated bankroll for sports betting and only bet within your means
- Take advantage of arbitrage chances and hedge against the risks with cash-out betting features
Mistakes to Avoid in Money-Line Betting
The moneyline bet is one of the easiest to learn and use, so avoiding common betting mistakes is just as easy. These errors are often committed by beginners but can be easily avoided with some useful information:
Claim Easy Wins with Moneyline Bets
Knowing the moneyline bet meaning is the first stepping stone for punters new to online sports betting. It is a bet to start with because you only need to predict winners and can neglect complex point spreads. You decrease the risks by backing a favorite and boosting winnings with correct underdog picks.
You can use the moneyline bet on any sport and virtually any game since you only bet on the final result. It works for games decided in regulation time and matches that require overtime and penalty shootouts. There is no better way to start, so as long as you avoid common mistakes and stick to proven strategies, the moneyline bets will pay well.
Other related articles
Parlay calculator
FAQs About Money Line Betting
Money line betting requires players to indicate the outright winner of the game. If you bet on the favorites, you can decrease the risks, but if you back underdogs, you stand to win a larger sum.
This type of bet is very simple, it means that you will put 100$ on a team and if that team wins the game, you will receive 200$.
The moneyline is calculated very simply, if you bet 10$ on a 1,45 odd and your team will win, you will receive 14,50$.
Yes, a moneyline bet usually loses on a tie unless specified as a "draw no bet", which refunds in case of a tie.
The moneyline bet works individually and in combinations such as parlays and system bets. A parlay bet demands that all the selections be correct, and your bet loses if a single match loses.
With four decimal odds, you multiply the stakes with the odds, while fractional ones showcase the ratio between profit and stake. Positive American odds format tells you the profit you make with a $100 bet, while negative odds show the amount you need to bet to win $100.
Unless the game is postponed or canceled, or other technical issues are playing the bookmaker, money line bets will stand. Sportsbooks have their cancellation policy, which players should read before joining.
A moneyline bet app provides real-time odds, game selections, and various betting markets and sports. It is useful for punters who are on the go and want to track and place winning bets directly from their phones.