In the world of sports betting, a money line bet is simply betting on which team you expect to win. It doesn’t have anything to do with a spread. You may also see a money line bet listed as “Money Line” or “ML” in different spaces.
Money lines are represented in negative and positive values.
Sports Betting Terms And Phrases
How to Bet On Sports Sports Betting Glossary Whether you are new to sports betting, or have years of experience in the field, some of the betting terms used may foreign or confusing. The list below contains some of the more common terminology that you will see used on this site, and in the betting world as a whole. Like many other industries, the sports betting world has its own jargon and many terms, lingo can be confusing. Our Sports Betting 101 Glossary provides a quick and simple definition of often-used terms that you may read on VegasInsider.com or hear at your local sportsbook.
Negative money line: -145, -220, or anything similar
When you see a minus (-) sign in front of a price, it shows you that team is the favorite to win the game.
Sportsbook Definition Dictionary
That number also indicates how much money you need to bet/spend in order to win $100.
Sportsbook Definition Government
Oct 11, 2014 The sports betting term 'sportsbook' refers to a company, or even just a single person, who accepts bets on sports. They will take your bets and pay you if you win. Sports Betting Terms and Definitions. Like any hobby, sports betting has a massive library of jargon and terms that new bettors may not know. If you’re a novice sportsbook customer, reading through this list of the most commonly-used sports betting terms, along with their dictionary definitions, will help you ease your way into the world of gambling on sporting events. Sportsbook (plural sportsbooks) English Wikipedia has an article on: sportsbook. Wikipedia A place where a gambler can bet on various sports competitions.
For example, a -220 money line means you need to bet $220 in order to win $100 provided the team you bet on actually does win.
Heavy favorites are known in sports betting as a “chalk” pick. A heavy favorite usually has a number pushing +300 or more. Here, you’re wagering a lot on the favorite to win a little. Don’t assume that a heavy favorite, or chalk pick, is a guaranteed winner…
Positive money line: +145, +220, or anything similar
When you see a plus (+) sign in front of a price, it shows you that team is the underdog. Higher numbers like +400, +500, +5000, etc. represent how much of an underdog the team is in the game. The higher the number the more likely the team is expected to lose in the eyes of the oddsmakers.
The number also indicates how much money would win in comparison to every $100 you wager.
For example, a +150 money line means you would win $150 for each $100 wager you place should that team win the game.
Money line examples:
Lets use an NFL example here:
New England Patriots -240
Miami Dolphins +220
To bet the New England Patriots to win on the money line, you would need to spend $240 on the bet for a chance to win $100 if the Patriots beat the Dolphins. Your return would be $340 – the original $240 stake (bet) and the $100 bet profit.
To bet the Miami Dolphins to win on the money line, you would spend $100 on the bet for a chance to win $220 if the Dolphins, as the underdog, beat the Patriots. Your return would be $320 – the original $100 stake (bet) and the $220 profit.
In both situations, it doesn’t matter if the team you bet on wins by one point or 100 points. You’re purely betting on the team you believe will win the game. As Al Davis said, “Just win, baby.” That’s exactly what you’d be looking for out of your selection. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to happen or your original stake is lost.