Definition
The money line (or moneyline) is the simplest form of sports betting: you pick which team or player will win the game outright. There is no point spread or handicap -- the only thing that matters is who wins. The term comes from American odds format where favorites are shown with negative numbers and underdogs with positive numbers.
How It Works
The bookmaker assigns odds to each side based on their estimated probability of winning. Favorites have lower odds (higher implied probability), and underdogs have higher odds (lower implied probability). In American format: -150 means bet $150 to win $100, while +150 means bet $100 to win $150. In decimal format, these are 1.67 and 2.50 respectively.
Example
NFL: Kansas City Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills
- Chiefs: -140 (decimal 1.71, implied probability 58.3%)
- Bills: +120 (decimal 2.20, implied probability 45.5%)
Betting $140 on the Chiefs: if they win, profit = $100. Betting $100 on the Bills: if they win, profit = $120.
Why It Matters
Money line bets are the purest form of sports betting -- no handicaps, no spreads, no totals. They are the easiest to understand and are the foundation of all other bet types. In sports where draws are possible (like football), money line bets typically include three outcomes (1X2). In sports where draws are rare or eliminated (like tennis or basketball), money line is a straight two-way market and the most popular bet type.
Use our odds converter to switch between American moneyline, decimal, and fractional odds formats for easy comparison across bookmakers.