If you want to be competent at sports betting you have to understand the different types of odds, phrases, and terms used at U.S. sportsbooks. One of the simplest terms you should learn first is plus minus betting.
Plus minus betting is a core principle that applies to moneyline bets and spread betting. At it’s simplest, the plus/minus system is used to state which selection is the favorite and underdog in a bet and the relative profit. In this guide, we explain everything there is to know about plus minus betting together with a host of simple examples.
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What do the plus and minus mean in betting – a simple explanation
There are different types of odds available at sportsbooks including American, Fractional, and Decimal and you can find out more about each type in our
betting odds explained
article. A great starting point, though, is plus minus betting because this is the standard format used at American sportsbooks.
Plus minus betting means different things for moneyline bets and spread bets:
- Moneyline bets plus:
This means the selection is the underdog i.e. they are not expected to win.
- Moneyline bets minus:
This means the team/player is the favorite to win.
- Moneyline bets values:
These related to the profitability of your bet based on a $100 wager.
- Spread bets plus:
This is the value the selection needs to overcome to win.
- Spread bets minus:
This is the value the other selection can’t be more than to win.
The plus minus system in betting gives you an easy way to identify which selection is likely to win but it’s also vital for calculating bet profitability in moneyline bets, and score difference in spread bets.
Plus minus betting examples
To build on the above, let’s explore specific examples for moneyline bets and spread bets so you can understand how plus minus betting works.
Moneyline bets
Plus minus betting is most common in moneyline bets. If you don’t know what moneyline bets are, you can check our
sports betting explained
guide. However, a moneyline bet is simply an outright bet where you select a winner for a sporting event. For example, there could be a moneyline bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs the Las Vegas Raiders where you would simply pick either the Buccaneers or Raiders to win.
In this example, we can show the concept of plus minus betting. The odds for this moneyline bet could be:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -200
- Las Vegas Raiders: +150
What does – mean in betting in this scenario? It means the sportsbook thinks the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the favorite to win. The value next to the minus sign is also important. In this example, if you placed a $100 bet on the Buccaneers and they won, you would make $50 profit or get a total return of $150.
This is because the value next to a minus symbol for moneyline bets denotes how much you have to bet to earn $100. So, in this scenario, you need to wager $200 to make an $100 profit. Therefore, if you are wagering half of that, your profit is half at $50.
But what does plus mean in betting in this example? It means the sportsbook classes the Raiders as the underdog. The value next to a plus on moneyline bets also changes. In this example, if you placed a $100 bet on the Raiders and they defied the odds, you’d make a $150 profit or get a total return of $250.
A plus sign next to a moneyline value means that is the amount you will win when placing a $100 bet. So, if we bet $50, our profit would be $75 and we’d make a total return of $125.
Points spread/line bets
Plus minus betting also applies to spread betting. We have a helpful guide on
spread betting explained, but at it’s simplest, a spread bet involves betting on the both the outcome and spread of points in a match. Let’s look at an example:
- The Los Angeles Clippers has a spread of +4 (-150).
- The Chicago Bulls has a spread of -4 (+120),
Here we have a typical spread bet and two sets of pluses and minuses:
- The +4 means that if you bet on the Los Angeles Clippers, they have to win by at least 4 points for the bet to payout.
- The -4 means that if you bet on the Bulls, they can win, or lose by no more than 3 points for the bet to payout.
And here are some example outcomes:
| Team you bet on | LA Score | Chicago Score | Difference | Payout |
| LA | 104 | 101 | +3 | No |
| LA | 110 | 102 | +8 | Yes |
| Chicago | 104 | 101 | -3 | Yes |
| Chicago | 105 | 104 | +1 | Yes |
| Chicago | 110 | 102 | +8 | No |
You’ve noticed that there is a set of bracketed numbers after the spread too. What does minus mean in betting in this instance? The bracketed numbers are the plus/minus odds for those spread selections. Therefore, if you place a $50 bet on LA to win and option 2 in the table happened, you’d win $83.33. While if you placed a $50 bet on Chicago to win and option 4 in the table occurred, you’d win $110.00.
To reiterate:
- The first set of +/- figures relate to the points spread.
- The set of bracketed +/- figures relate to the odds and profitability.
You may also wonder what does minus 1.5 mean in betting and other half-numbers. Half-numbers like this are simply used so that push bets (a tie) cannot occur in spread betting. I.e., it’s physically impossible for a team to win by 1.5 points, so an outcome is guaranteed.
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Pros and cons of plus minus betting
Betting plus minus and the American format isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer fractional betting, while others prefer decimal betting. To make your choice easier, we’ve outlined the pros and cons of plus minus betting below:
- Default format for American sportsbooks
- Quick profit calculations based on $100 wagers.
- Easy way to see who the favorite is.
- Doesn’t allow for quick implied probability calculations.
- Difficult to learn for non-native U.S. residents.
Plus and minus in betting relates to value and outcome probability
Plus minus betting shows who is the favorite and underdog, but it also shows the odds and profitability of your bet. There are two parts to remember. First, for anything but spread bets a minus = the favorite, while a plus = the underdog. Second, the value of a -odds relates to how much you have to wager to earn $100 profit, while a +odds relates to how much profit you make from a $100 wager.
Lastly, for spread bets, non-bracketed +/- figures are how much one team has to win by, and how little the other team must lose by to win the bet, while the second bracketed +/- numbers related to the odds and bet profitability as above.
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FAQs
❓ Is plus or minus better in odds?
The selection with a minus is considered the better option as this means the sportsbooks thinks this selection will win.
💡 What does + mean in betting?
A plus in betting can be used for odds or spread bets. For odds, a plus sign next to the number means that the selection is considered the underdog. For spread betting, a plus sign next to the number means the selection is the underdog while the number is the max points the outcome can lose by to pay out.
🎯 Does plus or minus in betting have a better chance of winning?
When looking at what does the plus and minus mean in betting, the team/player with the minus odds is considered the favorite while the team/player with the plus odds is considered the underdog. This means the sportsbooks thinks the team/player with minus odds has a better chance of winning, although there is no guarantee for this.
