MoneyLine Betting Strategy : What is The Moneyline?
Moneyline markets are a type of wager in which the customer simply predicts which team will win the game. There is a reason it is the most popular market wagered on for most, if not all, sports and that is because the simplicity.
It isn't complicated when customers make their selections for events within any sport. The goal is to pick the winning of the upcoming event, plain and simple.
Remember! Sportsmemo offers moneyline predictions in our free picks and premium expert betting predictions sections all year long.
Moneyline Betting Example
The odds for each team are represented by a positive or negative number, determining either the favorite or the underdog. Below is a money line example for a football matchup, but the team names can be replaced by teams from any sport and the same rules apply.
If the money line odds for the Cincinnati Bengals is -250 and the odds for the Jacksonville Jaguars is +200, a customer would have to risk $250 to win $100 on the Bengals, but a customer who wagers on the Jaguars would win $200 for every $100 wagered.
| Team | Odds | Wager | To Win | Result |
| Cincinnati Bengals | -250 | $250 | $100 | Bengals Win |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +200 | $100 | $200 | Jaguars Win |
Oddsmakers calculate moneyline odds based on the implied probability of winning the game. Not all games and teams are equal in competition, and there is almost always a favorite and an underdog.
There are instances where games are considered 'Pickem' and have the same odds. The money line odds reflect which team is the stronger of the two and which is the weaker.
MoneyLine Sample Odds and Potential Profit
| Odds | Bet Size | Potential Profit | Implied Odds |
| (-500) | $100 | $20.00 | 83.33% |
| (-300) | $100 | $33.33 | 75% |
| (-110) | $100 | $90.91 | 52.38% |
| (+110) | $100 | $110.00 | 47.62% |
| (+300) | $100 | $300.00 | 25% |
| (+500) | $100 | $500.00 | 16.67% |
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Benefits of Money Line Betting
The simplicity of money line betting is a main draw for both new, intermediate, and advanced bettors. There is no confusion, no matter what stage a customer is at during the sports betting journey on what needs to happen when placing a money line wager.
Hitting an underdog money line is super rewarding. Picking an underdog with the spread included is an impressive feat as the oddsmaker thinks they are the lesser of two teams, but still, the return on getting that correctly is close to what it is wagered with a normal -110 spread bet.
The strong payouts are what brings customers make to taking underdog money lines again and again.
Moneyline Betting Strategy: Line Movement and When To Place Money Line Wagers
Bet early and be ready to bet again. Having a general feeling where trends will sway, and where the game line may ultimately end up could be beneficial to using the money line markets. The Philadelphia Eagles are small favorites against the Kansas City Chiefs.
If a customer feels the public is going to pile on the Eagles beating the Chiefs, it is best to get a wager in earlier in the week on the Eagles. The amount of money wagered and the number of bets that the public places on the Eagles may increase the money line price from the original posting.
Moneyline Betting Strategy – Your Timing Affects Your Profit
Tuesday
Eagles Money Line Odds
-120
Chiefs Money Line Odds
+110
Thursday
Eagles Money Line Odds
-130
Chiefs Money Line Odds
+120
Saturday
Eagles Money Line Odds
-140
Chiefs Money Line Odds
+130
A money line wager on the Eagles on Tuesday will require a lower stake than making the same Eagles money line bet on Thursday. Paying attention to line movements is an importance factor in money line wagering that can react differently throughout an entire week.
If a customer was always eyeing wagering on the Chiefs, their patience would be rewarded by waiting until Saturday as public wagering pushed their money line odds from +110 to +130 throughout the week.
Moneyline Betting Strategy: Finding Value – Shop Around For Money Line Prices
This requires slightly more effort than sticking with one sportsbook app, but shopping around for money line prices also is a beneficial process for long-term betting. Instead of waiting for lines to shift in or out of a customer's favor, the price they are looking for may be on a different sportsbook app.
Not all lines are created equal, and it is up to that specific sportsbook app to determine the odds for a game. The goal of the sportsbook is to attract equal money on both sides of a matchup, and each book has a different amount of money being placed.
The number-one key to success here is understanding what value is and knowing when and how to take advantage of it. Finding markets that are paying out at a better rate than other sportsbook is an easy way to provide value to money line betting.
A customer can win more wagers than they lose and still be losing money. On the other side of things with money line betting, a customer can lose more bets than they win and be profitable with discipline underdog betting.
SportsMemo Offers Picks & Education
Remember! Sportsmemo offers moneyline predictions in our free picks and premium expert betting predictions sections all year long.
Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?
- Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Live odds updated in real time, including whom the public is betting on.
- Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips to help you become a better sports bettor. We also recommend browsing through our sports betting tips video library.
- Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.
