If you simply want to pick the winners and avoid playing spread than you should try moneyline betting. With moneyline betting there are no spreads. All you have to do is pick the winner and that’s it. If your team wins the game you win your bet.
Where moneyline betting can get a little complicated for novice bettors is how the odds are laid out. Take a look at this example you might see at Betway from a moneyline bet on an NHL matchup between Boston and Toronto.
Boston -140
Toronto +120
In the example Boston has been given -140 odds which makes them the favorite. Whenever you see a team with minus odds they are the favorite on the moneyline. Toronto is a +120 underdog. Any team with plus odds is the underdog.
So, what do those number mean? For Boston the -140 means that you must wager $140 to win $100 profit. Since the Bruins are favored and expected to win you must risk more for less reward. This is how the sportsbook can offer betting on a game without a spread by evening out the odds.
For Toronto the +120 means that a $100 wager would win $120 profit. Since the Maple Leafs are the underdog and expected to lose you risk less money for a larger reward because you are already taking a risk simply by betting on them to win as an underdog.
Moneyline betting can earn a bettor huge profits if they are smart enough, or luck enough, to hit some big underdogs. Since betting underdogs earns you more profit than your initial bet it is actually possible to make a profit without hitting more than 50% of your moneyline bets.
Moneyline bets are the most popular forms of betting when it comes to baseball and hockey, but you’ll also find them available in NFL, college football, NBA and college basketball betting.
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