Bet The Moneyline

  1. What Does It Mean To Bet The Moneyline
  2. 5 Money Line
  3. How To Bet The Moneyline In Basketball
  4. How To Bet The Moneyline In Baseball
  5. Moneyline Bet Calculator
  6. How To Bet The Moneyline In Football
Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes
  1. Moneyline betting is great because it takes the odds out of the game. Moneyline betting can be beneficial to your bankroll, if you are smart about it. Moneyline betting is not a real risky type of bet, unless you are picking the big time underdogs. When the teams are close, the moneyline will be pretty close to even.
  2. Moneyline betting explained. Learn what positive and negative moneyline numbers mean. Know when to bet moneylines instead of spreads. Calculate ML payouts when you're betting more or less than $100. Convert moneyline odds to their decimal or fractional equivalent.
  3. 1 day ago  Spread: Kansas City (-3) Over/Under: 56 Moneyline: Kansas City (-159; bet $159 to win $100); Tampa Bay (+140; bet $100 to win $140) Moneyline Pick.

A moneyline bet simply involves you picking one of two teams to win the game. No catch, no angle, just the right answer or the wrong answer. Each team/person in a matchup for a moneyline betting option is given a separate numerical value for bettors to wager on and these are called “odds.”. A moneyline bet is a bet placed on one side or the other of a game, match, race, or any other sports event. The moneyline represents the value, or price, that a bettor is a paid out at if the competitor or team they bet on wins the game or match. It will be easier to understand how a moneyline works if we look at a specific example.

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For many bettors, placing a moneyline wager is the simplest way to make a bet. This type of wager is as straightforward as they come, asking bettors to determine the straight-up winner of a game or match.

Certain sports provide an additional option beyond the classic two-way moneyline. Three-way moneylines also allow sports bettors to bet either one of the two sides, but they provide an additional option by allowing bettors to put their money on the likelihood of the event ending in a tie.

Read on for a deeper look at which sports offer three-way moneyline betting and how to turn a profit when placing these wagers.

Three-Way Moneylines, Made Simple

Whereas a typical moneyline bet involves a bet on one of two options, three-way moneyline betting involves three options. When wagering on a three-way moneyline, you can bet either Team A to win, Team B to win, or for the event to end in a tie (sometimes referred to as a ‘draw’).

What Does It Mean To Bet The Moneyline

Naturally, three-way moneylines come into play for sports where the result may end in a tie and, as such, a winner cannot be determined through regular game time. Because it is harder to accurately predict an outcome with three choices rather than two, betting on a three-way moneyline will offer more value to bettors than a traditional moneyline.

Oddsmakers primarily employ three-way moneyline bets in two sports, hockey and soccer. Unsurprisingly, this is because these two sports are significantly more likely to end in a tie or draw.

The Three-Way Moneyline in Soccer

Wagers in soccer are decided after full-time, which refers to the full 90 minutes on the clock, plus any additional time that is added by the referee for injuries, stoppages, or any other reason. Unlike in the large majority of other sports, ties (“draws” in soccer terms) are extremely common due to the lower-scoring nature of the game.

In fact, draws occur so often in soccer that three-way moneyline betting is the most standard and popular way to bet on a soccer match. However, there are many other ways to bet on soccer as well.

Operationally, betting on the draw is just like betting on a side. However, when betting on the draw, you’re hoping for the score to be tied at the end of full-time. An example of three-way moneyline odds for a soccer match could be as follows:

As you can see, the option of a draw is listed in the same fashion as choosing either team as the outright victor. It is worth noting that regular season matches can always end in a draw, but some tournament-style matches will extend into extra time and possibly into penalties. In these tournaments (where winners are guaranteed thanks to penalty kick shoot-outs), three-way moneyline bets are predicated on a result being determined in the 90 minutes of full-time play. In this case, your bet will be graded as a loss if the side you select to win does so after regular time.

Three-Way Moneyline in Hockey

There are many hockey leagues around the world, but most hockey bettors wager on the National Hockey League (NHL).

Standard, two-way moneyline betting is a popular NHL wager. However, because games are often tied after three periods, most hockey betting sites also offer three-way moneylines on most games.

Two-way moneylines betting on the NHL ask you to pick a side to win outright, even if the game goes to overtime or ends in a shooutout. Whether your team wins after three periods, during overtime or through a shootout, if the team you pick wins—you win.

Bet The Moneyline

A standard, two-way moneyline bet looks like this:

To compare the differences, let’s look at three-way moneyline odds for this same game. Remember that the three-way moneyline eliminates overtime from the wager, meaning you’re simply betting on the outcome at the end of three periods.

As you can see below, Vegas is still the favorite. However, in the three-way moneyline option, odds for both Vegas and Vancouver are longer. This means that if you select either team as an outright winner, you’ll see a better return on the three-way moneyline than you would on the two-way moneyline.

The tie is deemed the least likely option, so it offers the longest odds and biggest payout.

So if you’re looking for better value, longer odds, and higher payouts, three-way moneyline betting is the way to go. But remember, if you’re betting on a winner of the game, the bet is toast if they win in overtime or during the shootout. Three-way moneylines aren’t always the safest bet, but they can offer superior value.

Ready to Learn More Betting Terms and Strategies?

5 Money Line

Three-way moneyline betting is just one of numerous ways to expand your horizons betting on sports. If you’re looking to learn more about betting terms, strategies and the sports betting industry, be sure to visit our 101 guides to sports betting.


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You’re clearly intrigued by the idea of sports betting, but maybe view it as a sort of foreign language. That’s okay! We were all rookies who had to ask questions at some point.

We’ll breakdown what moneyline bets are and walk you through everything you need to know about them.

The Moneyline Made Easy

You’ve already learned how to read and interpret the three types of odds you’ll encounter, so let’s move onto the elements of sporting events you can bet on.

When making a fundamental moneyline bet, you’re simply selecting the outright winner of a single game. This is the most straightforward bet you can make. There are no other contingencies.

When making a fundamental moneyline bet, you’re simply selecting the outright winner of a single game. This is the most straightforward bet you can make. There are no other contingencies. Here’s an example:

To place your bet, all you need to do is click on the moneyline number attached to the team you believe is going to win the game. If you think Anaheim will win, click on the +135. If you like Nashville, click on the -135.

Breaking Down the Moneyline

The moneyline numbers next to each team are American odds which:

  • indicate each team’s implied probability
  • determine how much money you would win, based on your wager.

The team that has a “+” sign on next to its moneyline number is the underdog, while the team with “-” next to its moneyline number is seen by your sportsbook as the favorite.

In some cases, both teams will have “-” signs next to them. In this case, the team with the number farther from 0 should be regarded as the favorite (eg. -120 would be the favorite over -105).

The moneyline is a relatively easy concept to understand, once you get the hang of it.

Why Are There Fractions or Decimals on the Moneyline?

This depends on the audience your sportsbook targets. The + and – signs you see are referred to as “American” odds. As such, American-facing books will almost always represent the moneyline in this format.

How To Bet The Moneyline In Basketball

Oftentimes, sportsbooks outside of North America display the moneyline with either a decimal or fractional format. Rest assured, the moneyline always refers to betting on the winner of the game, no matter what.

Bet The Moneyline

Oftentimes, sportsbooks outside of North America display the moneyline with either a decimal or fractional format. Rest assured, the moneyline always refers to betting on the winner of the game, no matter what.

If you need a refresher on calculating all types of odds, be sure to check out our guide. This skill is essential to understanding the moneyline and giving you a return on wagers!

How To Bet The Moneyline In Baseball

Why Is There No Moneyline Option Listed for a Particular Game?

Sportsbooks don’t always offer a moneyline option for a game. Sometimes, they will simply offer totals and spread bets.

Moneyline Bet Calculator

For example, many sportsbooks only offer an option to bet on the NFL moneyline if the spread is between 3 and 10 points. If one team is a heavy favorite (and the spread is listed at 14 points or more), many sportsbooks will choose to offer only spread and totals bets. This is an industry-standard, in most cases. However, there are exceptions to this rule at select online sports betting sites.

How To Bet The Moneyline In Football