Sportsbook vigorish, vig or juice is the commission sportsbooks charge to take a bet. Discover how juice is added to different bets.
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Sportsbook Vigorish Definition
Vigorish is the commission sportsbooks charge to take a bet. Vigorish is also known as vig or juice.
Specs
- Winning bettors lose juice on every payout. Losing bettors do not pay vigorish.
- Vigorish is never in play. It is only refunded if a bet ties, pushes or cancels.
- Sportsbooks will adjust vigorish to encourage betting on one side more than the other.
Charging less juice on the underdog will attract more underdog bets. More money for the underdog means sportsbooks can balance their action. This frequently happens with heavy favorites in college football and basketball.
Spread and Total Juice
Sportsbooks list spread and total juice next to both sides of a line.
The favorite and underdog will each have their own juice. The same is true for the over and under.
Third-Party Spread and Total Odds Tables
Third-party odds tables only show the most expensive bet.
The favorite against the spread will have the highest vigorish. Total vigorish will vary depending on each side’s action.
Betting the opposite side will cost less. Calculate this value using the formulas in Tables and Reference below.
Moneyline Juice
Moneylines already include vigorish. There are no other numbers to consider.
Parlay Juice
Many sportsbooks have fixed-odds parlay payouts. These payouts are less than a parlay’s true odds. Sportsbooks collect the difference between the true odds and fixed-odds payout as vigorish.
Sportsbook Juice Examples
Simple Coin Toss Vigorish
Two gamblers bet on a coin toss. A sportsbook offers -110 odds on each side.
One takes heads. The other takes tails. They each bet $110 to win $100. The winning bettor will pay $10 vigorish.
Note: This simple example is meant to illustrate a larger concept. It would be unwise to bet at these odds. A fair coin is 50/50. But -110 means the gambler must win 52.38% or more to profit.
How It Works
The sportsbook collects $220 total. It is the sportsbook’s handle for the coin toss bet.
Suppose Tails wins. The winning gambler receives his $110 bet + $100 winnings = $210. The losing gambler receives nothing.
$220 collected – $210 paid = $10 profit. The sportsbook’s profit margin is $10/$220 = 4.5%.
Spread and Total Bet Juice
Review the image above. Put 1 before any two-digit number. Learn How to Read NFL Odds. Our guide will help you understand the numbers.
1. Betting NYC Against the Spread at Book 1
Two gamblers bet on NYC vs LA. NYC is the -6½ point favorite with -119 vigorish. LA is the 6½ point underdog with -101 vigorish. -101 is the opposite side of -119.
One bettor takes NYC laying $119 to win $100. The other takes LA laying $101 to win $100. The NYC bettor will pay $19 juice if his bet wins. The LA bettor will pay $1 if his bet wins.
How It Works
The sportsbook collects $220 total.
Suppose LA wins. The winning gambler receives his $101 bet + $100 winnings = $201. The losing gambler receives nothing.
$220 collected – $201 paid = $19 profit. The sportsbook’s profit margin is $19/$220 = 8.63%.
2. Betting the Under at Book 1
Two gamblers bet the Over-Under. The under has -140 vigorish. The over has +120. +120 is the opposite side of -140.
One bettor takes the under laying $140 to win $100. The other takes the over laying $100 to win $120. The under bettor will pay $40 juice if his bet wins. The over bettor pays no juice because the under bettor pays it for him.
How It Works
The sportsbook’s handle is $240.
Suppose the under wins. The winning gambler receives his $140 bet + $100 winnings = $240. The losing gambler receives nothing.
$240 collected – $240 paid = $0 profit. The sportsbook’s profit margin is $0/$220 = 0.0%. A bookmaker breaks even assuming balanced action on each side of the line.
3. Betting the Spread or Total at Book 2
Book 2 does not show juice for either bet. Assume -110 for each line.
The math is the same as the coin toss example above. This time it’s for a spread or total bet with -110 vigorish.
How It Works
The sportsbook will collect the same $220 handle and pay the winner $100 for $110 bet. It will also keep $10 profit at a 4.5% margin.
Moneyline Juice
Boston -170
Chicago +150
Boston bettors lay $170 to win $100.
Chicago bettors lay $100 to win $150.
How It Works
Sportsbooks include vigorish in their moneyline odds. There are no separate values unlike those listed with spread and total lines.
Use simple formulas to determine how much juice is in a moneyline.
Assume $170 to win $100 on Boston and $100 to win $150 on Chicago.
First, calculate each side’s implied probability.
IP = Divide risk by return. Return = bet + win.
Boston IP = $170/($170+$100) = 63%
Chicago IP = $100/($100+$150) = 40%
Second, use these numbers to determine the juice.
- Add each IP together. 63% + 40% = 103%.
- 103% is the overround.
- Subtract 100% from sum. 103% – 100% = 3%.
Difference is juice. The sportsbook’s vigorish on this matchup is 3%.
Parlay Juice
Bettor makes a 4-selection parlay bet. Each selection has -110 odds. Sportsbooks consider -110 “standard odds”.
Many sportsbooks have fixed-odds payouts for parlays with standard odds selections. These payouts are less than a parlay’s true odds. Sportsbooks collect the difference between the true odds and fixed-odds payouts as vigorish.
How It Works
- The parlay’s true odds are 12.28/1.
- The sportsbook’s fixed odds are 10/1.
- The difference is 2.28. 12.28 true – 10 fixed = 2.28.
The sportsbook charges 2.28 juice on a winning 4-selection fixed odds parlay.
See Tables and Reference for how to calculate a parlay’s true odds and payout. Both formulas assume -110 standard odds.
Sportsbook Vigorish Tips
- Sportsbooks will offer true odds on parlays if a bettor includes a non-standard odds selection. Consider combining standard selections with a -115 total bet or a -160 moneyline.
- What do odds of -110 mean? -110 means a gambler lays $110 to win $100. The $10 difference is the sportsbook’s juice. It is never in play. The original $110 will only be returned if the bet ties, pushes or cancels.
Sportsbooks consider -110 standard odds. Bettors will get -110 odds on most spread and total bets.
Bets to Try
Other Names
- Vig
- Vigorish
- Juice
- Under-Juice
- Cut
- Take
Tables and Reference
Standard Odds Parlay Calculations
Calculating True Odds Using Standard -110 Odds
B = Bet Amount. Assume $100.
D = -110 Standard Odds
S = Selections
TO = True Odds
TO = (((B/D) + 1)S) – 1. The exponent is the number of selections.
Calculating True Odds Payout Using Standard -110 Odds
B = Bet Amount. Assume $100.
D = -110 Standard Odds
S = Selections
TP = True Odds Payout
TP = ((((B/D) + 1)S) x B) – B. The exponent is the number of selections.
Example True Odds Using 4 Selections at -110 Odds and $100 Bet
TO = (((100/110) + 1)4) – 1 = 12.28 rounded to nearest hundredth.
Example True Odds Payout Using 4 Selections at -110 Odds and $100 Bet
TP = ((((100/110) +1)4) x 100) – 100 = $1228.33 rounded to nearest hundredth.
Compare 12.28/1 true odds to a 10/1 Las Vegas payout for 4 selections. $1,228.33 – $1,000 = $228.33. You lose $228.33 to Las Vegas Sportsbooks using fixed odds payouts. That deduction is sportsbook vigorish.
Calculating Juice on Opposite Side of Line
| Juice | Calculation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Juice -101 to -109 |
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| Juice -110 to -119 |
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| Juice -120 or more |
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References
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigorish
www.sportsinsights.com/betting-tools/sportsbook-profit-margins/