https://spinbettercasino.de/ choosing a team to win the game, straight up. This article breaks down how American odds work for favorites and underdogs to show your potential payout.Moneyline Betting Explained How to Bet on a Straight Up WinnerA direct selection on a contest's victor requires understanding American odds. For a favored team, you will see a negative number, such as -150. This figure represents the amount you must put forward to gain a $100 profit. Conversely, an underdog is indicated by a positive number, like +130, showing the potential profit from a $100 commitment. This system directly links risk to perceived probability without point spreads.This form of financial backing is predominant in sports with frequent low-scoring outcomes, such as baseball, hockey, and soccer. In these contests, a single goal or run often determines the result, making point-based handicaps less practical. Your selection succeeds purely if your chosen team wins the game, regardless of the score margin. It is a pure assessment of which side will prevail on the day.Committing to heavy favorites (e.g., -300 or higher) offers a high probability of success but yields minimal returns, requiring a significant initial outlay for a small gain. Backing significant underdogs (e.g., +250 or more) presents a larger potential payout but carries a substantially lower chance of converting. A successful approach often involves identifying mispriced favorites or underdogs with a legitimate chance of an upset, rather than just choosing the most likely winner.What Is a Moneyline BetA wager on a direct outcome selects a team or individual to win an event outright, ignoring any point spread. This is the simplest form of sports wagering: you are picking the victor. For example, in a soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester City, a selection on Liverpool wins only if Liverpool secures the victory. The final score is irrelevant as long as they win.The odds presented determine your potential payout. American odds use a plus (+) and minus (-) system. A negative number, like -150, shows how much you must risk to profit $100. A positive number, such as +130, indicates the profit you would make from a $100 stake. The team with the minus sign is the favorite, while the team with the plus sign is the underdog. A stake on a -200 favorite requires a $200 risk for a $100 return. A $100 stake on a +180 underdog yields a $180 profit.Unlike point spread wagers, the margin of victory has no bearing on the result. A one-point win by your selected team is graded the same as a twenty-point victory. This type of play is most prevalent in lower-scoring sports like baseball, hockey, and soccer, where point spreads are less common. In sports like American football and basketball, it offers an alternative to wagering against the spread, especially when you are confident in an underdog's ability to win the game, not just cover the spread.Calculating the implied probability is a key strategy. For negative odds, the formula is: Odds / (Odds + 100) * 100. For -150, this is 150 / (150 + 100) = 60%. For positive odds, the formula is: 100 / (Odds + 100) * 100. For +130, this is 100 / (130 + 100) = 43.5%. Comparing these probabilities to your own assessment of a team's chances helps identify valuable selections.How to Read American Moneyline Odds and Calculate PayoutsAmerican odds are identified by a plus (+) or minus (-) sign preceding a number. The plus sign indicates the underdog, while the minus sign signifies the favorite. These symbols directly relate to a baseline stake of $100.The Favorite (Minus Sign)A minus sign (-) shows how much you must risk to win $100. For example, odds of -150 mean you need to place a wager of $150 to achieve a $100 profit. Your total return in this scenario would be $250 ($150 stake + $100 profit).Calculating Payouts for FavoritesFormula: (Stake / Odds) * 100 = ProfitExample (-150): For a $50 stake, the calculation is ($50 / 150) * 100 = $33.33 profit.Total Return: $50 (stake) + $33.33 (profit) = $83.33.The Underdog (Plus Sign)A plus sign (+) indicates the potential profit on a successful $100 stake. Odds of +130 mean a $100 wager will result in a $130 profit. Your total return would be $230 ($100 stake + $130 profit).Calculating Payouts for UnderdogsFormula: Stake * (Odds / 100) = ProfitExample (+130): For a $50 stake, the calculation is $50 * (130 / 100) = $65 profit.Total Return: $50 (stake) + $65 (profit) = $115.Key Points for PayoutsThe favorite's odds dictate the required stake for a set profit.The underdog's odds show the potential profit from a set stake.Your original stake is always returned on a successful selection, in addition to the calculated profit.Comparing Moneyline Bets for Favorites vs. UnderdogsBacking the favorite offers a higher probability of winning but yields smaller returns. A stake on a heavy favorite, indicated by a negative number like -300, requires a $300 wager to profit $100. This approach focuses on accumulating consistent, smaller gains over time. The primary risk is a significant loss from an unexpected upset, which can erase multiple previous wins. Success with favorites relies on accurately identifying situations where their implied probability of victory is underestimated by the sportsbook's odds.Wagering on the underdog presents the opposite scenario: a lower chance of success for a much larger potential payout. A positive number, such as +250, means a $100 stake nets a $250 profit if the underdog triumphs. This strategy centers on finding value where the market has overly discounted a team's or player's chances. The inherent risk is a higher frequency of lost stakes. Profitable underdog wagering demands sharp analytical skills to spot mispriced odds and a disciplined bankroll management to withstand periods of losses while waiting for a valuable upset.Your choice depends on your risk tolerance and analytical strategy. Favorites are for those seeking frequent, smaller profits and who can identify undervalued dominant teams. Underdogs appeal to bettors looking for substantial returns from a single event and who excel at finding competitively priced longshots. A balanced approach might involve wagering on slight favorites or small underdogs, avoiding the extreme ends of the odds spectrum to mitigate risk while still finding value.When to Choose a Moneyline Bet Over a Point SpreadSelect a direct outcome stake when you possess strong conviction in an underdog's ability to achieve a straight-up victory. The potential return on an underdog's outright win is substantially greater than on a successful handicap play. For example, a +6.5 point underdog covering the spread typically has a price around -110, whereas a successful victory selection on that same team could yield a +220 payout, directly rewarding the higher risk.Opt for a head-to-head pick when backing a small favorite, especially in sports where final scores are often close. With a favorite at -2.5 in football, a two-point victory results in a lost proposition on the handicap market. A straight-up selection at a price like -140 secures a win regardless of the margin, insulating you from a narrow victory that fails to cover the required points.In low-scoring sports like hockey, soccer, or baseball, the outright winner wager is frequently the superior choice. Covering a -1.5 run line or goal line is statistically challenging, as many contests are decided by a single score. A 2-1 victory in baseball or a 1-0 final in soccer produces a winning team but a losing handicap placement. The direct victory selection aligns perfectly with these common, single-score outcomes.Use an underdog’s victory selection to significantly increase the potential return of a multi-leg proposition. Including a +180 underdog pick in a three-team parlay has a much greater positive impact on the final odds than adding a standard -110 handicap selection. This is a strategic move to leverage a specific upset analysis for a much larger potential collection.