What Are Plus and Minus Odds in Sports Betting?

In online sports betting, plus and minus odds describe rates of return in the American system of odds.

When a gambler places a winning bet, they receive their original principal plus winnings. The winnings are calculated based on the odds of the initial wager. Those odds are described by either a plus number or a minus number.

In American odds, minus numbers generally describe favorites. A baseball team that is -145 is a modest favorite with a 59.2% implied chance to win. A soccer team that is -300 to score a goal is quite likely to find the back of the net. A tennis player who is priced at -800 is an overwhelming favorite.

Each of these minus numbers represents a rate of return that is less than 1-to-1. For example, a successful wager on the -145 baseball team would return $100 of profit for every $145 wagered. The big tennis favorite would return $100 for a successful $800 bet, $50 for a successful $400 bet, $25 for a successful $200, etc. 

Plus numbers generally represent underdogs and higher rates of return. A +180 underdog returns $180 of profit for every $100 wagered, making underdogs a far more profitable – but also more difficult – betting side. 

Is It Better To Be Plus or Minus in Betting?

While neither side is “better” than the other, many successful bettors will say they prefer to bet underdogs. 

There are some complex psychological reasons behind this, but the financial side is pretty self-explanatory. For many bettors who regularly assume the risks of betting, they’d prefer to do so with higher payouts on the line.