Juice / Vig
The commission charged by a sportsbook on every bet, built into the odds.
Juice (also called the vig, vigorish, or margin) is the commission a sportsbook builds into its odds. It is how books make money no matter which side wins.
You rarely see it as a separate fee. It is hidden in the price: instead of paying even money (+100) on a coin-flip bet, the book pays -110, so you risk $110 to win $100.
How Juice Works
Suppose 100 bettors each bet $110 at -110, split evenly between the two sides ($11,000 total). The book returns $10,500 to the 50 winners ($5,500 in stakes plus $5,000 in winnings) and keeps $500. That is about 4.5% of all money wagered, and the book earns it regardless of the result.
How to Calculate the Vig
- Convert both sides' odds to implied probability.
- Add them together. Anything over 100% is the overround.
- The book's hold (its share of total money wagered) is 1 − (1 / the total).
-110 / -110: 52.38% + 52.38% = 104.76%
Hold = 1 − (1 / 1.0476) = 4.55%
| Market | Combined Implied Probability | Book's Hold |
|---|---|---|
| -105 / -105 | 102.44% | 2.38% |
| -120 / +100 | 104.55% | 4.35% |
| -110 / -110 | 104.76% | 4.55% |
| -200 / +170 | 103.70% | 3.57% |
Breakeven Win Rates
Juice decides how often you need to win just to break even:
| Price | Breakeven Win Rate |
|---|---|
| -105 | 51.2% |
| -110 | 52.4% |
| -115 | 53.5% |
| -120 | 54.5% |
Removing the Vig
To see the fair probability behind a line, divide each side's implied probability by the total. For Chiefs -180 / Raiders +155, the implied probabilities are 64.3% and 39.2%, a total of 103.5%. The no-vig probabilities are about 62.1% and 37.9%. That is the closest thing to the book's true opinion of the game.
Why Lower Juice Matters So Much
Small differences in juice add up fast. A bettor who wins 55% of 1,000 bets:
- At -110 (risking $110 to win $100), makes about $5,500.
- At -105 (risking $105 to win $100), makes about $7,750.
Same picks, about 40% more profit, just from a cheaper price. That is why sharp bettors shop lines across several books and favor reduced-juice markets.
Juice on Other Bet Types
- Moneylines: the juice sits in the gap between the two prices.
- Player props: often priced with a 6% to 10% hold.
- Parlays: the margin compounds with each leg, about 9% on a 2-leg parlay of -110 bets and more on longer ones.
- Futures: often carry the highest margins of all, sometimes 20% or more across a whole market.
Use our Odds Converter to turn any price into implied probability and see the juice for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Juice is the sportsbook's commission, baked into the odds.
- -110 on both sides of a spread is the industry standard.
- Reduced juice books (-105) meaningfully improve your long-term results.
- Understanding juice is essential for calculating your true breakeven win rate.
Examples
- You bet $110 to win $100 on the Chiefs -3. If you lose, the book keeps your $110. If you win, you get back $210 ($110 stake + $100 profit). The book profits from the asymmetry.
Test Your Knowledge
1 / 4Do you know what Implied Probability means?
The win probability implied by a set of odds, including the sportsbook's margin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does -110 mean in betting?
It means you bet $110 to win $100. The extra $10 is the sportsbook's juice. -110 is the standard price on spreads and totals, and it implies a 52.4% chance of winning.
What is my breakeven win rate at -110?
At -110, you need to win 52.38% of your bets to break even. At -105, the breakeven drops to 51.22%.
Do moneyline bets have juice?
Yes. The juice on a moneyline is embedded in the gap between the two sides' odds. For example, at -150 / +130, a no-juice line would sit around -140 / +140.