Understanding American Odds
🚀 Getting StartedAmerican odds look confusing at first, but they're actually simple once you see the pattern.
The Two Types
NEGATIVE odds (like -150):
"How much do I bet to WIN $100?"
At -150, you bet $150 to win $100.
POSITIVE odds (like +200): "How much do I WIN on a $100 bet?" At +200, you win $200 on a $100 bet. [/example]
Think of It Like This
Negative = Favorite (expected to win). The bigger the negative number, the heavier the favorite.
Positive = Underdog (expected to lose). The bigger the positive number, the bigger the underdog.
Common Numbers You'll See
-110 → Standard "juice" line. Almost a coin flip.
-150 → Solid favorite. Wins about 60% of the time.
-300 → Heavy favorite. Wins about 75% of the time.
+100 → Even money. True 50/50.
+150 → Moderate underdog. Wins about 40% of the time.
+300 → Big underdog. Wins about 25% of the time.
Why This Matters for SharpWire
When we say "FanDuel has the Lakers at +155 but Pinnacle has them at +140," that means FanDuel is paying you $15 more per $100 bet for the exact same outcome. That extra $15 is your edge.
You don't need to memorize odds math. SharpWire does all the conversion and comparison for you automatically.