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What is the Vig in Sports Betting? Understanding Juice and Sportsbook Odds

The vig is the fee that sportsbooks charge for taking a bet. Sportsbooks build a vig into every wager they accept. It acts as a house edge that helps operators remain profitable over the long run.

Vig is short for vigorish and is also commonly referred to as juice. The vig is automatically applied into odds pricing by sportsbooks, it is not an additional fee you have to pay on top of your bet.

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What Is the Vig (Juice)?

The vig is a commission built into every wager bettors make. The vig is also known as juice, and is a fee built into all odds by each sportsbook.

It acts as insurance for sportsbooks, and ensures that no matter the result of a game or event, the sportsbook will make a profit. On traditional point spread and totals markets priced at -110 on both sides, the vig is approximately 4.76%.

How Does the Vig Work?

The vig works by sportsbooks pricing odds slightly below their fair value and adding on a commission that is baked into the odds pricing. The vig shaves a small amount of value off every market and betting line, instead of offering fair odds.

Sportsbooks ensure the total implied probability exceeds 100%, creating a built-in margin that helps them remain profitable over the long term.

Understanding -110 Odds

-110 odds are very common in sports betting, especially on point spreads and totals lines. When betting on odds at -110, bettors must wager $110 in order to make $100 profit.

In theory, a two-way market on the sportsbook's spread or total should be a 50/50 chance of either selection winning. A 50% winning chance equates to odds of +100.

If both sides of a spread are priced at +100, the total implied probability equals 100%, meaning there is no vig.

Sportsbooks opt to price selections with a 50% implied probability at -110, as this ensures the total implied probability is over 100%, at approximately 104.76%. Therefore, the sportsbook has a 4.76% vig.

With both sides of a market priced at -110, this means that bettors must win 52.38% of their bets to break even, rather than 50%. The additional 2.38% acts as the sportsbook's vig or juice, and over a two-way market, the total juice is 4.76%.

Vig Betting Examples

The vig is built into on automatically to all betting markets by sportsbooks, here are two examples of a vig in the point spread market and moneyline market.

Point Spread Example

The Kansas City Chiefs are -5.5 on the spread at -110, with the Las Vegas Raiders +5.5 on the spread at -110.

If the Chiefs win by six points or more, they cover the spread. If the Chiefs win by five points or less or lose the game, they fail to cover the spread.

If the Raiders lose by five points or less or win the game, they cover the spread. If the Raiders lose by six points or more, they fail to cover the spread.

With both sides priced at -110 on the point spread, bettors must risk $110 to win $100. This additional $10 risked to win $100 reflects the sportsbook's vig.

Moneyline Example

The LA Rams are -150 favorites on the moneyline against the LA Chargers. The Chargers are +130 on the moneyline.

-150 odds gives the Rams an implied win probability of 60%, and +130 odds gives the Chargers an implied win probability of 43.5%. This results in a combined implied probability of 103.5%.

In this example, the sportsbook's vig is 3.5%, giving the sportsbook a built-in edge in the market.

Why the Vig Matters

  • It increases your break-even point. At -110 odds, you need to win 52.38% of your bets just to break even, rather than 50%
  • It reduces your long-term profits. The vig takes a small amount of value from every bet you wager
  • A lower vig means better odds. Sportsbooks with smaller margins offer more value and better potential returns
  • An extra few cents in the odds can make a significant difference over the long-term. This is why it's important to shop lines and take advantage of reduced-juice promos
  • High-vig markets are difficult to beat. Player props, specials, and same-game parlays often carry larger margins, making profitability more difficult long-term

How to Reduce the Vig

You cannot change the odds that each sportsbook offers for a game or selection, but you can minimize the vig's impact on your betting, through line shopping and utilizing reduced-juice promos.

Line Shopping

Shopping for the best line is one of the most effective ways to reduce the impact of the vig. A standard bet on the two-way market is priced at -110 at sportsbooks, accounting for a 4.76% vig. By comparing sportsbooks against each other, you can find mispriced lines and totals, and sometimes find odds at -105 rather than -110, which reduces the amount of vig on each bet.

Betting Reduced-Juice Markets

Several sportsbooks, including Fanatics Sportsbook, offer reduced-juice markets across popular sports such as NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Reduced-juice offers reduce the vig on selected games and events, often pricing selections at -105 rather than -110. Wagering using reduced-juice odds means you require a lower win percentage to break even on your bets.

Additional Betting Insight & Explainers

The Fanatics Sportsbook blog offers further insight to sports betting markets, terms, and methods, including:

Vig (Juice) FAQs

What is a standard sports betting vig?

Standard point spread and totals odds are typically -110 on both sides, which equates to a vig of approximately 4.76%. On markets including moneyline, and other two-way markets, the vig ensures the combined probability exceeds 100%, which guarantees sportsbooks make a profit in the long-term.

Is the vig included in the odds?

Yes, the vig is already included in the odds that you see at sportsbooks. The vig is the built-in commission on a bet that is charged by the sportsbook on every wager.

Can you avoid paying the vig?

No, the vig is a commission that sportsbooks charge on every wager, that is automatically built into every sports bet that bettors place. Occasionally, sportsbooks offer no-vig or reduced-juice promotions that lower or remove the usual sportsbook margin.

Reviewed by Joe Dixon

What is the Vig in Sports Betting? Understanding Juice and Sportsbook Odds