Moneyline betting is the most basic type of wager. Sportsbooks assign odds to a given game or match, and bettors simply determine which team or athlete will win, and bets will pay out when one team or athlete is victorious.
PointsBet, an Australia-based company that is revolutionizing the way sports betting is done, is one of the top options in the United States for placing moneyline wagers.
PointsBet may be most renowned for its high-intensity PointsBet-style of gambling but also offers fixed-odds betting as well and is available in eight U.S. states.
If you’ve been tempted to try PointsBet but haven’t yet pulled the trigger, we’re here to help alleviate some of the anxiety. Here’s a look at moneyline betting with PointsBet.
How to Do Moneyline Bets on PointsBet
Placing a moneyline wager on PointsBet is a cinch. Here’s a look at how to do so.
Step 1: Create an Account or Sign In
If you don’t have an account with PointsBet, you’ll need to sign up. Simply click “Get Bonus" on this page, read The Game Day’s PointsBet Sportsbook review, or sign-up with promo code GD5X100 to unlock the best welcome offer.
Remember that all sensitive information is secure and only necessary to affirm your identity.
Step 2: Deposit
Put in your real money. Inserting funds can be as easy as completing an online purchase.
Remember that the method with which you insert your funds is the likely method with which you’ll be required to withdraw, and credit-card withdrawals aren’t allowed. Plus, all credit-card deposits come with a cash-advance fee.
Step 3: Find Moneyline Wager to Bet
Look at the various moneyline options PointsBet offers.
The sportsbook offers moneyline odds on most games from around the world, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer as well as sports like tennis, snooker and Aussie Rules football.
Step 4: Place Your Bet
Tap the moneyline bet you wish to make. Enter the stake you wish to wager. Press place bet and root for your bet to hit!
What Does Moneyline Mean on PointsBet?
Moneyline wagers simply require a person to wager on which team will win a game or match. Sportsbooks assign corresponding odds to each team depending on the likelihood that each will win.
In a moneyline bet, unlike in a spread bet, your bet will pay out as long as your team wins, no matter the final score. The team can win by one point or 35.
Because certain teams are almost a given to defeat others, especially in college games, moneyline odds can fluctuate drastically. Some moneyline favorites will have -115 odds. Others could be -1000 or longer.
PointsBet Moneyline Rules
There are few moneyline rules at PointsBet. If placing a two-way wager on football, soccer or combat sports and the game/match ends in a draw, all moneyline wagers are voided and bettors will receive their initial stakes back.
Moneyline vs Spread
As stated above, spread bets are wagers where the favorite must win by a certain amount of points for bettors to be victorious. In moneyline wagers, bettors are gambling on the team that will win.
For instance, if the Los Angeles Rams are a 5-point favorite in their game against the San Francisco 49ers, they might have -190 moneyline odds. A bettor who wanted to wager on the Rams to win would win $0.53 profit for every $1 wagered. If a gambler wanted to bet on the Rams to cover the five points, those odds would be -110, or $0.91 profit for every dollar bet.
Moneyline bettors would win if the Rams simply won the game. But spread bettors would need the Rams to win by more than five points in order for their bet to be paid out. If LA won by exactly five that bet would push, and bettors would receive their initial stake back.
If the 49ers won, with moneyline odds of say +165, a bettor would win $1.65 profit for every $1 wagered.
Underdog vs Favorite
Underdogs, or dogs for short, is the team that is less likely to win on paper and thus have longer moneyline odds. Favorites always have the less-lucrative odds in moneyline betting.
Usually, underdogs will have plus-money odds, and favorites will have minus-money.
However, if a game is extremely close on paper, both teams might have -110 moneyline odds and the spread would be “pick ’em." If both teams have minus-money odds that are not the same, the favorite is the team that has the minus number farther from 100.
But generally, an underdog will have moneyline odds between +100 and +900, and favorites will have moneyline odds that can range from -120 to -2000 depending on the likelihood of the team winning.
Sometimes in extremely lopsided-appearing games, sportsbooks will suspend moneyline betting because there isn’t enough of a market. They’ll just offer a spread.
For instance, in the famed Appalachian State upset win over Michigan on Sept. 1, 2007, most sportsbooks did not offer moneyline odds but simply made Michigan about a four-touchdown favorite.
Because betting on -1500 moneyline odds can be a terrible bet, since it offers $6.67 profit on a $100 wager, betting spreads can be far more lucrative.
PointsBet also offers live betting, or in-game betting, which is a smart wager when odds get more favorable for betting as a game goes by.
PointsBet NFL Moneylines
The NFL is the most popular sport in the world, and football betting makes up the majority of the sports-gambling handled on an annual basis.
PointsBet has a partnership with the NFL, and longtime New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees is its primary spokesperson, so you can be certain that PointsBet offers exceptional odds and favorable boosts on football betting from the Hall of Fame game to the Super Bowl.
Aside from moneylines, PointsBet also provides bettors with spreads, props, and futures — wagers involving teams to make the playoffs or win their division — for football bettors around the U.S. But PointsBet also provides moneyline odds for every game all season long and will even boost odds on certain outcomes or parlays as well.
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is like Christmas for sports bettors, and PointsBet offers elite betting options for Super Bowl betting, like moneylines, totals, and spreads for the big game.
Wagerers can place futures bets year-round on which team will win the Super Bowl, as well as which teams will represent their respective conference in the big game each February.
Then when the Super Bowl arrives, bettors can sort through the vast array of props, including novelty props, that PointsBet has to offer.
Moneyline Bet Strategies
Generally, we don’t advocate placing any moneyline bets that are -150 or shorter, unless it is as a parlay leg or to satisfy an initial new-user offer. The profit does not justify the stake with which you wager.
But the best strategy is to target value. Zero in on any market inefficiencies and pounce.
If the team you believe will win is a two-point underdog, it makes more sense to wager it to win outright — since most games are decided by more than two points, and two-point underdogs generally have plus-money moneyline odds.
In basketball, my preferred strategy is to target home, plus-money underdogs, especially in games that are not necessarily lopsided on paper.
Do your homework too. We at The Game Day create a robust network of analysis of every game in North America each day. Consult that, ideally to affirm what your gut is telling you about a given matchup, and cash in.
Have fun. Trust your gut. Be responsible. Betting on sports is supposed to be a fun way to add juice to the games we’re watching anyway.
Moneyline Betting for Beginners
Moneyline betting is tailor-made for new and novice gamblers.
We all have opinions about which team will win an individual game on a day-to-day basis. Dipping your toe by placing a small amount of money on a game you feel strongly about is a great way to get comfortable with an online sportsbook.
As you get more comfortable then you can wade into the territory of parlay betting or long-shot spread bets with PointsBet or another sportsbook.
But be sure to do your homework. You don’t want to place a moneyline wager on a team that has a depleted roster due to illness, suspension or injuries. But trust your gut too. The best bets are the ones we love.
How to Calculate Moneyline Odds?
It’s understandable if the pluses and minuses can be a bit confusing. But calculating odds isn’t too hard.
In a minus-money odds situation, divide the odds number by $100 to determine what the profit-per-dollar amount is, meaning the return on -200 odds is $0.50 for every dollar bet.
Plus-money odds are far more easy to calculate since you multiply your stake by the odds percentage to determine your payout.
For instance, if a team has +165 moneyline odds you multiply your stake by 1.65 to determine what your stake will be.
Fortunately, PointsBet, like most online sportsbooks, calculates the exact payout of your moneyline bet before you place your bet, so you’ll know exactly what your profit will be before you even place your bet.
Why Are Moneylines a Good Bet?
They are simple.
You place your bet on which team will win, enter your stake, and root for the team/athlete to win. It’s that simple.
Can Moneylines Be a Bad Bet?
They can be only due to the odds.
An NBA team could be -450 or shorter in an individual wager, and those teams have a tendency to lose, especially during the regular season.
If you placed a $20 bet on a -450 favorite, your profit will only be $4.44, which means you’d need to bet more to win more.
If you placed a $50 wager at -450, and it loses, you’re out $50, which is a lot to lose in a single wager.
What Sports Are Available for Moneylines?
Every sport. Every single one.
You can bet moneylines in football, tennis, baseball, hockey, basketball, soccer, and much more.
Any sport where one team or athlete can win a game or match is one where a bettor can gamble moneylines on PointsBet.
Is There Bet Insurance on Moneylines?
Sometimes.
If your initial second-chance bet is a moneyline wager then you’ll receive site credit if the bet loses. PointsBet may also give bettors bonus bets or free wagers in small denominations. But it isn’t all the time.
