Moneyline betting is the most basic way to bet. You simply wager on a team or athlete to win his/her/its game, and you win big when they do.
SI Sportsbook, the online betting arm of the legendary Sports Illustrated media brand that was born out of a partnership with Europe-based 888 Sport, may only be in a couple of states but is one of the top options in the states in which it does operate.
People have been placing moneyline wagers for as long as there’s been betting, and in the new age of online sports betting, placing a moneyline wager has never been easier.
But if you’re intimidated about placing moneyline bets, or are unsure about using the SI Sportsbook, here’s a look at how the practice works with that establishment.
How to Do Moneyline Bets on SI Sportsbook
Step 1: Create an Account or Sign In
If you don’t have an account with the Sports Illustrated Sportsbook, start by clicking through our special link on our SI Sportsbook review page, “Get Bonus," and sign up with any necessary promo code to unlock the sportsbook’s best new-user offer.
Remember any sensitive info is secure and only used to affirm your age and identity.
Step 2: Deposit
Enter your playable funds. Depositing is as easy as making a purchase from your favorite online retailer. Choose your preferred depositing method, keeping in mind that credit-card deposits come with a cash-advance fee and withdrawals via credit card are generally not allowed.
If you’re interested in withdrawing electronically be sure to deposit via an ACH or e-wallet like PayPal. Otherwise, you’ll likely either need to withdraw at a casino cage or wait to receive a check in the mail.
Step 3: Find Moneyline Wager to Bet
Consult the SI Sportsbook app or website and determine which bet you wish to make. SI Sportsbook gives bettors competitive odds on every North American-based sport and most global events each day.
Step 4: Place Your Bet
Enter the amount you’re betting. Press Place bet and root for it to hit!
What Does Moneyline Mean on SI Sportsbook?
Betting moneylines is a fancy way to say betting on which team or player will win a game or match. SI Sportsbook gives users moneyline odds based on the likelihood that a team will win, and bettors who place a moneyline wager win when the team they bet on wins, no matter the final score or total number of points.
Sports Illustrated Moneyline Rules
There are very minimal rules for moneyline wagers. The only main one is in the event of a draw, in a two-way bet in football, soccer or combat sports, moneyline wagers are voided and the stake wagered is reimbursed.
Moneyline vs Spread
Moneyline wagers are bets placed determining which team will win, whereas a spread bet is dependent on a favorite or underdog to win by more than a few points or lose by fewer than a predetermined number.
But moneyline wagers are simple. Put your money down on which team will win. As long as it does — whether by one point or 50 — you win.
For example, if the New England Patriots are a seven-point favorite in their game against the Atlanta Falcons, the Patriots’ moneyline odds might be about -300. That means if a bettor wanted to wager on New England to win, he or she would get $0.33 profit for every $1 bet as long as the Patriots won. Betting on New England to cover, or win by at least, seven points would come with -110 odds.
The Falcons’ moneyline odds would likely be about +240, meaning bettors would receive $2.40 profit per dollar wagered, but the Falcons +7 would also have -110 odds.
Underdog vs Favorite
The underdog, sometimes shortened to dog, is the team that appears less likely to win. Favorites are the ones that are perceived as the team likely to win.
Underdogs almost always have plus-money odds that can vary from +100 to +1000 or longer depending on likely, or unlikely, they are to win. Favorites always have minus-money odds between -115 and -2000. Sportsbooks will rarely offer shorter moneyline odds than -2000, and in the event a game appears that lopsided they will usually not allow moneyline betting.
Underdogs will periodically have minus-money odds, almost always -105 — though some sportsbooks will produce -102, -106 or -108 moneyline odds. If both teams have -110 moneyline odds then there is no favorite and the spread will almost always be “pick ’em."
Online sportsbooks, including SI, will constantly move the moneyline odds and spreads as the games are ongoing to promote live, or in-game betting. Live betting is an online-only practice.
Sports Illustrated NFL Moneylines
The NFL is the most popular sport in the world to gamble on, and unsurprisingly, SI has a plethora of great moneyline betting options for every football game from the Hall of Fame game in August through the Super Bowl in February.
SI offers Week 1 betting from the minute the schedule is announced and also gives gamblers the option to bet futures, like which team will its respective division, conference and even claim the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end.
SI Sportsbook also provides boosted odds on parlays plus other promos that make it a stellar option for football bettors all season long.
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is like Christmas for bettors, with hundreds of props, parlays and promos to consider. SI features a surplus of Super Bowl-related markets for users looking to win big on the big game. Plus, bettors can wager on futures like which team will win the Super Bowl or compete in the game — including odds on predicting the exact matchup each year.
Moneyline Bet Strategies
For starters, we don’t recommend placing any bet, especially moneylines, that are -150 or shorter unless they are part of a multi-leg parlay. Despite the overwhelming odds, teams that are -200 or shorter lose all the time, and given the payout for such a bet — bettors will receive $0.50 profit per $1 bet for a -200 bet and less as the odds move farther from 100 — bettors would have to wager more to win more. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
Do your research. You don’t want to wager an underdog to win if its best player is injured or suspended. You probably won’t want to wager on a baseball team to win against one of the league’s best pitchers.
Take advantage of market inefficiencies. I like to do this by betting home underdogs in the NBA, especially during regular-season games between teams where the matchup seems relatively even. Plus-money odds, no matter how slight they seem, will still produce a net positive.
Trust your gut too. The best way to build a resentment is to let your friend coax you into betting an underdog you didn’t love and having it cost you real money.
Moneyline Betting for Beginners
Trial and error are your friends. The best way to get started with moneyline betting is to place a small amount on a market you love.
If you’re too tentative to do that, consult the sportsbook’s odds and try virtually betting it — meaning going through the steps required to place a bet but not actually put in the wager — and see how that plays out. If you were right then you’re probably ready to get rolling for real. If you’re not, try again with a different wager and thank your lucky stars you didn’t lose any real money.
As you get more comfortable, you’ll feel better about moneyline parlays or riskier, long-odds picks.
But start small if you’re not ready to jump right in. There’s no shame in placing $5 or $10 bets, or less if you don’t have the funds to put out that much. The whole idea of sports betting is to add a little extra stake into the games and events we wanted to bet anyway.
Do your homework — The Game Day produces betting analysis for games and events that gamblers should consider — including an odds-analysis tool that is handy, especially when wagering on football. Make sure that homework affirms what your gut is telling you, since the best bets are the ones we love.
Be responsible and have fun.
How to Calculate Moneyline Odds?
If your head is spinning due to these pluses and minuses, that makes complete sense. Odds will vary drastically depending on a number of factors, including boosts and when you wager.
Plus-money odds are easy to calculate, since the number listed is the profit a bettor wins on a $100 bet. That makes calculating a $50, $10, $5 or $1 wager simple. For instance, if you as a bettor wanted to place a wager on a team as a +150 underdog, it is pretty easy to figure out the profit on a wager of $50 ($75), $10 ($15), $5 ($7.50) or $1 ($1.50).
Minus-money odds can seem more confusing, but the premise is similar only the payout is less because it’s a more likely wager to hit. The sportsbook version of a coin-flip is a -110 bet, which profits $0.91 per $1 bet. A -200 bet pays out $0.50 profit per dollar wagered. A -300 is $0.33 profit per $1 and so on.
Fortunately, SI, like all online sportsbooks, will inform you exactly how much you stand to win when your custom wager hits, which eliminates most of the guesswork.
Why Are Moneylines a Good Bet?
Moneylines are simple. You just wager on one team, player, etc., to win his/her/its game or match and if they do so you cash in.
Can Moneylines Be a Bad Bet?
Odds can be really unfavorable for moneyline betting. Even teams that are -300 or shorter lose from time to time, an given the fact a bettor must wager more to win more when those odds are the case — a $25 moneyline bet at -300 produces just $8.33 in profit — sometimes a moneyline bet isn’t the best, unless it is a parlay leg.
What Sports Are Available for Moneylines?
Every one that has games and matches. Golf does not generally have moneyline wagers, though there are options for bettors to wager on which player will finish with the lowest score at the end of each round and in a group of two or three players.
Otherwise, there are moneyline options for any sport that SI Sportsbook offers bets.
Is There Bet Insurance on Moneylines?
Not often. If you are placing a moneyline bet as part of your new-user promotion, and the promotion is a second-chance bet, then you will receive insurance on your moneyline wager. Otherwise, you’re on your own.
