What is the Moneyline? A Guide for Betting the Moneyline in Massachusetts

Fact Checked by Hunter Hewitt

Moneyline betting is one of the most common bet types that Massachusetts online sportsbooks offer, but beginner bettors and even experienced gamblers may not fully understand the ins and outs of the moneyline wager. Continue reading to see our guide and breakdown of all things moneyline wagers.

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Best Moneyline Betting Sites in Massachusetts

Moneyline is the simplest type of bet you can find. A moneyline wager is simply a bet on one of two teams to win the game, match, or fight. Unlike point spread bets where your team needs to cover a certain point spread, moneyline bets just need a team to win outright.

Every sportsbook in Massachusetts will offer moneyline wagers to its customers on every major sport. When looking for a great site to bet moneylines, compare things like odds and promos. Also, look for the best Massachusetts sports betting promotions when trying to bet moneylines, as you can get bonus bets, boosted profits or bet refunds. Finding a good sportsbook goes a long way when first getting into gambling, so make sure to do your research.

Massachusetts bettors must be 21+ and present to place wagers in the state. Gambling problem in Massachusetts? Play it smart from the start! GamesenseMA.com or Call 1-800-327-5050 to speak with a trained specialist free and confidentially 24/7. Full Terms apply

What is a Moneyline Bet in Mass?

When looking for a moneyline wager, there will be two things to look for; which team is the favorite and which team is the underdog. If the Boston Red Sox are playing the New York Yankees and the odds are New York ML -150 and Boston ML +175, the Red Sox are the underdogs meaning they have a lower chance to win but a higher payout. Another way for bettors to increase their odds is by taking advantage of the best offers, such as the DraftKings Massachusetts sign-up bonus.

The Favored Team

The favored team is the team the sportsbooks have decided is most likely to win and is denoted by negative odds. If the New England Patriots are -200 vs. the NY Jets, that means they are the favorites to win. Having -200 odds at a sportsbook like BetMGM Sportsbook Massachusetts means that bettors would have to wager $200 in order to win $100.

The Underdog

The underdog, identified by positive odds, is the team that is seen as most likely to lose. In the previous example, if the Patriots were +150 instead of -200, they would be the underdogs. +150 means that bettors have to place $100 to win $150. Underdogs can often provide a lot of value to bettors because of their increased odds.

Pick 'Em / Even Odds

In some rare occasions, neither team in a game is the favorite, and this is called a pick 'em, where teams have even odds. If two teams are seen as very even, there will be no favorite, and both teams will have odds of -110 at somewhere like Caesars Sportsbook. For a pick 'em, there will also be no point spread as both teams have equal odds to win the game.

Keep in mind, there is a Caesars Massachusetts promo code available to use, which can provide boosted odds or bonus funds to place a wager. 

Massachusetts bettors must be 21+ and present to place wagers in the state. Gambling problem in Massachusetts? Play it smart from the start! GamesenseMA.com or Call 1-800-327-5050 to speak with a trained specialist free and confidentially 24/7. Full Terms apply

Moneyline Betting: Potential Outcomes Explained for MA Bettors

After you place your moneyline bet with ESPN Massachusetts sportsbook or any other sportsbook, there are three possible outcomes for your wager. The two most common outcomes are a win or a loss. The third outcome is a draw and is only possible in some sports, which we will go over. Unlike point spreads, moneylines win or lose simply if the team you be on wins or loses.

Win

In order to win your moneyline bet, all that has to happen is the team or player has to win the game. How much you win is completely dependent on how much you wager and what the odds are. You could put $10 on a -1000 bet and only win $1.

Loss

Unfortunately, if the team you wager on loses, your moneyline bet loses as well. If you lose, you lose your entire wager, so make sure you are smart when placing the bet.

Draw

In the event of a draw, your bet would be called a push, and you would get the money you wagered back. Draws can only happen in certain sports like football, soccer, and boxing/MMA. You can only get your money back on bets where a draw wasn't a betting option (sometimes in soccer, you can bet win/loss/draw, where you wouldn't get your money back in the event of a draw).

Massachusetts bettors must be 21+ and present to place wagers in the state. Gambling problem in Massachusetts? Play it smart from the start! GamesenseMA.com or Call 1-800-327-5050 to speak with a trained specialist free and confidentially 24/7. Full Terms apply

How to Read Moneyline Odds: Calculating Payouts on Moneyline Bets

When online sports betting and looking to place a moneyline bet, the most important thing to look at is the odds. The odds tell you three things: who is the favorite, who's the underdog, and how much a team is the favorite or underdog. And you can bet that Massachusetts' top-tier operators such as FanDuel Massachusetts will offer the best moneyline odds. 

Minus Odds (-)

A team with negative odds means they are the favorite in the match and are more likely to win. Negative odds tell you how much you need to wager in order to win $100. If the Boston Celtics are -300 vs the Warriors, then you would have to wager $300 in order to win $100. These big favorites may seem good to bet on, but these bad payouts make them a risk. While we're on the subject, check out our Celtics championship odds page. 

Plus Odds (+)

Positive odds represent the team that is the underdog in the match and consequently offer a larger return. As opposed to negative odds, positive odds reflect how much money you will win if you wager $100. If the Boston Bruins are +175 vs. the New York Rangers, and you bet $100 on them, if they win, you will win $175.

Even Odds (EV, PK or +100)

If the two teams that are playing are perceived to be equal, then the odds of the game will be even. Sportsbooks handle even odds differently with different names and abbreviations like: even odds (EV) or pick 'em (PK). If a game between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins was a pick 'em, the moneyline odds for both teams would be -110.

Massachusetts mobile sports betting apps typically list their even odds like this:

  • Game Moneyline
  • New England -110
  • Miami -110

Implied Probability

You may be wondering what these moneyline odds mean other than just how much money you can win. They actually also represent an implied probability of each team winning the game. To calculate the implied probability, there are many calculators online, but there are also two formulae, minus odds/(minus odds + 100) and 100 / (positive odds + 100). The two implied probabilities of a game usually do not add up to 100, and this difference is the house edge.

Massachusetts bettors must be 21+ and present to place wagers in the state. Gambling problem in Massachusetts? Play it smart from the start! GamesenseMA.com or Call 1-800-327-5050 to speak with a trained specialist free and confidentially 24/7. Full Terms apply

What Sports Can You Place Moneyline Bets on in Mass?

Because moneyline betting is a very simple wager type, practically every sport has moneyline betting, from team sports like football and basketball to individual sports like tennis and boxing. Big sportsbooks like BetMGM will have every major sports league as well as international sports like cricket and EPL.

  • NFL Moneyline The most popular league in sports betting, the NFL, is a great place to start betting moneylines. Sports bettors will find NFL moneyline odds posted on their online sportsbook every week. The NFL is one of the few leagues that allows ties, so there is a possibility for a push on your moneyline bet. The NFL is a great league to moneyline bet because teams are hardly ever huge favorites, so there is an opportunity for a good return. Before placing your first football moneyline bet, there are some non-football-related elements that you should be aware of. Stuff like home-field advantage, weather, and injuries should all be checked before placing a bet. Sportsbooks will shift the odds in favor of teams based on these factors.
  • NBA Moneyline The NBA is quickly becoming one of the most popular leagues in the world. With its fast-paced and exciting nature, it is one of the top leagues to bet on. The NBA is one of the hardest leagues for the underdog to win, so keep that in mind when betting the moneyline. Like in NFL, home-court advantage is a huge factor when sportsbooks create the moneyline odds, so make sure to keep this in mind. Another factor to keep in mind when betting on NBA moneylines is the frequency with which star players sit out.
  • MLB Moneyline The MLB moneyline is one of the hardest bets in sports because of the sheer number of games played. On any given day, the worst team in the league can beat the best team. This randomness also provides an opportunity. The biggest factor in baseball moneyline betting is the starting pitchers. If a certain team is a large underdog, but their pitcher is hot or performs well against an opponent, betting on them can offer a great return. And keep an eye out for MLB betting promos to increase your payroll while betting.
  • NHL Moneyline Moneyline is the most common wager in hockey because, similarly to the MLB, the underdog wins more frequently than in other sports. Hockey is a very physical sport which means players are often injured, so it is important to check the pregame injury list before you place a moneyline bet. Hockey is also a game with lots of momentum swings providing an opportunity to place a live moneyline bet when you feel the momentum shift.

Moneyline vs Spread Bets Explained

The other most common bet type at sportsbooks is the point spread bet. If you are to know anything about sports betting, it should be these two bets. The point spread is the number of points that one team in a game is favored by. Sportsbooks create point spreads as a way to handicap or even an uneven game.

If the spread on the Patriots Vs. Chiefs game is NE -6.5, which means the Patriots are 6.5-point favorites. A spread bet is a bet on a team to either win by more than the spread or not lose by more than the spread. In a moneyline bet, on the other hand, the team only has to win the game. If you put two separate bets on the New England Patriots odds, one spread and one moneyline and they won 30-27, your moneyline bet would win, but your spread bet would lose because they didn't win by more than 6.5.

Moneyline Parlay Bets in MA

Moneyline parlays are a very popular way to increase your winnings because moneylines themselves don't often offer a great return on their own. You may want to bet on three -200 moneylines but on their own, the return isn't that great. If you parlay them all, you can greatly increase your return. Moneyline parlays can also include spread bets as long as they're from different games. If you're really feeling lucky, the underdog moneyline parlay is one of the most exciting parlays you can make because who doesn't like cheering for the underdog?

Learn More About Moneyline Betting in Massachusetts

Moneyline betting is one of the best ways to make money online sports betting. For this reason, moneyline bets are very popular among beginner and experienced sports bettors alike. We recommend bettors check out Bally Bet Massachusetts for all their moneyline betting. All you have to do is pick the winner and watch the action unfold. For a little more excitement, you can create a moneyline parlay, but be careful if one bet loses, your entire parlay loses. Now it's time to get out there and place a moneyline bet!

Massachusetts bettors must be 21+ and present to place wagers in the state. Gambling problem in Massachusetts? Play it smart from the start! GamesenseMA.com or Call 1-800-327-5050 to speak with a trained specialist free and confidentially 24/7. Full Terms apply

Moneyline Betting in Massachusetts FAQs

Author

Lukas Shaw

Lukas Shaw is a betting analyst for BetMassachusetts.com. Shaw, an avid sports fan, has quickly become an authority in the burgeoning market, providing readers with an in-depth analysis of the latest betting apps and bonus codes while also sharing helpful insights on betting strategy.

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