−110 is the standard sportsbook juice line. You risk $110 to win $100 in profit. Implied probability is about 52.38%, and the extra ~2.4% above a true 50/50 coin flip is the book's commission baked into the price.
The number itself
American odds use a + or − sign. A negative number like −110 means the side is the favorite — the sportsbook thinks it's more likely than 50/50 to win. The bigger the negative number, the bigger the favorite. −110 is barely a favorite at all; −500 is a heavy favorite.
The number itself tells you how much you have to risk to win $100. −110 means risk $110 to win $100. −200 means risk $200 to win $100. −500 means risk $500 to win $100.
The payout math
The formula for any negative American number:
Profit = stake × (100 / |odds|)
So −110 at any stake:
- $10 stake → $10 × (100/110) = $9.09 profit ($19.09 total payout)
- $25 stake → $25 × (100/110) = $22.73 profit ($47.73 total)
- $50 stake → $50 × (100/110) = $45.45 profit ($95.45 total)
- $110 stake → $100 profit ($210 total — this is the canonical reference bet)
Run any of these through the bet calculator to verify.
Why −110 is the default
Spreads and totals are designed as coin flips — the point spread or total is set so that, in theory, each side has a 50% chance of covering. If those were priced at even money (+100), the sportsbook would make zero profit long-run. So they tax both sides instead: −110 on the favorite, −110 on the underdog.
That extra ~$10 you risk per $100 won is the vig (also called juice). Across the whole market — every dollar bet on both sides — the book ends up with about a 4.76% hold. That's its long-run profit margin, no matter which side ends up winning more often.
Some sharper books offer reduced juice: −105/−105 cuts hold to about 2.38%, and −107/−107 lands around 3.37%. The lower the juice, the more bettor-friendly the book is on that market.
Implied probability at −110
The formula for a negative American number:
Implied probability = |odds| / (|odds| + 100)
For −110: 110 / 210 = 52.38%.
But remember — when both sides of a spread are −110, both have 52.38% implied probability. Add them together: 104.76%. Reality can't be more than 100%, so the extra 4.76% is the sportsbook's hold. To find the "fair" no-vig probability, divide each side's implied probability by the total: 52.38 / 104.76 = 50.00%. See how to remove vig from odds for the full walkthrough.
−110 in other odds formats
- Decimal: 1.91 — multiply your stake by 1.91 for total payout.
- Fractional: 10/11 — for every 11 units risked, you profit 10.
- Implied probability: 52.38%.
The quick converter on the homepage handles all four formats live.