How to Read MLB Betting Odds

American Odds Format

MLB odds are displayed in the American format, also called "moneyline odds." Every number is anchored to $100:

The negative team is always the favorite; the positive team is the underdog.

What Does -110 Mean?

-110 is the most common odds you'll see — it's the standard "juice" applied to run lines, totals, and competitive moneylines.

At -110, you need to win 52.4% of bets to break even. That's the minimum threshold for any profitable strategy.

Calculating Payouts

For a favorite (negative odds)

For an underdog (positive odds)

The Vig (Juice)

Sportsbooks charge a fee — called the vig or juice — on every bet. It's baked into the odds. A perfectly balanced game might be listed as:

Both sides at -110 means the book collects ~4.5% of every dollar wagered regardless of outcome. The best way to combat the vig is to find bets where you have a genuine edge — which is exactly what our AI tries to do.

What Is a Push?

A push is a tie. Your original stake is returned with no profit or loss. In baseball, pushes are rare on moneylines (someone always wins) but can happen on:

• Run line — if a game ends exactly 1 run apart and you bet ±1.5, there's no push. But some books offer alternate lines like ±1 where a push is possible.
• Totals — if the final runs total lands exactly on the set line (e.g., a game ends 4-3 and the total was 7), the bet pushes.

Implied Probability Quick Reference