American odds (aka moneyline odds or US odds) are popular in the United States. The odds for favorites are accompanied by a minus (-) sign, indicating the amount you need to stake to win $100. The odds on a moneyline will normally have a plus or minus in front of a number: for example, Team A -150 or Team B +150. The minus symbol indicates the favorite to win, while the positive shows who the underdog is. What Do the Numbers Mean? Essentially, these odds show how much your profit will be based on the amount you wager.
Ex: American odds of -120 would win $100 on a $120 bet. Decimals quote the potential return should the bet succeed, relative to the stake. If $10 is bet at odds of 4, the total returned is $40 ($10 x 4) and the potential profit is $30 ($10 x 4 minus the $10 stake). Fractional Odds. The team that has the minus sign, which is the favorite, has points deducted from its final score, while the dog, with the plus sign, has points added. The favorite must beat the spread, which means they have to win by more than the negative number to pay off.
When statistical types use the word odds they mean the probability that an event will occur divided by the probability that an event will not occur, that is, odds = p/(1-p).However, in everyday conversation, people can use the word odds with a slightlydifferent but related meaning. In ordinary conversation people often mean Las Vegasor gambling odds. So you will hear terms like 3to1 or 3to2. You may also hear people talk about these matters in terms of chance, as in, the chance is 3in4 or 3in5. So what dopeople mean when they say odds are 3to1 or the chance is 3in4?
Consider a probability of .5 (1/2 = .5) which is equivalent to the statistical odds of 1(.5/(1-.5) = .5/.5 =1). In Las Vegas odds this would be given as 1to1, that is, one chance for to one chance against. When expressed as chance, it would be 1in2, that is, one chance in 2 of winning.
Now when a gambler says that the odds are 3to1, they mean that there are 3 chancesto win to 1 chance to lose. Alternatively, the gambler express this as the chance is 3in4,that is, 3 chances to win in 4 total chances.What they really mean is that theprobability is .75 (3/4 = .75) or that the statistical odds are 3 (odds = .75/(1-.75) = .75/.25 = 3).
You will also see Las Vegasodds of 3to2 (which is equivalent to 1.5to1, but you will never see it written this way). Oddsof 3to2 is just another way of saying that there are 3 chances of winning to 2 chances of losing.The gambler may also express odds of 3to2 as a chance of 3in5, that is, 3 chances to win in5 total chances. Whether given as odds of 3to2 or chance of 3in5 the statistical probability is .6 (3/5 = .6) and the statistical odds are 1.5 (odds = .6/(1-.6) = .6/.4 = 1.5).
The table below gives the Las Vegas (gambling) odds, chance, statistical odds and probability fora number of different combinations.
Plus Minus Hockey
When statistical types use the word odds they mean the probability that an event will occur divided by the probability that an event will not occur, that is, odds = p/(1-p).However, in everyday conversation, people can use the word odds with a slightlydifferent but related meaning. In ordinary conversation people often mean Las Vegasor gambling odds. So you will hear terms like 3to1 or 3to2. You may also hear people talk about these matters in terms of chance, as in, the chance is 3in4 or 3in5. So what dopeople mean when they say odds are 3to1 or the chance is 3in4?
Consider a probability of .5 (1/2 = .5) which is equivalent to the statistical odds of 1(.5/(1-.5) = .5/.5 =1). In Las Vegas odds this would be given as 1to1, that is, one chance for to one chance against. When expressed as chance, it would be 1in2, that is, one chance in 2 of winning.
Now when a gambler says that the odds are 3to1, they mean that there are 3 chancesto win to 1 chance to lose. Alternatively, the gambler express this as the chance is 3in4,that is, 3 chances to win in 4 total chances.What they really mean is that theprobability is .75 (3/4 = .75) or that the statistical odds are 3 (odds = .75/(1-.75) = .75/.25 = 3).
You will also see Las Vegasodds of 3to2 (which is equivalent to 1.5to1, but you will never see it written this way). Oddsof 3to2 is just another way of saying that there are 3 chances of winning to 2 chances of losing.The gambler may also express odds of 3to2 as a chance of 3in5, that is, 3 chances to win in5 total chances. Whether given as odds of 3to2 or chance of 3in5 the statistical probability is .6 (3/5 = .6) and the statistical odds are 1.5 (odds = .6/(1-.6) = .6/.4 = 1.5).
Plus Minus Symbol
The table below gives the Las Vegas (gambling) odds, chance, statistical odds and probability fora number of different combinations.