What is Juice in Sports Betting? How to Calculate Juice in Betting
James Wilson
Sports Betting Analyst
Understanding juice (also known as vig or vigorish) is crucial for any sports bettor looking to be profitable in the long run. While many bettors focus on picking winners, few pay enough attention to how the juice affects their overall profitability. In this guide, we'll explain everything you need to know about juice in sports betting.
What is Juice in Sports Betting?
In layman's terms, you can think of juice (also known as "vig" or "vigorish") as the tax that sportsbooks charge on each side of a bet.
When you buy a coffee at Starbucks the price on the menu says $1.99, but with tax you end up being charged over $2. Sportsbooks do something similar. For example, if you bet $100 on a spread at -110 odds and win, you only get $90 back in profit (plus your stake). But if that bet loses, the sportsbook gets your full $100.
So, if two bettors wager $100 on each side of a game at -110 odds, no matter what the outcome is, the sportsbook would make $10. Multiply that $10 across millions of bets, and that is how sportsbooks make their money.
Juice Example
| TEAM | SPREAD | ODDS |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | -2.5 | -110 |
| New England Patriots | +2.5 | -110 |
The most common juice you will see is -110 on each side of a bet, as shown in this Colts-Patriots example. This means you need to risk $110 to win $100 (plus your stake back).
But juice isn't always evenly distributed. If more money comes in on the Colts -2.5 but the sportsbook isn't ready to move the line to -3, they might increase the odds on the Colts side to -115 or -120 while potentially lowering the Patriots side to -105 or -100.
How to Calculate Juice
Calculating juice involves converting betting odds to implied probabilities. When you add up the implied probabilities for all possible outcomes of an event, the total should be 100% in a perfectly fair market. However, with juice, the total will exceed 100% - and that excess is the vig.
Here's how to convert odds to implied probabilities:
For negative odds (American format):
Implied Probability = Negative Odds / (Negative Odds + 100) × 100%
Example: -110 odds → 110 / (110 + 100) × 100 = 52.4%
For positive odds (American format):
Implied Probability = 100 / (Positive Odds + 100) × 100%
Example: +150 odds → 100 / (150 + 100) × 100 = 40%
Using the standard -110 odds from our earlier example:
- Colts -2.5 at -110: Implied probability is 52.4%
- Patriots +2.5 at -110: Implied probability is also 52.4%
- Total: 104.8%
The juice in this market is 4.8% (104.8% - 100%). This means that you would need to win your bets at -110 odds 52.4% of the time just to break even, rather than the 50% that would be required in a perfectly fair market.
Is There Juice on Other Betting Markets?
Yes, there is juice in every betting market, though the amount can vary significantly. Let's look at how juice works across different markets:
Moneyline Juice
| TEAM | MONEYLINE | IMPLIED PROBABILITY |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | +115 | 46.5% |
| Indianapolis Colts | -135 | 57.4% |
In this moneyline market, the total implied probability is 103.9% (46.5% + 57.4%), making the juice approximately 3.9%. That 20-point difference (from +115 to -135) is a common juice level for moneyline markets.
Juice on Player Props
| PLAYER | PROP | LINE | OVER ODDS | UNDER ODDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | Rushing Yards | 78.5 | -115 | -115 |
The juice on player props tends to be higher than on spread or moneyline bets due to the wider variance in these markets. With both sides at -115, the implied probability for each is 53.5%, adding up to 107% - meaning the juice is 7%.
Juice on Futures
Futures markets typically have the highest juice of all betting markets. This might seem counterintuitive given the high odds often displayed, but when you add up the implied probabilities of all possible outcomes (all teams that could win the Super Bowl, for example), the total often exceeds 130% or more. This represents substantial juice that makes futures bets among the most difficult to profit from long-term.
How to Remove Juice
Removing juice allows you to see the "true" or "fair" probabilities that the market assigns to each outcome. Here's how to calculate no-vig odds:
Formula:
True Probability = Side's Implied Probability / Sum of All Implied Probabilities
Using our moneyline example:
Patriots: 46.5% / (46.5% + 57.4%) = 44.8%
Colts: 57.4% / (46.5% + 57.4%) = 55.2%
These two percentages now add up to 100%, representing the true probabilities without juice. Converting back to odds, the fair odds would be approximately +123 for the Patriots and -123 for the Colts.
Strategies to Combat Juice
1. Line Shopping
The simplest and most effective way to combat juice is to shop for the best lines across multiple sportsbooks. Even small differences in odds can have a significant impact on your long-term profitability.
For example, if you find the Colts -2.5 at -105 at one sportsbook instead of -110 elsewhere, that 5-cent difference reduces the implied probability from 52.4% to 51.2%, lowering the juice you're paying by more than 1%.
2. Use Parlays Strategically
While parlays generally have higher juice than single bets, they can sometimes be used to reduce juice on heavy favorites. Rather than betting several big favorites at -300 or worse individually (which would require winning at least 75% of the time to break even), combining 2-3 solid favorites in a parlay can produce more reasonable odds.
| TEAM | MONEYLINE | BET TYPE | COMBINED ODDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | -305 | Single bet | -305 |
| Rams | -400 | Single bet | -400 |
| Eagles & Rams | -305/-400 | 2-team parlay | -154 |
As you can see, parlaying two heavy favorites can create much more palatable odds of -154, requiring you to win just over 60% of the time rather than 75%+. However, be cautious not to parlay too many teams, as the risk of at least one team losing increases substantially.
3. Avoid Futures Bets
Since futures markets have the highest juice, limiting your exposure to these bets can help preserve your bankroll. If you do want to bet futures, consider splitting your stake across multiple teams rather than putting all your money on one outcome.
4. Take Advantage of Reduced Juice Promotions
Some sportsbooks offer "reduced juice" or "nickel lines" promotions where the standard -110 is reduced to -105. These promotions can significantly improve your long-term profitability if used consistently.
5. Calculate No-Vig Odds Before Betting
By calculating the no-vig odds for a market, you can better understand the true probabilities the market is assigning to each outcome. This allows you to make more informed betting decisions and potentially identify value opportunities.