What are American odds?
American odds are the plus-and-minus format used by US sportsbooks, where a negative number shows how much you must stake to win $100 and a positive number shows how much a $100 stake wins.
Everything in this format hangs on $100. You don’t have to bet $100; it’s just the yardstick.
- Minus (−200): the favourite. Stake $200 to win $100.
- Plus (+150): the underdog. Stake $100 to win $150.
You’ll also hear them called moneyline odds or US odds. UK bookies default to fractional, most of Europe to decimal, and nearly every site lets you switch in the settings.
Example
You put $50 on a team at +150. Profit = 50 × 150 ÷ 100 = $75, so you get $125 back.
Your friend puts $50 on the other side at −200. Profit = 50 × 100 ÷ 200 = $25, so $75 comes back.
To convert to decimal: for plus odds, divide by 100 and add 1 (+150 → 2.50). For minus odds, divide 100 by the number and add 1 (−200 → 1.50).
| American | Decimal | Fractional | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| −200 | 1.50 | 1/2 | 66.7% |
| −110 | 1.91 | 10/11 | 52.4% |
| +100 | 2.00 | Evens | 50.0% |
| +150 | 2.50 | 6/4 | 40.0% |
| +300 | 4.00 | 3/1 | 25.0% |
Watch out
The scale isn’t even. The gap between −110 and −130 is far bigger in real terms than the gap between +300 and +320. If that trips you up, flip everything to decimal with the odds converter. My guide on how betting odds work covers all three formats side by side.