This article explains in plain language what the plus and minus signs mean in U.S. football sports betting and why the two uses are distinct. It covers moneylines and point spreads, shows how to convert American odds to implied probability, and gives practical examples and decision checks you can use before placing a bet.

Plus and minus signs mean price on moneylines and points on spreads, two different concepts.

Convert American odds to implied probability using fixed formulas before comparing prices.

Check house rules for pushes and account for the bookmaker margin when assessing value.

Quick answer: what the plus and minus mean in football betting

The plus and minus signs have two separate meanings in U.S. football sports betting: on moneylines, the minus indicates the favorite and the amount you must risk to win 100, while the plus marks the underdog and the profit on a 100 stake, and on point spreads the minus means the favorite gives points while the plus means the underdog receives points, so the symbols describe either price or a points adjustment, not the same thing in both markets American Gaming Association sports betting glossary.

What does +/- mean in football betting?

In U.S. football betting the plus and minus signs have two standard uses: on moneylines they indicate price, showing risk and payout, while on point spreads they indicate points given or received; convert moneylines to implied probability for price comparisons and apply spread signs to adjust scores.

Put simply, a moneyline of -150 shows price and risk, whereas a spread of -3 shows a points handicap; you do not treat -150 as -3 points or vice versa in analysis Investopedia moneyline explanation.

How the plus and minus work on moneylines

Reading negative odds: what the minus means

In American odds, a negative sign identifies the favorite and tells you how much you must risk to win 100; for example -150 means risking 150 to win 100, so it expresses price rather than a score adjustment American Gaming Association sports betting glossary.

That -150 converts to an implied probability near 60 percent using standard formulas, which helps you compare price across games or books rather than interpreting the sign as points The Action Network guide to American odds.

Reading positive odds: what the plus means

A plus sign marks the underdog and shows the profit on a 100 stake; for instance +200 pays 200 profit on a 100 wager, returning 300 in total if it wins, and the plus indicates price and upside rather than a points rule Investopedia moneyline explanation.

Using the implied probability formula, +200 corresponds roughly to a 33.3 percent chance, which is useful when comparing whether that market fits your estimated probability for the outcome The Action Network guide to American odds.

How the plus and minus work on point spreads

What it means when a team is -3 or +7

On a point spread, the minus indicates the favorite gives points to the opponent and the plus indicates the underdog receives points; if a team is listed at -3 they must win by more than 3 points to cover the spread, while a +7 team can lose by up to 6 and still cover after the points are applied Action Network point spread explanation.

This use of plus and minus is about score margins, not payouts, so you apply the handicap to the final score to judge whether a spread bet wins or pushes Action Network point spread explanation.

Apply a spread to a final score in three quick steps

Favorite score
Underdog score
Spread

Use the spread sign to add or subtract before comparing scores

As an example to apply the tool, if the listed spread is Favorite -3 and the final score is Favorite 24, Underdog 21, you subtract 3 from the favorite or add 3 to the underdog and then compare adjusted totals to see if the favorite covers, which is the operational test for spread wagers Action Network point spread explanation.

Pushes and house rules

When a spread is a whole number and the final adjusted totals are equal, that result is usually a push and many operators return stakes to bettors, although exact handling depends on house rules and market terms Action Network point spread explanation.

Converting American odds to implied probability

The formulas you need

To translate American odds into implied probability use these stable formulas: for negative odds p = absolute value of odds divided by absolute value of odds plus 100, and for positive odds p = 100 divided by odds plus 100, which gives a quick percentage you can use to compare prices across markets Pinnacle guide to converting odds and an online odds converter Odds Converter.

For example, -150 becomes 150 divided by 150 plus 100, which is roughly 60 percent, while +200 becomes 100 divided by 200 plus 100, roughly 33.3 percent; these conversions allow side-by-side price comparison rather than guesswork The Action Network guide to American odds and you can check calculator tools like GamingToday for quick checks Implied Probability Calculator.

Why implied probability is useful

Implied probability translates price into a chance estimate you can compare with your own probability model or alternative books, making it easier to spot potential edges or poor pricing before placing a bet Pinnacle guide to converting odds.

Remember that implied probability from odds reflects the market price and often includes the bookmaker margin, so it is a starting point for comparison rather than a definitive measure of true chance Investopedia implied probability definition and practical calculation guides such as Smarkets' help pages provide the same formulaic approach How to calculate implied probability.

Minimalist full frame image of a smartphone showing a clean sports betting app and a football on a dark Funded Plays background for football sports betting

To calculate payouts, use the American-odds conventions: -150 requires risking 150 to win 100, so the total returned on a winning 150 stake is 250, while +200 on a 100 stake returns 300 total with 200 profit Investopedia moneyline explanation.

Here is the first compact worked example: stake 150 at -150, you win 100 profit and receive 250 back in total, which shows that negative odds determine the stake needed to win a fixed profit amount The Action Network guide to American odds.

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Total money returned versus profit

For a positive line example, stake 100 at +200, you gain 200 profit and receive 300 back in total, illustrating the difference between the profit figure and the combined stake plus profit return The Action Network guide to American odds.

Near even-money lines illustrate how small price differences translate to probability edges: -110 implies about 52.4 percent using the same formula, but that figure includes the bookmaker margin so it overstates the breakeven chance if you do not adjust for vig Pinnacle guide to converting odds.

Price versus points: choosing moneyline or spread

When to prefer a moneyline

Moneyline bets are about picking the winner and are most attractive when you expect a clear outcome and do not need a specific margin; the plus and minus on moneylines show the market price you pay or receive for that outcome American Gaming Association sports betting glossary. Learn more on the Funded Plays homepage Funded Plays.

If you think the favorite will win but by a small margin, a moneyline can offer a simpler payout structure than a spread, because the result does not depend on covering an exact points threshold Action Network point spread explanation.

When a spread makes more sense

Spreads are appropriate when you have conviction about the margin of victory; a -3 favorite must clear that margin for a spread bet to pay, which can make spreads useful for expressing views about expected score difference rather than just the winner Action Network point spread explanation.

Do not compare a spread number directly to a moneyline; convert the moneyline to implied probability first if you want a meaningful comparison of price versus margin expectation Pinnacle guide to converting odds. For an inside look at evaluation workflow see our post on how Funded Plays evaluations work how funded plays evaluations work.

Bookmaker margin and why implied probability is not the full story

What the vig is

Bookmakers build a margin or vigorish into prices so the sum of implied probabilities across mutually exclusive outcomes typically exceeds 100 percent, meaning implied probability derived from raw odds includes that built-in margin Investopedia implied probability definition.

To see whether a moneyline price is fair you can start with implied probability and then account for the vig when comparing books or estimating a fairer probability; this step prevents mistaking market price for true probability Pinnacle guide to converting odds.

Try the conversion exercise on FundedPlays Challenges

Try converting one moneyline and one spread yourself to see the difference between price and points before you place a stake.

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How to adjust implied probabilities

Simple adjustments involve scaling implied probabilities so their sum over the main market outcomes equals 100 percent, which gives a cleaner starting point to judge whether a price offers value compared with your own estimate Investopedia implied probability definition.

Keep in mind that the -110 common line illustrates how vig affects breakeven: -110 implies about 52.4 percent but your true required probability to profit must be higher once the bookmaker margin is removed The Action Network guide to American odds.

Common mistakes and traps to avoid with plus and minus

Mixing price and point meanings

A frequent error is to read moneyline plus and minus as if they were point signs on the spread; treating -150 like -3 is category confusion because one is price and the other is a scoring handicap American Gaming Association sports betting glossary.

Another trap is misreading a -3 spread as implying payout size; spread numbers govern margins and pushes, not profit math, so always check which market you are looking at before sizing a stake Action Network point spread explanation.

Misreading near even money

Near even-money lines like -110 can fool bettors into thinking the implied probability is a true breakeven; because of the vig a -110 market implies about 52.4 percent but the actual required edge is higher if you remove the bookmaker margin Pinnacle guide to converting odds.

Check house rules for pushes and settlement procedures, especially for whole-number spreads, since outcomes and returns depend on those operator terms Action Network point spread explanation.

A simple decision framework for using plus and minus in live choices

Checklist before placing a bet

Use this quick checklist: confirm the market type (moneyline or spread), convert any moneyline to implied probability, factor in the bookmaker margin, compare against your own probability estimate, and size the stake according to your bankroll rules Pinnacle guide to converting odds.

Remember that the plus or minus on your ticket tells you whether you are looking at a price or a point handicap, and that determines whether you convert odds to probability or apply a points adjustment to the score American Gaming Association sports betting glossary.

How to weigh implied probability and expected value

Weigh implied probability against your own estimate to judge expected value: if your chance estimate exceeds the adjusted implied probability, the price may offer positive expected value after accounting for vig and stake sizing rules Investopedia implied probability definition.

Always size stakes with discipline and remember that outcomes depend on individual performance and rules, not guaranteed returns, so keep risk management central to live decision-making.

Practical scenarios: three short real world examples

Upset underdog moneyline example

Scenario one: you find an underdog at +200 and you believe the team has about a 40 percent chance to win; +200 converts to an implied probability near 33.3 percent, so the market price is lower than your estimate if you trust your model, which suggests the line might offer value before adjusting for vig The Action Network guide to American odds.

Small favorite on the spread example

Scenario two: a small favorite is -3 on the spread; if the favorite wins by exactly 3 the result is usually a push and stakes return, so your profit depends on whether you expect a margin greater than the listed spread and on the operator push rules Action Network point spread explanation.

Even money and what to watch for

Scenario three: a -110 game implies about 52.4 percent via the conversion formula, but because the market contains vig you should adjust if you want to compare that line to your model's true probability before placing a stake Pinnacle guide to converting odds.

When pushes, ties, and cancellations matter

How pushes are handled

Most operators return the stake on a push when adjusted scores tie the spread, but rules vary so confirm how a given house treats whole-number spreads to avoid surprises at settlement Action Network point spread explanation.

What to do when a market is cancelled

If a market is voided or cancelled many operators return stakes, but resolution timing and exceptions differ by operator, so check settlement terms in advance before relying on any assumed outcome Action Network point spread explanation.

Short glossary of key terms

Moneyline

Moneyline is the market that lists American odds with plus and minus signs where minus indicates the favorite and required risk to win 100 and plus shows the profit on a 100 stake Investopedia moneyline explanation.

Point spread

Point spread is a handicap applied to the final score to balance mismatches; minus signs show the favorite gives points and plus signs show the underdog receives points Action Network point spread explanation.

Implied probability is the conversion of American odds into a percentage chance using fixed formulas so prices can be compared across markets Pinnacle guide to converting odds.

Vig

Vigorish or vig is the bookmaker margin built into prices that causes summed implied probabilities to exceed 100 percent and affects the breakeven probability needed to profit Investopedia implied probability definition.

Wrap up and next steps

Key takeaways

The core distinction is simple: moneyline plus and minus show price and risk/return while spread plus and minus show points applied to the final score, so never mix the two interpretations when comparing markets American Gaming Association sports betting glossary.

Where to learn more

Practice converting a few moneylines with the formulas, check house rules for pushes, and compare implied probabilities across books while accounting for vig to sharpen your decision process; always act within your own risk rules and avoid expecting guaranteed outcomes Pinnacle guide to converting odds and see our blog for more Funded Plays blog.

What does a minus sign mean on a moneyline?

A minus sign on a moneyline marks the favorite and indicates how much you must risk to win 100. It shows price, not points.

What does a plus sign mean on a point spread?

A plus sign on a spread means the team receives points from the favorite; apply the points to the final score to determine if the bet covers.

How do I convert -150 or +200 to implied probability?

Use the formulas: negative odds p = |odds|/(|odds|+100) and positive odds p = 100/(odds+100); -150 is about 60 percent, +200 about 33.3 percent.

Understanding whether a plus or minus indicates price or points is a small step that improves how you read lines and compare markets. Practice conversions, confirm house rules, and keep risk management central to your choices.