NFL Betting Odds Explained: Decimal vs. Fractional vs. Moneyline

While gambling is fun, it’s usually confusing for newcomers. This is especially true for sports betting, in which various betting odds exist. Understanding these is essential to maximize your time and money.

Among popular sports on which bets are regularly made, the National Football League stands out in the USA. This is an incredibly popular tournament that sees millions of people worldwide wagering the money. Due to LeafletCasino.com experts recommendations, who conduct top betting sites research and understand sports betting odds professionally, even beginners’ bets will win. It is aimed at enabling all kinds of players to understand what the odds are, how to place bets and win. Even though these sites make it simple to gamble from home, they still require a basic understanding of common odds like decimal, fractional, and moneyline. Let’s go over each to decide which can increase your probability of winning some real money.

Decimal Odds

Also known as European odds, these are probably the easiest ones to wrap your head around. Decimal odds are written in decimals, telling you exactly how much you could earn if you win. For instance, if you place a wager of $10 at 5.23, you’ll get $52.3. It’s important to note that this number includes the original cash you’ve put in. Subtract your original stake of $10, and you have a profit of $42.3.

Reading a decimal number could be confusing. But when you understand the calculation, you’ll learn how easy it is. That’s one reason why many top-tier sports betting sites are shifting toward decimal odds.

Fractional Odds

Fractional odds originated from British horse racing. They’re also referred to as British odds. Considering the simplicity of European odds though, most gamblers from Ireland and the UK have started to favor them. Despite that, lots of platforms offer fractional odds on NFL matches. They are written in the form of fractions, expressing how much profit one would make in case of a correct bet.

For example, betting $10 on a price of 4/1 would return a profit of $40 ($10 x 4). The total money you’ll receive would be $50 ($40 profit + original $10 stake). Things only get a little tricky when you notice fractions like 5/2 or 2/7. In the first instance, you’ll receive a 5 times profit on a bet of $20 or a 2.5 times return if you wager $10.

The second example is more interesting. It’s an odds-against price. It means there’s a high probability of your wager coming true, so the potential total return is very low. For these odds, you’ll profit only $2.86 when you bet $10. If the fraction was 7/2 instead of 2/7, you’d earn $35 on a $10 bet. The implied probability of an outcome affects the odds. You’ll win more for betting on the underdog and less for staking your cash on the expected outcome.

It’s also worth noting that a fraction of 1/1 is even and will double your stake if you win. 

Moneyline Odds

Moneyline odds are what most of the USA’s NFL fans may be familiar with. They’re also called American odds and seem confusing at first. There are two kinds of moneyline odds you’ll find on online sports betting sites, representing favored and underdog bets. Favored bets are written as a number with a minus sign, while underdog bets have a plus sign. The former essentially tells you how much money you need to stake to win $100 in profits, and the latter tells how much profit you’ll make for every $100 wagered.

For instance, odds of -110 mean you should wager $110 to earn $100 upon winning. Conversely, odds of +110 mean that you’ll win $110 when you bet $100. There’s no need to bet the exact amount shown; the percentage of what you win goes up or down based on how much you stake. Also, note that the odds of -100 are even in this case.

Converting Odds

The sports betting odds explained in this guide should give you crucial knowledge to make well-informed decisions. Before you bet on NFL games, discover how converting odds works. First, let’s learn how these three odds would look in a game between the NY Jets and Cleveland:

While you could use a betting odds calculator, converting them manually is helpful in many cases. This is how it’s done:

• From Decimal to Fractional: Subtract 1.00 from the decimal, and use 1 as the denominator to get accurate fractional odds. For instance, if the decimal is 4.00, the fractional equivalent is 3/1.
• From Moneyline to Decimal: For positive numbers, divide by 100 first and then add 1. For negative numbers, divide 100 by the moneyline amount and increase by 1. For instance, a moneyline of +300 is 4.00 in decimals (300/100+1).
• From Fractional to Decimal: Divide the numerator by the denominator. Add 1 to the result. So, a 1/2 becomes 1.50 (1/2+1).

To ease your American Football betting experience, here’s a helpful table with some common odds and their conversions:

Final Notes

Players love staking cash on NFL games because of the potentially high returns. The sporting event is highly dynamic and often unpredictable, adding greater risk and reward for gamblers. However, to make a profit on your money, it’s vital that you understand how betting odds work. This guide is a good starting point before you head to top-rated online sports betting platforms and wager any money. With this knowledge, you’ll be positioned much better to place lucrative and rewarding bets.