Vig or juice is the cost built into market prices; compare matching lines and prices to see how that cost changes the payout.
Where the vig comes from
Vig (short for vigorish), juice, and margin all name the same thing: the cost a sportsbook builds into its prices. The standard example is a point spread priced −110 on both sides. If one bettor risks $110 on each team, the book collects $220 and pays the winner $210, keeping $10 whichever side wins. That $10 is 4.55% of the $220 wagered.
Calculate the margin of any market
Convert every side to implied probability and add them up. The amount over 100% is the overround. The book’s theoretical hold, the share of money wagered it keeps when its liability is balanced across outcomes, is 1 − 1 ÷ (sum of implied probabilities).
| Market | Each side | Total | Hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| −110 / −110 | 52.38% + 52.38% | 104.76% | 4.55% |
| −105 / −105 | 51.22% + 51.22% | 102.44% | 2.38% |
| −115 / −115 | 53.49% + 53.49% | 106.98% | 6.52% |
| −120 / +100 | 54.55% + 50.00% | 104.55% | 4.35% |
| −150 / +130 | 60.00% + 43.48% | 103.48% | 3.36% |
The hold calculator does this for both sides of any two-way market.
What the vig costs you
Vig raises the win rate you need to break even. On a true 50/50 proposition, the fair price is +100 and the break-even rate is 50%. At −105 the break-even rate becomes 51.22%; at −110, 52.38%; at −115, 53.49%.
Over volume the difference adds up. A bettor who places 500 bets of $110 at −110 on true coin flips expects 250 wins and 250 losses: 250 × $100 − 250 × $110 = −$2,500, or 4.55% of the $55,000 wagered. The same 500 bets at −105, risking $105 each, would cost $1,250.
Cents, and where margins run higher
Bettors describe margins in cents. A −110/−110 market is a 20-cent line, and −105/−105 is a 10-cent line, sometimes called a dime line. On moneylines, the cents are the gap between the two prices: −150/+140 is a 10-cent line and −150/+130 a 20-cent line.
Main game lines in major leagues usually carry the lowest margins. Player props are often priced −115/−115 or wider, alternate lines and same-game parlays usually carry more, and futures markets with many outcomes can carry total overrounds of 20% or more.
Paying less of it
You can’t avoid vig, but you can avoid paying more than necessary. The same bet at −105 instead of −110 lowers the break-even rate by more than a full percentage point, which is why comparing prices across books matters; the line shopping guide covers how to compare like with like. Removing the margin from a market also gives you a fair-price reference, explained in the no-vig odds guide.
A lower-margin quote is only better if it is the same bet. A −105 price on a worse number, or with different settlement rules, can still be the worse deal.
Does this topic predict the next result?
No. A definition, historical statistic, market price, or model output is not a guarantee. Treat estimates as conditional on their data and assumptions, and keep the uncertainty visible.