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Plus-minus betting describes the American odds format, which is synonymous with NFL spreads and totals. However, you can access plus minus odds across all sports, which provides a popular alternative to decimal and fractional odds.
We’ll explain +/- betting in more detail below, while providing practical applications of how they work in sports betting. We’ll also look at the pros and cons of this odds format when betting on different sports.
What Does Plus and Minus Mean in Betting?
Plus-minus betting is so-called because it includes + and – signs alongside an accompanying three-digit number. The minus symbol is used to denote the favorite in a particular matchup, whereas the plus symbol represents an underdog.
The number accompanying a minus sign (negative odds meaning) reveals how much you’ll have to stake to win $100. Conversely, the plus symbol highlights how much you stand to win for every $100 staked successfully. Some outright markets may see all outcomes marked by a plus sign, but in this case, the team with the shortest price should be considered as favorite.
Plus Minus Betting Odds Explained: How They Work in Sports Betting
To provide further context, let’s take a closer look at how plus-minus betting works in the realm of sports betting. For simplicity, we’ll focus on a straightforward win market, which will feature a clear betting favorite and underdog.
For example, let’s say that you wanted to bet on an MLB clash between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Angels. Home advantage helps to make the Rays the -150 betting favorites, while the Angels can be backed to win at around +125.
If you choose to back the Rays, you’ll have to stake $143 to bank a $100 return. Conversely, wagering $71.50 on Tampa to prevail will unlock a profit of $50, and in this case, you’ll bank $121.50 in total, inclusive of your original stake if successful.
If you fancy the Angels, however, you’ll win $123 for every $100 that you bet successfully. So, wagering $100 on an away win at positive betting odds will see you bank a profit of $123. In total, you’ll walk away with $223, including your original stake amount.
How To Read Plus Minus Odds in Betting
In addition to the win market, sports betting operators also deploy American odds and the plus-minus format across a range of alternative betting lines. These include totals and point spread bets, which unlock even money markets where there are only two potential outcomes.
They enable you to create value when engaging in match betting and are particularly popular among seasoned bettors who use specific sports betting strategies.
For example, let’s say that you want to wager on the MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates are huge betting favourites and priced at -182 in the moneyline, with these odds prohibitive. If you fancy them strongly, however, you can back them at a run line of -1.5 at significantly higher odds of +110.
So, instead of having to bet $182 to win $100, you can get a $110 return for every $100 staked successfully. Of course, this also reduces the bet’s implied probability value from 64.5% to 47.6%, and it’s important to factor this in when reading and comparing plus-minus odds online.
Further Examples of How To Read Plus Minus Odds
You’ll also find plus-minus odds used to price totals markets. Such markets usually refer to the number of points, runs, or goals that will be scored in a particular game, with sportsbooks setting various totals as individual betting lines.
You’ll then select a line based on your analysis of the game and the competing teams, before determining whether the actual total will be over or under this threshold and placing your plus-minus bets. So let’s learn how to read betting odds when it comes to plus-minus betting.
Let’s say that you want to bet on a 2025/26 NFL season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. The consensus totals line has been set at 46 points here, with both over and under lines priced at -110. So, you’ll have to stake $110 on your selected outcome to bank a return of $100, although these odds will likely fluctuate ahead of kickoff.
In this case, both over and under bets are as close to even-money wagers as you’ll find. For example, there are just two potential outcomes overall, with both carrying an implied probability of 52.4%. On occasions, however, the over/under in an NFL match will carry different odds, depending on the competing teams.
To help identify potential value totals bets where the actual probability of success is higher than the odds suggest, you’ll need to analyze scoring statistics. Using the above example, we can see that the Eagles averaged 29.0 points per game through 2024, whereas the Cowboys scored at a rate of 20.6 points per game.
Overall, betting on over 46 points being scored offers superior value here, especially as the Eagles averaged more points on the road than they did at home last season.
Plus Minus Betting for Popular Sports
For plus-minus betting odds to be fully explained and understood, we’ll need to explore how they work for different sports and leagues. So, here’s our take on how to read and leverage plus-minus odds when wagering on different disciplines.
Plus Minus Spread Betting on NFL Football
As we’ve touched on, when it comes to betting on the NFL, bettors are offered a diverse selection of plus-minus betting lines and markets. These include moneylines, point spreads, and totals. You can also find extensive team and player props, while also combining two or more markets from the same game in a single parlay.
Point spreads can be quite large when wagering on the NFL, although they’re relatively short when compared to college betting lines. You’ll find that NFL point spreads are typically priced at between -110 and -120, implying a 52.4% and 54.5% probability of success, respectively.
To inform your picks, review how particular teams tend to perform against the spread while also analyzing their recent form.
Betting the Plus Minus Spread on Basketball
The NBA also boasts a huge and varied range of plus-minus betting lines. You can access a slightly larger selection of player props when betting on the NBA, mostly focused on points scored, rebounds, assists, and selected defensive actions. These are usually expressed as over/under markets and will be priced around the -110 line.
NBA betting also features a large number of games during the regular season, so you can access a significant range of plus and minus betting lines.
NBA spreads are noticeably tighter when compared to the NFL. This is due to the relative parity between competing teams, so backing underdogs to cover a positive spread tends to be more popular here.
Baseball Plus Minus Betting
Plus minus moneyline betting is also incredibly popular in Major League Baseball, as is the over/under on how many runs will be scored by each team. This market has become particularly popular recently, MLB matches now producing a much higher number of double-digit scores.
2023 saw a red-letter day for the sport, when 12 different MLB teams scored at least 10 runs during a single gameweek. Teams subsequently averaged 4.39 runs per game last season, while the 2025 figure is currently holding steady at 4.26.
So, look out for alternate plus-minus lines when betting on the MLB, which allow you to leverage higher scoring trends to your advantage.
Plus Minus Betting on NHL Hockey
The NHL deals in goals rather than points or runs, with the spread here often described as the ‘puck line’. So, this will impact how you read certain plus-minus betting lines in the NHL, although the presentation of the odds and what they relay remains unchanged.
The puck line is the most popular market when betting on the NHL, although totals lines also offer value and are relatively easy to analyze.
The NHL regular season also features a huge number of games, so you can access significant moneylines. Over/under betting on the total number of goals scored is also popular here. Whether you’re betting on the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, or the Boston Bruins, plus minus betting lines offer hockey fans a chance to get in on the action.
Pros and Cons of Plus Minus Betting
By now, you should be more familiar with plus-minus sports betting on different sports. However, you may still prefer alternative odds formats. Here’s a summary of the pros and cons associated with plus-minus betting.
What we like
- It’s easy to calculate returns with positive betting odds
- It’s the most common odds format in the US
- You can use plus-minus odds to calculate implied probability
- You can identify betting favorites and underdogs quickly
What we dislike
- Plus-minus odds are harder to read than decimal or fractional formats
Expert Tips for Plus Minus Betting
While we may have answered the question “what does minus mean in betting?”, you may still need some helpful tips. So, we’ve prepared some expert plus-minus betting tips to help you construct a viable wagering strategy.
- Learn How Read Point Spreads and Totals: Totals markets also utilize plus and minus symbols to highlight over/under betting lines. Different points, runs, or goal spreads are defined by + and – signs, too, so it’s important to read these lines separately from plus-minus odds.
- Always Use $100 as Your Baseline When Betting on Favorites: This is a common betting strategy. When backing a betting underdog with positive odds, you can immediately see how much you’ll win for every $100 staked. This makes it easy to calculate returns based on your initial bet. We’d also recommend using $100 as your baseline when leveraging negative betting odds.
- Remember That Not All Markets Feature a Negative Odds Favorite: This one’s easy. When betting on futures markets, you often won’t see a negative odds favorite. This is because such markets often feature large and competitive fields. Due to this fact, the implied probability values afford each outcome positive odds.
- Use Data to Leverage Plus Minus Bets: Some sports also offer access to a more diverse range of relevant datasets. These datasets include official team rankings (according to key metrics) and player performance statistics. This information can be leveraged to identify value in plus-minus odds, especially in spread and totals markets. For more advanced bettors, they can be used when looking to construct same-game parlays.
Plus Minus Betting FAQs
How do plus and minus odds work?
What does minus +1.5 mean in betting?
What are negative odds?
Is plus or minus more likely to win?
What does +3 mean in a sports bet?
Responsible Gambling
It’s important to gamble responsibly, even when placing lower probability wagers like plus-minus bets. Having a defined bankroll of funds you can use as leisure money is advised. This can cover a short period (monthly) or a full season of games.
However, there may be instances where you find your betting volumes starting to increase over time. This may be indicative of a gambling problem if it’s allowed to evolve. In this case, you should seek out support from the following resources as quickly as possible:
