Quick answer: how to calculate vig. Convert each side's odds to implied probability, add them up, and subtract 100%. At −110 / −110, each side implies 52.38%, the total is 104.76%, so the overround is 4.76% and the sportsbook's hold is about 4.5% (4.76 ÷ 104.76). Try it on any line with the free hold calculator or strip the vig out with the no-vig calculator.
Vig (short for vigorish), also called juice, is the fee a sportsbook charges for taking your bet. You never see it as a line item. It is built into the odds. Understanding it is the first step to paying less of it, which is one of the few guaranteed ways to improve your results.
Where the vig hides
Imagine a perfectly even coin flip. Fair odds would be +100 on both sides. A sportsbook instead offers −110 on both. If one bettor bets $110 on heads and another bets $110 on tails:
- The book collects $220
- It pays the winner $210 ($110 stake + $100 profit)
- The book keeps $10, no matter which side wins
That $10 on $220 is about 4.5% of total money wagered. That is the vig.
Two numbers people call "vig"
- Overround: add up the implied probabilities of every outcome. At −110/−110: 52.38% + 52.38% = 104.76%. The overround is 4.76%.
- Hold (theoretical margin): the share of money the book expects to keep if action is balanced: 1 − 1/1.0476 = 4.55%.
Hold is the more useful figure for bettors because it represents what you lose per dollar wagered on average. (Sportsbook hold explained · Hold calculator.)
How to calculate vig on any market
- Convert each price to implied probability. (Implied probability.)
- Add them up to get the total.
- Hold = 1 − 1 ÷ total.
Example: −135 / +115
- −135 → 57.45%
- +115 → 46.51%
- Total = 103.96% → hold = 3.81%
Typical vig by market
| Market | Typical hold at US books |
|---|---|
| NFL/NBA spreads & totals | 4–5% |
| Major moneylines | 3–5% |
| Player props | 5–9% |
| Alternate lines | 6–10% |
| Same-game parlays | Often 20%+ |
| Futures (outrights) | 20–40% across the market |
| Sharp/low-vig books | 2–3% on main markets |
Notice how much the margin climbs as markets get more exotic. That is where books make their money.
Why vig matters so much
At −110, you need to win 52.38% of the time just to break even. If you are a genuinely good handicapper who wins 53%, the vig eats almost all of your edge. Cut the vig and that same skill becomes clearly profitable.
How to pay less vig
- Line shop. Taking −105 instead of −110 cuts your effective margin dramatically. (What is line shopping?.)
- Use reduced-juice books and markets where available. (Low-vig sportsbooks.)
- Avoid high-hold products like long parlays and same-game parlays unless a promo makes them +EV.
- Bet into the best side of a market. A market's vig is rarely split evenly; one side may be fair while the other carries most of the margin.
The OddsHype odds screen shows the hold on each market and highlights the best price for every side.
Frequently asked questions
What does juice mean in sports betting?
Juice is another word for vig: the sportsbook's built-in margin. At −110, the juice is the extra $10 you risk to win $100.
How much vig do sportsbooks charge?
Usually around 4.5% on standard spreads and totals, more on props, parlays and futures, and less at sharp or reduced-juice books.
Can you bet without vig?
Not at a sportsbook, but you can reduce it a lot by line shopping and by using exchanges, which charge a commission on winnings instead.