Product
American Odds
Last reviewed 24 September 2026
What is American Odds?
The US odds format, quoted as a positive or negative number relative to 100. Plus figures show profit on a 100 stake; minus figures show the stake needed to win 100.
Key takeaways
- A plus price shows the profit on a 100 stake; a minus price shows the stake needed to win 100.
- The minus side marks the favourite, and +100 or -100 is an even-money proposition.
- +250 converts to 3.50 in decimal and -150 to 1.667, and -150 implies a probability of 60%.
Why it matters
American odds, also called moneyline odds, are the standard in US sportsbooks. A price of +250 means a 100 stake wins 250 profit. A price of -150 means 150 must be staked to win 100. The negative side always marks the favourite, and the crossover point is +100 or -100, an even-money proposition. The format encodes both direction and magnitude in a single number, which is why it survives on US screens even though it is awkward to compute with.
For anyone working across markets, the conversions matter. A positive American price converts to decimal by dividing by 100 and adding one, so +250 is 3.50. A negative price converts by dividing 100 by the absolute value and adding one, so -150 is 1.667. Implied probability for a negative price is the absolute value divided by that value plus 100, so -150 implies 60%. The rapid growth of US online sports betting since 2018 has made fluency in all three formats a basic requirement for traders, affiliates and analysts covering more than one region.
Frequently asked questions
How do American odds work?
American odds are quoted relative to 100. A positive price such as +250 means a 100 stake wins 250 profit. A negative price such as -150 means 150 must be staked to win 100. The negative number always marks the favourite, and the crossover point, +100 or -100, is an even-money proposition. The format is standard at US sportsbooks and is also called moneyline odds.
How do you convert American odds to decimal odds?
For a positive price, divide by 100 and add one, so +250 becomes 3.50. For a negative price, divide 100 by the absolute value and add one, so -150 becomes 1.667. Decimal odds are easier to compute with, which is why traders, analysts and odds-comparison tools often work in decimals even when US customers see American prices on screen.
How do you calculate implied probability from American odds?
For a negative price, divide the absolute value by that value plus 100, so -150 gives 150 divided by 250, or 60%. For a positive price, divide 100 by the price plus 100, so +250 gives 100 divided by 350, or about 28.6%. These probabilities include the bookmaker's margin, so across every outcome in a market they add up to more than 100%.