−170 odds: what they mean and what they pay
At −170 you bet $170 to win $100 in profit, $270 back in all. The price implies a 62.96% chance, so you need to win more than 62.96% of these bets to come out ahead.
The same price in every format
| American | −170 |
|---|---|
| Decimal | 1.588 |
| Fractional | 10/17 |
| Implied chance | 62.96% |
| Break-even win rate | 62.96% |
What −170 pays
| Bet | Profit if it wins | Total back |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $5.88 | $15.88 |
| $25 | $14.71 | $39.71 |
| $50 | $29.41 | $79.41 |
| $100 | $58.82 | $158.82 |
| $250 | $147.06 | $397.06 |
| $1,000 | $588.24 | $1,588.24 |
Is −170 good odds?
It depends on how likely the bet is to win, not on the number itself. −170 is a good price on a side that wins more than 62.96% of the time and a bad one on a side that wins less. If a market kept nothing, the other side of a −170 bet would be +170; real books price it worse than that, and the gap is their cut. At −110 on both sides, the most common spread and total price, the cut is 4.76%. Which book keeps the least differs: every sportsbook's cut, measured.
As a price, −170 makes the side a clear favorite.
What a better price is worth
Find −165 instead of −170 on the same bet and the win rate you need drops from 62.96% to 62.26%. Over 100 bets of $100 that win 62.96% of the time, −170 breaks even and −165 comes out about $112.23 ahead: the same picks, a better price. Books often differ by that much on the same game: the board shows which one pays the most.
−170 in a parlay
Two legs at −170 combine to decimal 2.522 (about +152): $100 would return $252.25. Each leg's cut compounds, so a parlay keeps more for the book than a single bet. Parlay calculator.
Questions
What does -170 mean in betting?
-170 means you bet $170 to win $100 in profit, returning $270 in all.
How much do I win on a $100 bet at -170?
$58.82 profit, $158.82 back in all if it wins.
What is -170 as a percentage?
-170 implies a 62.96% chance. That's also the share of bets you'd need to win to break even.
What is -170 in decimal odds?
1.588. In fractional odds it's about 10/17.
Is -170 a good bet?
Only if the side wins more than 62.96% of the time. The price alone can't tell you: compare it with other sportsbooks' prices on the same bet, since a better price lowers the win rate you need.