−180 odds: what they mean and what they pay
At −180 you bet $180 to win $100 in profit, $280 back in all. The price implies a 64.29% chance, so you need to win more than 64.29% of these bets to come out ahead.
The same price in every format
| American | −180 |
|---|---|
| Decimal | 1.556 |
| Fractional | 5/9 |
| Implied chance | 64.29% |
| Break-even win rate | 64.29% |
What −180 pays
| Bet | Profit if it wins | Total back |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $5.56 | $15.56 |
| $25 | $13.89 | $38.89 |
| $50 | $27.78 | $77.78 |
| $100 | $55.56 | $155.56 |
| $250 | $138.89 | $388.89 |
| $1,000 | $555.56 | $1,555.56 |
Is −180 good odds?
It depends on how likely the bet is to win, not on the number itself. −180 is a good price on a side that wins more than 64.29% of the time and a bad one on a side that wins less. If a market kept nothing, the other side of a −180 bet would be +180; 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, −180 makes the side a clear favorite.
What a better price is worth
Find −175 instead of −180 on the same bet and the win rate you need drops from 64.29% to 63.64%. Over 100 bets of $100 that win 64.29% of the time, −180 breaks even and −175 comes out about $102.04 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.
−180 in a parlay
Two legs at −180 combine to decimal 2.420 (about +142): $100 would return $241.98. Each leg's cut compounds, so a parlay keeps more for the book than a single bet. Parlay calculator.
Questions
What does -180 mean in betting?
-180 means you bet $180 to win $100 in profit, returning $280 in all.
How much do I win on a $100 bet at -180?
$55.56 profit, $155.56 back in all if it wins.
What is -180 as a percentage?
-180 implies a 64.29% chance. That's also the share of bets you'd need to win to break even.
What is -180 in decimal odds?
1.556. In fractional odds it's about 5/9.
Is -180 a good bet?
Only if the side wins more than 64.29% 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.