−205 odds: what they mean and what they pay
At −205 you bet $205 to win $100 in profit, $305 back in all. The price implies a 67.21% chance, so you need to win more than 67.21% of these bets to come out ahead.
The same price in every format
| American | −205 |
|---|---|
| Decimal | 1.488 |
| Fractional | 20/41 |
| Implied chance | 67.21% |
| Break-even win rate | 67.21% |
What −205 pays
| Bet | Profit if it wins | Total back |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $4.88 | $14.88 |
| $25 | $12.20 | $37.20 |
| $50 | $24.39 | $74.39 |
| $100 | $48.78 | $148.78 |
| $250 | $121.95 | $371.95 |
| $1,000 | $487.80 | $1,487.80 |
Is −205 good odds?
It depends on how likely the bet is to win, not on the number itself. −205 is a good price on a side that wins more than 67.21% of the time and a bad one on a side that wins less. If a market kept nothing, the other side of a −205 bet would be +205; 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, −205 makes the side a clear favorite.
What a better price is worth
Find −200 instead of −205 on the same bet and the win rate you need drops from 67.21% to 66.67%. Over 100 bets of $100 that win 67.21% of the time, −205 breaks even and −200 comes out about $81.97 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.
−205 in a parlay
Two legs at −205 combine to decimal 2.214 (about +121): $100 would return $221.36. Each leg's cut compounds, so a parlay keeps more for the book than a single bet. Parlay calculator.
Questions
What does -205 mean in betting?
-205 means you bet $205 to win $100 in profit, returning $305 in all.
How much do I win on a $100 bet at -205?
$48.78 profit, $148.78 back in all if it wins.
What is -205 as a percentage?
-205 implies a 67.21% chance. That's also the share of bets you'd need to win to break even.
What is -205 in decimal odds?
1.488. In fractional odds it's about 20/41.
Is -205 a good bet?
Only if the side wins more than 67.21% 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.