−220 odds: what they mean and what they pay
At −220 you bet $220 to win $100 in profit, $320 back in all. The price implies a 68.75% chance, so you need to win more than 68.75% of these bets to come out ahead.
The same price in every format
| American | −220 |
|---|---|
| Decimal | 1.455 |
| Fractional | 5/11 |
| Implied chance | 68.75% |
| Break-even win rate | 68.75% |
What −220 pays
| Bet | Profit if it wins | Total back |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $4.55 | $14.55 |
| $25 | $11.36 | $36.36 |
| $50 | $22.73 | $72.73 |
| $100 | $45.45 | $145.45 |
| $250 | $113.64 | $363.64 |
| $1,000 | $454.55 | $1,454.55 |
Is −220 good odds?
It depends on how likely the bet is to win, not on the number itself. −220 is a good price on a side that wins more than 68.75% of the time and a bad one on a side that wins less. If a market kept nothing, the other side of a −220 bet would be +220; 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, −220 makes the side a clear favorite.
What a better price is worth
Find −215 instead of −220 on the same bet and the win rate you need drops from 68.75% to 68.25%. Over 100 bets of $100 that win 68.75% of the time, −220 breaks even and −215 comes out about $72.67 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.
−220 in a parlay
Two legs at −220 combine to decimal 2.116 (about +112): $100 would return $211.57. Each leg's cut compounds, so a parlay keeps more for the book than a single bet. Parlay calculator.
Questions
What does -220 mean in betting?
-220 means you bet $220 to win $100 in profit, returning $320 in all.
How much do I win on a $100 bet at -220?
$45.45 profit, $145.45 back in all if it wins.
What is -220 as a percentage?
-220 implies a 68.75% chance. That's also the share of bets you'd need to win to break even.
What is -220 in decimal odds?
1.455. In fractional odds it's about 5/11.
Is -220 a good bet?
Only if the side wins more than 68.75% 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.