−250 odds: what they mean and what they pay
At −250 you bet $250 to win $100 in profit, $350 back in all. The price implies a 71.43% chance, so you need to win more than 71.43% of these bets to come out ahead.
The same price in every format
| American | −250 |
|---|---|
| Decimal | 1.400 |
| Fractional | 2/5 |
| Implied chance | 71.43% |
| Break-even win rate | 71.43% |
What −250 pays
| Bet | Profit if it wins | Total back |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $4.00 | $14.00 |
| $25 | $10.00 | $35.00 |
| $50 | $20.00 | $70.00 |
| $100 | $40.00 | $140.00 |
| $250 | $100.00 | $350.00 |
| $1,000 | $400.00 | $1,400.00 |
Is −250 good odds?
It depends on how likely the bet is to win, not on the number itself. −250 is a good price on a side that wins more than 71.43% of the time and a bad one on a side that wins less. If a market kept nothing, the other side of a −250 bet would be +250; 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, −250 makes the side a clear favorite.
What a better price is worth
Find −245 instead of −250 on the same bet and the win rate you need drops from 71.43% to 71.01%. Over 100 bets of $100 that win 71.43% of the time, −250 breaks even and −245 comes out about $58.31 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.
−250 in a parlay
Two legs at −250 combine to decimal 1.960 (about −104): $100 would return $196.00. Each leg's cut compounds, so a parlay keeps more for the book than a single bet. Parlay calculator.
Questions
What does -250 mean in betting?
-250 means you bet $250 to win $100 in profit, returning $350 in all.
How much do I win on a $100 bet at -250?
$40.00 profit, $140.00 back in all if it wins.
What is -250 as a percentage?
-250 implies a 71.43% chance. That's also the share of bets you'd need to win to break even.
What is -250 in decimal odds?
1.400. In fractional odds it's about 2/5.
Is -250 a good bet?
Only if the side wins more than 71.43% 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.