−255 odds: what they mean and what they pay
At −255 you bet $255 to win $100 in profit, $355 back in all. The price implies a 71.83% chance, so you need to win more than 71.83% of these bets to come out ahead.
The same price in every format
| American | −255 |
|---|---|
| Decimal | 1.392 |
| Fractional | 20/51 |
| Implied chance | 71.83% |
| Break-even win rate | 71.83% |
What −255 pays
| Bet | Profit if it wins | Total back |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $3.92 | $13.92 |
| $25 | $9.80 | $34.80 |
| $50 | $19.61 | $69.61 |
| $100 | $39.22 | $139.22 |
| $250 | $98.04 | $348.04 |
| $1,000 | $392.16 | $1,392.16 |
Is −255 good odds?
It depends on how likely the bet is to win, not on the number itself. −255 is a good price on a side that wins more than 71.83% of the time and a bad one on a side that wins less. If a market kept nothing, the other side of a −255 bet would be +255; 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, −255 makes the side a heavy favorite.
What a better price is worth
Find −250 instead of −255 on the same bet and the win rate you need drops from 71.83% to 71.43%. Over 100 bets of $100 that win 71.83% of the time, −255 breaks even and −250 comes out about $56.34 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.
−255 in a parlay
Two legs at −255 combine to decimal 1.938 (about −107): $100 would return $193.81. Each leg's cut compounds, so a parlay keeps more for the book than a single bet. Parlay calculator.
Questions
What does -255 mean in betting?
-255 means you bet $255 to win $100 in profit, returning $355 in all.
How much do I win on a $100 bet at -255?
$39.22 profit, $139.22 back in all if it wins.
What is -255 as a percentage?
-255 implies a 71.83% chance. That's also the share of bets you'd need to win to break even.
What is -255 in decimal odds?
1.392. In fractional odds it's about 20/51.
Is -255 a good bet?
Only if the side wins more than 71.83% 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.