−290 odds: what they mean and what they pay
At −290 you bet $290 to win $100 in profit, $390 back in all. The price implies a 74.36% chance, so you need to win more than 74.36% of these bets to come out ahead.
The same price in every format
| American | −290 |
|---|---|
| Decimal | 1.345 |
| Fractional | 10/29 |
| Implied chance | 74.36% |
| Break-even win rate | 74.36% |
What −290 pays
| Bet | Profit if it wins | Total back |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $3.45 | $13.45 |
| $25 | $8.62 | $33.62 |
| $50 | $17.24 | $67.24 |
| $100 | $34.48 | $134.48 |
| $250 | $86.21 | $336.21 |
| $1,000 | $344.83 | $1,344.83 |
Is −290 good odds?
It depends on how likely the bet is to win, not on the number itself. −290 is a good price on a side that wins more than 74.36% of the time and a bad one on a side that wins less. If a market kept nothing, the other side of a −290 bet would be +290; 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, −290 makes the side a heavy favorite.
What a better price is worth
Find −285 instead of −290 on the same bet and the win rate you need drops from 74.36% to 74.03%. Over 100 bets of $100 that win 74.36% of the time, −290 breaks even and −285 comes out about $44.98 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.
−290 in a parlay
Two legs at −290 combine to decimal 1.809 (about −124): $100 would return $180.86. Each leg's cut compounds, so a parlay keeps more for the book than a single bet. Parlay calculator.
Questions
What does -290 mean in betting?
-290 means you bet $290 to win $100 in profit, returning $390 in all.
How much do I win on a $100 bet at -290?
$34.48 profit, $134.48 back in all if it wins.
What is -290 as a percentage?
-290 implies a 74.36% chance. That's also the share of bets you'd need to win to break even.
What is -290 in decimal odds?
1.345. In fractional odds it's about 10/29.
Is -290 a good bet?
Only if the side wins more than 74.36% 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.