What does -500 mean in betting?
-500 means you risk $500 to win $100, or $50 to win $10. The price says it wins 83.3% of the time, so you need to win more than 83.3% of your bets at -500 to make money.
In plain words
-500 is a heavy favorite. You put up $500 to win $100, so one loss wipes out the profit from 5 wins.
The price says it wins 83.3% of the time. That sounds safe, but it also says it loses about once every 6 tries, and at -500 you need 5 wins for every loss just to break even.
Heavy favorites feel like free money, and that is where bankrolls quietly leak: the win is small and the loss is big. Bet the same size you would on any other pick. A shorter price is not a bigger edge.
Where you see -500
Big moneyline favorites: a strong team against a weak one, usually when the spread is in double digits. You also see it on lopsided tennis matches and early-season college games.
100 bets at -500
| Win rate | Wins in 100 | Result on 100 bets of $10 |
|---|---|---|
| 80.3% | 80.3 | -$36 |
| 83.3% (break-even) | 83.3 | $0 |
| 86.3% | 86.3 | +$36 |
Three points above break-even turns 100 bets of $10 at -500 into about $36 of profit; three points below loses about the same. The edge is the few points, not the pick.
Prices next to -500
| Price | Chance | $10 wins | Bet to win $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| -500 | 83.3% | $2 | $500 |
| -400 | 80.0% | $2.50 | $400 |
| -300 | 75.0% | $3.33 | $300 |
| -250 | 71.4% | $4 | $250 |
One step better for you, -400 pays $5 more than -500 on every $100 bet that wins.
Convert -500 or any other price, see what a ticket pays, or get a suggested bet size for your bankroll.
Questions
What does -500 mean in betting?
-500 means you risk $500 to win $100, or $50 to win $10. The price says it wins 83.3% of the time, so you need to win more than 83.3% of your bets at -500 to make money.
How much does a $10 bet win at -500?
$2 in profit. You get $12 back in total: your $10 plus the win. A $100 bet wins $20.
What win rate do I need at -500?
More than 83.3% to make money over time. That is the price's implied chance, also called the break-even rate.
What is -500 in decimal odds?
1.2. A $1 bet returns $1.2 in total. As a fraction it is 1/5.
Is -500 a safe bet?
No bet is safe. By its own price, -500 loses about 16.7% of the time, roughly once in every 6 bets, and each loss costs $500 for every $100 you hoped to win.
One pick a day, free, with its price, the book and a suggested bet size, posted at least 30 minutes before the game. Every result stays public.
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