Hold in sports betting is the percentage profit margin a sportsbook builds into market pricing by setting implied probabilities that sum above 100%. A typical -110/-110 two-way market has 4.8% hold; a +EV bettor needs to beat the no-vig fair line to profit long-term.
← Back to Sports Betting Glossary
What Is Hold?
Hold (also called vig, juice, margin, or overround) is the sportsbook’s edge built into market pricing. By setting both sides of a market with implied probabilities summing above 100%, the book guarantees long-run profit when bet volume balances. A two-way -110/-110 market has hold of 4.8%; lower-hold markets exist (some moneylines at -105/-105 = 2.4% hold) but require bettor demand for sharper pricing.
How Hold Is Calculated
Convert each side’s odds to implied probability and sum them. Subtract 100%. The remainder is the hold. Example: -110/-110 → 52.4% + 52.4% = 104.8% → 4.8% hold. For three-way markets (soccer, NHL), hold typically runs 6-8%. For futures and player props, hold can exceed 15%.
Why Hold Matters for +EV Betting
Hold determines how much edge a bettor needs to profit long-term. On a 4.8% hold market, a bettor needs ~52.4% win rate to break even at -110 juice. On a 15% hold player prop market, that breakeven climbs to ~55%+. Low-hold markets compound EV faster because you’re fighting a smaller house edge per bet. Use the Odds Converter to remove vig and find the no-vig fair line on any market.
Hold Across Different Markets
Game lines (moneyline, spread, total): typically 4-5% hold. Player props: 5-10% on major markets, 10-20% on niche markets (longest reception, anytime TD, first TD). Futures (Super Bowl, MVP): 15-25% hold. Same-game parlays: variable 8-15% effective hold from correlation adjustments. Line-shopping across books and avoiding high-hold markets is the single easiest way to lower your effective hold.
How AI Tools Account for Hold
PropsBot’s AI scores every prop on no-vig implied probability — the hold is removed before edge calculation. This isolates the true model-vs-market gap, free of the book’s house edge. Across 218,000+ graded props, PropsBot’s high-confidence signal has produced +27.8% ROI even against the variable hold across hundreds of player prop markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “hold” mean in sports betting?
Hold is the sportsbook’s profit margin built into market pricing by setting implied probabilities that sum above 100%. A typical -110/-110 market has 4.8% hold. Lower-hold markets favor bettors; higher-hold markets favor the book.
How do you calculate sportsbook hold?
Convert each side’s odds to implied probability, sum them, subtract 100%. Example: -110/-110 → 52.4% + 52.4% = 104.8% → 4.8% hold. For three-way markets, the same formula applies across all three sides.
What is a low-hold market?
Low-hold markets have hold below 3%. Best examples: moneylines at -105/-105 (2.4% hold) and some MLB run-line markets at -108/-108. Player prop markets typically have higher hold (5-10%) but offer more individual edge opportunities.
How can I reduce the effective hold I pay?
Three reliable methods: (1) Line-shop across multiple sportsbooks for each bet. (2) Avoid high-hold markets like futures and niche props. (3) Focus on lower-hold game-line markets when betting volume is high.
← Back to Sports Betting Glossary
