Quick Answer
The vig — short for vigorish, also called juice — is the commission a sportsbook builds into its odds. -110 on both sides of a market means you bet $11 to win $10 either way; the extra dollar is the vig, and that is the book’s edge.
Last updated July 9, 2026.
Quick answer: Vig, short for vigorish (also called juice), is the commission a sportsbook charges on every bet. It’s what allows the book to make money regardless of the outcome. The most common vig structure is -110 on both sides of a 50/50 market, which means you risk $110 to win $100. The book’s hold on a -110 to -110 line is approximately 4.8%. Most NFL and NBA spread markets run -110 vig. Player props typically run higher: 6 to 10%.
How Vig Hides in the Numbers
If a coin flip were fairly priced, both sides would be at +100 (50% implied probability each). Sportsbooks shift the line to -110 each side, which makes the implied probabilities sum to 104.8% (52.4% × 2). That extra 4.8% is the vig. To break even on -110 bets, you need to win 52.38% of them. Win rates below that lose money to vig over time, even on a coin-flip system. The mid-tier sharp threshold is 53-54%; full-time pros hit 55-57% on filtered samples.
Why Vig Varies by Market
Game spreads run the lowest vig (4.8%) because volume is high and the book wants the action. Live betting runs 8-12% because pricing is harder and volume is lower. Player props sit in the middle at 6-10%. Longshot futures (Super Bowl winner odds) often have 25-40% effective vig because the book has to balance dozens of outcomes. The general rule: the more uncertain the outcome and the lower the volume, the higher the vig.
Why Vig Is the Real Bottom Line
Most public bettors lose money on -110 vig because they win at 50% rate (no edge) and lose 4.8% to vig. Sharps overcome vig by finding lines where their probability estimate exceeds the no-vig probability. PropsBot’s MLB High ROI Signal posts 31.7% verified ROI on 101,881 graded props by isolating exactly these mispricings. The Brier score (0.1903 vs Vegas 0.1947) confirms the model is more accurate than the market average. Without that calibration edge, no amount of bet selection beats the vig.
How to Reduce Vig You Pay
Line shopping across multiple books is the single biggest lever. The same bet might be -110 at FanDuel and -105 at DraftKings. Over a 1,000-bet sample, that 5-cent gap saves $500 on $11,000 of action. Reduced-juice books (BetOnline, Pinnacle for international users) regularly offer -105 instead of -110. Shopping for -105 reduced juice instead of -110 standard is the simplest way to add 1-2% to long-term ROI without any additional skill requirement. The PropsBot odds-comparison feature surfaces these gaps automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does vig mean in sports betting?
Vig (vigorish) is the commission the sportsbook charges on every bet. It’s how books make money regardless of which side wins. Standard vig on a spread bet is 4.8% (priced as -110 on both sides).
How do I calculate vig on a market?
Convert both sides of a market to implied probability and sum them. The amount over 100% is the vig. So -110 implied 52.4% on both sides totals 104.8%, meaning 4.8% vig.
What’s a typical NBA prop vig?
Player props typically run 6-10% vig. NBA points props are usually -115 each side (about 7%). Rebound and assist props often run -120 each side or higher (about 9%).
How can I reduce the vig I pay?
Line shop across multiple books, look for reduced-juice promotions, and avoid live-betting markets which carry the highest vig. PropsBot’s multi-book odds comparison surfaces the lowest-vig prices automatically.
What’s the lowest vig you can find?
Pinnacle (international users) often runs 2-3% vig on major markets. US books rarely go below 4.5%. DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM cluster around 4.8-5.5% on standard spreads.
Part of the PropsBot.AI Sports Betting Glossary. Updated 2026-05-04.
Related Glossary Terms
- Betting Handle Explained
- Hedging in Sports Betting
- Cover the Spread, Explained
- Implied Probability — Formula + Examples
What It Means For Bettors
Betting mechanics matter because the same opinion can be good, bad, or unplayable depending on price and rules.
A practical read compares the implied probability to the bettor's true number, then decides whether the edge survives the available price. That is where a glossary page becomes useful: it turns a term into a decision rule instead of a vocabulary note.
Settlement And Book Rules
Different books can use different grading rules, payout limits, void rules, and hold, so price comparison is part of the bet. A page can define the term correctly and still lead a bettor wrong if it ignores how the posted market is actually graded.
The safest workflow is to check the market name, player or team eligibility, timing window, stat source, void language, and price before treating a bet as comparable across sportsbooks.
Betting Example
If the page is explaining Vig in Sports Betting? Vigorish, do not stop at the definition. Ask what would make the market move, which sportsbook rule controls grading, and whether the available number is still better than the model's fair line.
That same discipline is why PropsBot connects definitions to props, picks, odds shopping, and tracked results. The term explains the market; the model and price decide whether the bet is playable.
When To Use This Definition
Use this definition when you are comparing a market across books, checking whether two prices are really the same bet, or trying to understand why the model likes one side more than the public market does. The term should narrow the decision. It should not replace the decision.
The common mistake is treating a glossary answer as a pick. A bettor still needs the current line, the available price, the event context, and a reason the number is different from fair value. If those pieces are missing, the better move is usually to wait, shop, or pass.
For PropsBot, the best use of a glossary page is as a bridge. Read the definition, then move into the market page, compare prices, and check whether the tracked model signal supports the bet. That keeps the term tied to a current decision instead of leaving it as static sports-betting vocabulary.
That structure also helps search engines and AI answer engines understand the page: direct definition first, betting context second, and clear routes into the live PropsBot pages where the user can act.
Related PropsBot Pages
Vig in Sports Betting? Vigorish FAQ
Why does this term matter for betting?
It matters because the term can change how a market is priced, what counts for settlement, and whether a bettor is comparing the same bet across books.
Should this term be used by itself to make a pick?
No. Use it as context, then check role, matchup, price, model edge, and sportsbook rules before deciding whether to bet or pass.
Where should I go after reading the definition?
Move from the definition into the relevant props, picks, odds-shopping, or calculator page so the term is tied to an actual decision instead of a static note.
