What Does Juice Mean in Sports Betting?
“Juice” (also called the vig) is the fee sportsbooks build into the odds. It’s the reason you can be right more often than not and still lose money at standard prices.
Juice vs. vig — same thing
Juice and vig both mean the sportsbook’s built-in margin.
On many point spreads, you’ll see odds like -110 on both sides. That extra -10 is the book’s edge.
How to “see” the juice
Convert each side’s odds into implied probability and add them together.
If the total is above 100%, the amount over 100% is the market’s overround (the book’s edge).
Example (both sides -110):
- -110 implied probability ≈ 52.38%
- 52.38% + 52.38% = 104.76%
That “extra” 4.76% is the book’s cushion.
Why reduced juice matters
At -110, you need to win about 52.38% just to break even.
If you can shop lines and find -105 or -102, your break-even point drops — and your long-run results improve.
Quick break-even table
| Odds | Break-even Win % |
|---|---|
| -110 | 52.38% |
| -105 | 51.22% |
| -102 | 50.50% |
| +100 | 50.00% |
Action steps
- Compare odds across books (line shopping).
- Learn to convert odds to probability: Implied Probability.
- Evaluate bets by EV, not vibes: Expected Value (EV).
FAQ
Is juice always -110?
No. -110 is common for spreads/totals, but juice varies by market, sport, and sportsbook.
Can I win long-term paying high juice?
It’s much harder. Higher juice raises your break-even percentage, so you need a bigger edge to profit.
What’s the difference between juice and overround?
Juice is the general concept of the book’s margin. Overround is the measurable total over 100% when implied probabilities are added.
Related next steps
- Gambling Glossary (quick definitions)
- Gambling Basics 101 (start here)
- Responsible Gambling (play safe)