Vig (short for vigorish) is the commission sportsbooks charge on every bet you place. You'll also hear it called "juice." It's built directly into the odds, which means you're paying it whether you realize it or not.
At standard -110 odds, you're risking $110 to win $100. That extra $10 is the vig — the sportsbook's cut for taking your action. Understanding how it works is one of the first things every bettor should learn, because it directly affects how often you need to win just to break even.
Sportsbooks don't charge you a fee when you place a bet. Instead, they bake their margin into the odds themselves.
Take a typical NFL spread where both sides are listed at -110. The sportsbook collects $110 from bettors on each side but only pays out $100 to the winners. That gap is the vig.
You can see it clearly when you look at implied probability. At -110, the implied probability is 52.38%. But if both sides are at -110, the combined implied probability is 104.76% — more than 100%. That extra 4.76% is the sportsbook's built-in edge.
This is why winning 50% of your bets at -110 odds means you're losing money. You actually need to hit above 52.4% just to break even.
The odds you get determine how often you need to win. Here's how it breaks down
The difference between -110 and -105 might look small, but over hundreds of bets it compounds. Getting better odds consistently is one of the easiest ways to improve your long-term results.
Spreads and totals usually sit around -110 on both sides. That's roughly a 4.76% hold for the sportsbook. But other bet types are different.
Moneylines on lopsided matchups tend to carry more vig. The bigger the favorite, the wider the sportsbook's margin.
Player props and futures are even worse. The vig on those can run 6-10% or higher because they're harder for the book to price accurately.
Parlays compound the problem. Every leg you add stacks more vig on top. This is a big reason why parlays are so profitable for sportsbooks even when individual legs hit.
You can't eliminate vig entirely, but you can minimize how much you're giving up.
Line shop. Different sportsbooks offer different odds on the same bet. Getting -108 instead of -115 on the same wager drops your break-even from 53.5% to 51.9%. That matters over time. Pikkit's autofill lets you compare and place bets across sportsbooks quickly so you're always getting the best number available.
Look for reduced juice books. Some sportsbooks offer -105 on spreads and totals as a standard. That brings your break-even down to 51.2% which is much closer to a true coin flip.
Know what you're paying on props and parlays. There's nothing wrong with betting these, but understand the vig is higher. If you're going to bet them, understand that you're paying more for the action.
Track your closing line value. CLV measures whether you're consistently getting better odds than where the line closes. Positive CLV over time means you're beating the vig. Negative CLV means you're probably paying more than you need to.
Lets consider the same bet and use under 3.5 strikeouts for a pitcher. Three different sportsbooks, three different odds:
If you bet this three times and go 2-1, your net profit at Book A is +$72. At Book C, it's +$27. Same record, same bet, but the bettor who shopped for better odds made almost three times more money.
This is why line shopping isn’t optional, it’s fundamental to making informed bets.
Pikkit’s line comparison feature shows you odds across sportsbooks in one view, so you can quickly find the best available number before placing any bet.
What does "juice" mean in sports betting?Juice is just another word for vig. When someone says "the juice is -110," they're referring to the odds and the commission built into them.
What is reduced juice?Reduced juice means lower vig — typically -105 instead of -110 on spreads and totals. Some sportsbooks offer this as a standard feature.
How do I calculate my break-even percentage?Divide your risk by your total return. At -110: 110 / 210 = 52.4%. You need to win more than that to come out ahead.
Does vig change by sport?The standard -110 is common across most sports for spreads and totals. But vig on moneylines, props, and futures varies depending on the market and how confident the sportsbook is in its pricing.
Understanding vig is step one. Seeing whether you're actually beating it is what matters. Pikkit's bet tracker automatically calculates your win rate, ROI, and CLV across all your sportsbooks — so you know exactly where you stand. Free on iOS and Android.
Download on the app to start tracking your bets and measuring your performance.
