The moneyline bet is one of the most popular and simple wagers a bettor can make. And being so popular, it is often the first betting line that many new players try out. This is why we created our moneyline betting guide to explain everything newcomers need to know about this betting market.
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The Best Moneyline Betting Sites List 2023
There are many excellent moneyline betting sites that players can use to place their bets. Here we detail the best we have found, explaining what makes them stand out, and what makes them the perfect sites for betting the moneyline.
- BetOnline – Our top pick among moneyline betting sites for 2023
- Bovada – Excellent worldwide coverage of sports
- MyBookie – Place a moneyline bet with one of the biggest names in betting
- BetUS – A simple beginner platform with many moneyline options
- XBet – Look out for all the top events on this sportsbook
- Everygame – Coverage of MLB, NHL, NBA & NFL moneyline betting markets
- Sportsbetting.ag – Combine moneyline betting with props and other fun markets
- BetNow – Look out for events from around the globe on this sportsbook
- GT Bets – Highly competitive odds for your moneyline bet
- BUSR – Bet pre-game and in-play on this versatile sportsbook
What is a Moneyline Bet?
The moneyline is betting in its simplest form, which is why betting the moneyline appeals so much to newer gamblers, and why many experienced gamblers stick with the market. There is nothing complex, no point lines, method of victory, or spreads to be concerned with – all you are focusing on here is who wins the game.
You choose the team or person you think will win and cheer them on to beat the opposition – it is that simple.
How Moneyline Betting Works
When you are betting the moneyline, you are betting on something with two or three outcomes. So, for example, a tennis match has two outcomes, while an NFL game also has two outcomes because it includes any potential overtime. The same with NHL hockey and NBA basketball, as these also include overtime.
In some sports and leagues, such as European soccer, the moneyline betting market is a three-way market, as there is the possibility of a draw included in this.
The key to this market is that if your selection wins, you win. There are others where this doesn’t happen, which can confuse newer gamblers. However, if you stick with the moneyline, you know that if the team is celebrating at the end, so are you.
Example 1 – NHL Moneyline Betting
When you are placing a moneyline bet on the NHL, you are betting on a two-way market. Your team can win by any means – this could be in regulation, overtime, or penalties. As long as the team wins, you win, and there is no option for a draw here because a tied game is not possible in ice hockey.
Example 2 – European Soccer Moneyline Betting
There are three possible outcomes when placing a moneyline bet on soccer from Europe, so this is a three-way market. The game has two potential winners, plus the possibility of a draw, with no overtime and penalties in the big leagues. The same principles apply – if your team wins the game and celebrates at the end, then so are you.
Moneyline Betting Odds
When placing a wager, the odds on offer are significant, and moneyline betting is no different. The odds will determine your returns on a winning bet – the bigger the odds, the bigger the return.
Odd compilers will set the lines ahead of each game, and after that, these will be driven and changed by two things. The first is vital game information, such as team news, injuries, and conditions. The second is money – as people bet, a bookmaker will change their moneyline market to try and balance their book.
When looking at the odds, you will either see a + or – next to the number. If the odds are a +, this is the amount you will win for a wager of 100, so +200 means 200 profit from your 100 bet. If the odds show a –, then you see the amount you need to wager to win 100. For example, -150 means that you will need to wager 150 to win 100 on that particular moneyline bet.
Example of a Moneyline Bet
Here we will explain two moneyline bets so you can see the bet and odds working together.
Example 1 – NFL Moneyline
New England Patriots @ Kansas City Chiefs.
You bet $100 on the Chiefs on the NFL moneyline, who have odds of +150.
The game ends 31-25 to the Chiefs, so they have won the game.
This means your bet is a winner.
Your $100 stake returns $150 profit based on the odds, so you get back a total of $250.
#2 Example – NBA Moneyline
Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls.
You bet $200 on the Bulls on the NBA moneyline, who have odds of -200.
The game ends 123-120 after overtime to the Bulls.
Your bet covers winning by any means, so your bet is a winner.
Your $200 stake returns $100 profit based on the odds, so you get back a total of $300.
Moneyline vs Spread
There is a lot of talk about moneyline betting vs betting the spread, and essentially, this all comes down to how much you want to risk.
Moneyline betting offers more chances to win because it covers all bases for you and doesn’t require your team to win and cover the spread.
Betting on the spread gives you more significant returns because you are taking a more considerable risk with your bet as your team needs to win the game and cover the points spread.
Betting the spread sees your selection either receive or give up points to their opponent.
One crucial aspect of betting the spread is remembering that it is possible to see your team win the game but your bet is a loser because they haven’t covered the spread.
Best Moneyline Sportsbooks Reviewed
1. BetOnline – One of the biggest moneyline betting sites with a great choice
BetOnline is a massive name in the world of sports betting, and of course, moneyline betting makes up a big part of their service. With healthy options for betting on big US leagues, as well as worldwide coverage, there is plenty to choose from here.
During our research, we found this platform consistently provided leading odds on the moneyline, including for NFL, PGA Tour, and EPL moneyline bets. BetOnline also tends to get its lines out before the competition, leading to sharper odds and better payouts for early birds.
New players who sign up can claim the BetOnline welcome bonus. This is a 50% matched deposit offer, up to $1000 to get you started. Use the code BOL1000 to claim this offer, so you can explore everything that BetOnline has to offer with their moneyline betting and much more.
What we like:
- Great welcome offer for new players
- Bet in play as well as pre-match
- Many sports and leagues to get you excited
- Further promotions such as mobile bonuses and reloads
- Best moneyline betting odds overall
What we don’t:
- No mobile app
2. Bovada – Excellent worldwide coverage of sports
Bovada are another big name in the betting world, with a high-quality service to back that up. This begins with the odds on offer, known to be very strong and some of the best on the market.
There is a great choice here too, with as much choice and coverage of sports on the other side of the world as there are on those closer to home. So whether you want NBA moneyline betting or something from Europe, you will have plenty of options for placing your bets. Markets away from the moneyline are also very strong here.
New players can claim the Bovada welcome bonus, a matched deposit offer where your first deposit is matched to 50%, up to a maximum of $1000. There is no bonus code but a 5x wagering requirement attached to this offer which allows you to explore the full Bovada service and everything they offer.
What we like:
- One of the biggest names in betting with a vast service
- Special bets for US sports leagues such as the NFL and NBA
- Fantastic welcome offer for new players up to $1000
- Great odds, some of the best on the market
- Option to create your own moneyline bets using What’s Ya Wager
What we don’t:
- No app to download
3. MyBookie – Place a moneyline bet with one of the biggest names in betting
If you want to place your moneyline bet with the biggest, then MyBookie certainly has a claim to that title. They offer some great odds, the best on the market sometimes, and this is a crucial aspect of moneyline betting, so no surprise to see this being one of the reasons why many players like this site.
On top of this, they have an excellent US sports service that fans will love. Considerable focus is placed on the big leagues, the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, to provide an excellent betting platform that offers strong moneyline betting plus many other ways to place your bets if you want to find something different.
A new player offer is available with MyBookie, a 100% matched deposit offer based on your first deposit that is up to $1000. The bets placed with this can be at any odds, but there is a 10x wagering requirement attached to the deal, so be aware of this.
What we like:
- New player offer of 100% matched up to $1000
- Great betting options for the big US sports leagues
- Some of the best moneyline bet odds on the market
- Reload offers and more available for existing customers
- Moneyline betting tips available in the blog pages
What we don’t:
- Site aesthetic is improving but does still look dated
4. BetUS – A fantastic beginner platform with many moneyline options
BetUS have put together an excellent betting platform with their customer in mind. This is a very user-friendly service, one that new players should instantly feel at home with, such is the ease with which you navigate the platform, find moneyline betting picks, and how simple it is to find the betting markets you want.
In total, there are moneyline betting options for 20+ sports, covering several different leagues and competitions. On top of this, there are some great prop bets on offer for those who want more than just straight wagers on the winner. The moneyline betting odds are pretty much industry standard across the board: BetUS doesn’t tend to beat out the likes of BetOnline for value but is never far behind and has better bonuses…
New players can use the code JOIN125 to claim a bonus for both sports betting and casino gaming. Get a 100% matched deposit offer on sports, up to $2500, with a 10x wagering requirement, and a 25% matched casino bonus up to $625, with a 30x wagering requirement attached to it.
What we like:
- A unique welcome offer giving a sports and casino bonus
- Website design is amiable for players, including beginners
- Bet on the moneyline plus many more markets here
- Solid options for betting on US sports leagues
What we don’t:
- Min. deposit for bonus is high at $100
5. XBet – Look out for all the significant events on this sportsbook
XBet is a sportsbook specializing in coverage of the top events from around the globe and puts enormous focus on them. The menu system is designed to let big events stand out, with shortcuts to them and plenty of ways to bet on them, with many things just one click away from the home page.
With many of these events in the US, this is an excellent sportsbook for Americans, offering a service designed to give the events we are all talking about. The odds here are strong too, so you know when you bet with XBet you will get a terrific deal on your wager.
New players can claim the XBet welcome offer, a 100% matched deposit offer of up to $500. This is an offer you can use without minimum odds attached, but there is a 7x wagering requirement for you to follow before you can withdraw the funds you have made from the bonus.
What we like:
- Featured events are highlighted on the site and many are just one click away
- Great, competitive odds on the moneyline and other markets
- Welcome offer for new players is 100% matched up to $500
- An excellent menu system, offering lots of shortcuts to the things many bettors want
What we don’t:
- Live betting manages to be both complex and dull (no live graphics or metrics)
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If you are brand new to betting and now understand the moneyline bet meaning and want to start betting on it, we will run you through the entire process. This goes from signing up with a bookmaker to depositing and then placing your first moneyline bet.
The bookmaker we are going to use in this example is BetOnline.
- Visit the BetOnline website using our link above – when you hit the landing page, look out for the green button that says ‘Join Now.’
- Click this, and then proceed to fill in the sign-up sheet, adding your name, email, address, phone number and date of birth, as well as creating a password.
- This creates your account, and now it is time to deposit funds by heading to the cashier section, choosing a deposit method, and making your first payment into the account. Make sure you select the correct method and hit the minimum amount to claim the welcome bonus when doing this.
- After you have funds, it is time to go and find your first moneyline bet, with the available sports and leagues listed down the left-hand side of the page.
- When you click on a league or sport, you will see betting markets appear in the middle of the page, and the moneyline will be one of the markets that appear here. For example, with the NFL, the points spread, moneyline, and total line all appear, so you can look at the NFL moneyline odds and choose the team you want to bet on before placing that wager via the bet slip on the right-hand side.
Moneyline Betting Tips
If you are new to betting and looking to get started by placing a moneyline bet, here are some tips for the line to get you started.
1. Use a moneyline calculator
A moneyline calculator will work out the value of your wager, with the implied probability of this happening. For example, +200 odds imply a 33% chance of success. If you think the game is a 50/50 game, so the odds of success are around 50%, then this is a good bet because the odds are larger than your probability expectations.
2. Get the timing of your bet right
As mentioned, moneyline betting markets change depending on the news and bets placed. Therefore, the timing of your bet will determine the odds you take, so try and get this right. For example, if you are watching a team’s news conference and expect good news from it, try and bet before so that you are on the line before information could potentially lower the odds on your team to win.
3. Find value bets
Betting on the moneyline means you are likely to take small odds most of the time. This means you need to have a potent strike rate to be a long-term winner, which means you need to find value. So don’t bet on a team just because you think they’ll win – the odds on offer need to provide value if you want to have long-term success.
4. Try and stick to events you have great knowledge of
Following on from finding value and having a solid strike rate, something to help this is sticking to what you know. With so many sports and betting opportunities, it is easy to get carried away. However, discipline is critical, and you should only look to wager on what you know about in a bid to keep your strike rate strong.
5. Be wary of big favorites
Just because a team is a big favorite doesn’t mean they are guaranteed to win. Betting on big favorites means your strike rate needs to be even higher because the odds on offer are so small. If you are doing this, you need to be confident that the selection is going to win.
Conclusion
If you started this article wondering “What does moneyline mean in betting?” – hopefully, we have now given you the answer to that. With betting the moneyline explained, players can move forward and place that all-important first wager at the sportsbook. It offers a simple way to play, there are no complications, and nothing else to consider, such as point spreads or the method of victory.
The moneyline betting market is ideal for newcomers but many experienced bettors still use it regularly. With the right strategy in place on sports you love, moneyline betting can become a real winner. If you’re still unsure which site to sign up with, BetOnline ranks 1st in our reviews thanks to its broad selection of markets and the fact that it tends to offer the best odds on the moneyline. Click the link below to sign up today and claim up to $1,000 as part of the platform’s welcome promotion.
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Alan Draper
Alan Draper
