Straight/Side Bets (All Sports)

A straight/side bet  is one of the most common forms of sports betting where you pick which team will win the game.  For baseball, you bet on which team will win the game outright.  For basketball or football there will generally be a point spread as part of the bet.  If the number is positive (+) then you add the points to your team's score.  If the number is negative (-) then subtract those points from your teams score. The side with the higher score after the points are applied is the winner.  For football and basketball the payoff is $100 for every $110 wagered unless otherwise noted.  It is customary that when making a bet that you put up the juice as part of your wager.  Therefore, $110 will be wagered if you specify a $100 straight bet.  For baseball, the payoff is determined by the money line.  If the money line is a negative number then you wager the amount of the money line for each $1 of your bet.  For example, if the money line is -135 then you would wager $135 to win your $100 bet.  If the money line is a positive number then you will wager $100 to win the money line.  For example, if the money line is +125 then you would wager $100 to win $125.

Example

Bet examples:

Washington Redskins -7  Risking $110. to win $100

San Francisco 49ers -2½ Risking $110. to win $100

Bet examples:

LA Lakers -17 Risking  $110. to win $100.

New Jersey Nets +2½ Risking  $110. to win $100.