What is Juice in Sports Betting?
The sportsbook's built-in commission on every bet — also called the vig or vigorish.
Juice (Vigorish) Explained
Juice (also called "vig" or "vigorish") is the commission that sportsbooks charge on bets. It's how they make money regardless of the outcome.
In a perfectly fair market, a 50/50 event would have both sides at +100. But sportsbooks set both sides at -110, meaning you need to bet $110 to win $100. That extra $10 is the juice.
The juice ensures that even if the book gets equal action on both sides, they still profit.
Calculating the Juice
To find the juice on a market, add the implied probabilities of all outcomes:
Example:
- Fighter A: -150 = 60.0% implied
- Fighter B: +130 = 43.5% implied
- Total: 103.5%
The 3.5% over 100% is the juice. A fair market would have both sides summing to exactly 100%.
Lower juice means better value for bettors. Most sportsbooks charge 3-8% juice on fight odds. Some sharp books like Pinnacle offer lower juice (1-3%).
How Juice Affects Your Bottom Line
Juice directly eats into your profits:
- At -110/-110 (standard juice), you need to win 52.4% of bets to break even
- At -105/-105 (reduced juice), you need only 51.2% to break even
- At -120/-100 (typical for fight moneylines), the favorite side has higher juice
Over hundreds of bets, even 1-2% less juice can mean the difference between profit and loss. That's why comparing odds across sportsbooks is critical — the same bet at a better price saves you juice on every wager.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbooks have the lowest juice?
Pinnacle is known for the lowest juice in the industry, often 1-2% on fight odds. Bookmaker and BetOnline also tend to offer competitive pricing. Use KnockoutOdds to compare and always take the best available price.
Can you avoid paying juice?
You can't avoid it entirely, but you can minimize it by shopping lines across sportsbooks, using reduced juice promotions, and taking advantage of odds boosts when offered.