Vig Calculator — Sportsbook Hold & Juice
The vig is the single most reliable way sportsbooks make money, and it's hidden in plain sight inside every price. Enter the odds for each outcome of a market and this vig calculator shows exactly how much margin you're paying.
The formula
sum = Σ (1 / decimal_i) overround = (sum − 1) × 100 hold = (1 − 1 / sum) × 100
Worked example: -110 / -110
Each side implies 52.38%, so the total is 104.76%. The overround is 4.76% and the hold is 4.55%. Cut the price to -105 / -105 and the total drops to 102.44% — a hold of just 2.38%.
Why it matters
- Shopping for lower-juice lines is the easiest edge a bettor can buy.
- A market with negative overround — total under 100% — is an arbitrage; check the arbitrage calculator.
- Remove the vig entirely with the no-vig calculator to see the fair odds.
FAQ
What is vig (juice) in sports betting?
Vig — short for vigorish, also called juice — is the commission a sportsbook builds into its odds. Instead of charging a fee, the book prices both sides of a market so the implied probabilities add up to more than 100%. The excess is its margin.
What's the difference between vig, overround, and hold?
Overround is the total implied probability minus 100% (4.76% at -110/-110). Hold is that same margin as a share of total money wagered (4.55% at -110/-110). People often use "vig" loosely for either; this calculator shows both so you can compare like with like.
How much vig is normal?
Standard -110/-110 point spreads and totals carry about 4.5% hold. Reduced-juice markets at -105/-105 carry about 2.4%. Moneylines, props, parlays, and futures commonly run much higher.
How much does the vig cost me?
At -110 you risk $110 to win $100, so you need to win 52.38% of the time just to break even. Every point of vig you avoid raises your long-run return.