What is an odds-on favorite in sports betting?
The short answer
A favorite priced shorter than even money.
Odds and pricing guide
Knowing the language is step one — knowing the true price is the edge. The Cold Line’s signal desk tracks the no-vig fair number and the closing-line value behind terms like this, before the market moves.
In plain English
You must risk more than you win. -150 is odds-on; +100 is even.
What to remember about Odds-On Favorite
The definition
A favorite priced shorter than even money.
In plain English
You must risk more than you win. -150 is odds-on; +100 is even.
Example in context
A team at -200 is odds-on: risk $200 to win $100. That is shorter than even money.
Check yourself
Term quiz
Check yourself: Odds-on favorite
1.An odds-on favorite is…
2.A team at -200 is on the board. Is that odds-on, and what do you risk?
3.Why do people trip over "odds-on"?
Keep learning
Explore the next question before you place a bet.
- What is a favorite in sports betting?
- What is even money in gambling?
- What are american odds in sports betting?
- What is the closing line in sports betting?
- What are decimal odds in sports betting?
- What is a dime in sports betting?
- What is a dime line in sports betting?
- What are fractional odds in sports betting?
Put the concept to work
Explore Odds-On Favorite with a concrete research workflow. Build your own number, compare sportsbook prices with a sharp reference, or use Audits to review timestamped book moves beside play-by-play.
Browse the full A–Z betting glossary or read the complete betting guide. The Cold Line also publishes a free year-round sports calendar and an odds board (Free account: delayed odds).