Syncing the cold line...
The Cold Line
Syncing the cold line...
The Cold Line
The short answer
Short for vigorish. The book's cut on every bet. In loving memory of Vigtoria "Vig" the Goody Girl — a beloved English Bulldog who carried the name with grace.
What is a vig in sports betting? Vig is short for vigorish — the sportsbook's cut on every bet. In plain terms: it's the built-in fee the book keeps for taking the bet, folded into the price you're offered. It's also called juice, and it's how the book earns money whichever side wins. “It's called vig — it's what keeps the house in business. I don't get down anywhere that has over 10 percent vig, personally.” Let's use this example. If both straight-spread sides are minus 110, break-even is 110 divided by 210, which is 52.38 percent — so you have to win 52.38 percent of the time, not 50. Add both sides together and you get 104.76 percent. Real probability cannot exceed 100, and that 4.76 above it is the book's built-in cut. And the cut is not the same everywhere: a corner book like Slow-Pay Donnie's posts minus 120 both ways and calls it a favor — that is more than nine percent baked in, double the standard cut. Realized hold depends on prices and accepted action, but the rule never changes: the price, not the pick, decides who profits over time. Lines move and books differ. Nothing here is a guarantee or a command to bet — it's how the number works.
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.
The book's built-in cut on every bet. Lay -110 on both sides and the book keeps the difference no matter who wins.
Term quiz
1.The vig is…
2.At standard -110 odds, you bet $110 to win $100. The extra $10 is…
3.Why does the vig matter to a bettor?
Explore the next question before you place a bet.
You know what Vig means. Now see it in action: The Cold Line’s signal desk prices the no-vig fair number before the market moves — and publishes the closing-line-value receipts to prove it. A signal desk, not another tout or handicapping service.
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 live odds board — no signup required.
