How the Vig Calculator Works
The Betstamp Vig Calculator returns the exact margin (vig) a sportsbook has built into any two-sided market. Enter the odds for each side — the calculator outputs the bookmaker vig as a percentage.
How to Use the Vig Calculator
- Enter Outcome #1 Odds
- Enter Outcome #2 Odds
- The calculator returns Bookmaker Vig as a percentage
What is Vig in Sports Betting?
Vig is the extra implied probability a sportsbook builds into every market. In a vig-free market, the implied probabilities of the two sides would sum to exactly 100%. Real markets sum to 102–108%+. The excess is the vig.
Standard –110 / –110 NFL spread:
- –110 implied probability: 52.4%
- Combined: 104.8%
- Vig: 4.8%
Vig is how sportsbooks make money. Knowing the vig on a market tells you how efficient the pricing is and whether it's worth betting.
Vig vs Hold: What's the Difference?
- Vig: the percentage by which implied probabilities exceed 100% in the odds
- Hold: the sportsbook's theoretical profit margin from balanced action
They're related and move together — higher vig means higher hold — but they measure slightly different things. Use the [Betstamp Hold Calculator] when you specifically want hold.
Vig by Sportsbook (Approximate Averages)
- Pinnacle: 2–3% vig on mainlines — sharpest
- Circa: 3–4% — sharp
- BetMGM, Caesars (sharp side): 4–5% — standard
- DraftKings, FanDuel: 4.5–5% on mains, 8–15% on props
- Bet365: 4–5%
The lower the vig, the better the market is for bettors. Sharp bettors gravitate to low-vig books because the lines are closer to fair and offer more reliable +EV opportunities when compared to softer books.
Vig by Market Type
- NFL and NBA spreads/totals: 4–5% vig
- MLB moneylines, NHL puck lines: 3–4% vig
- Player props: 8–15% vig (highest on mainstream markets)
- Futures: 20–30%+ vig
- Same game parlays: effectively 15–30%+ vig after compounding
As a rule of thumb: tight, high-volume markets have low vig. Obscure or correlated markets have high vig.
Using Vig to Find Better Bets
Once you know the vig on a market, you can make two better decisions:
- Skip high-vig markets. A prop with 12% vig requires a much bigger edge to overcome than a mainline with 4%.
- Focus on low-vig markets. Mains on sharp books like Pinnacle have the tightest vig — which is why they're the standard reference for devigged fair odds (use the Betstamp No-Vig Fair Odds Calculator to strip vig and find fair prices).
Betstamp PRO tracks vig on every market across every major sportsbook in real time, letting you play exclusively in sharp markets.
With Betstamp PRO—the most advanced top-down betting odds screen in the market. Bettors will find hundreds of daily betting edges with ease, allowing you to scale your profits long-term. Click the banner to book a free demo.
