What Does Negative Mean in Betting?

The most notable use of ‘negative’ in betting is seen on odds provided by a sportsbook when using the American odds system. A negative number (for example -150) means that a team or a selection is the favorite to win. In this example, the -150 means that you would need to place a $150 wager on that selection in order to return a profit of $100.

There is another, less common, meaning of negative in betting which denotes taking the underdog. For example, if you were to bet against the favorite in a game and instead place a wager on the team that is not expected to win, this can be referred to as “taking the negative bet”.