The Moneyline is the bet on who wins the match, usually with two outcomes and no draw. It's standard in tennis and very common in basketball. In 1X2 the draw gets its own outcome. Here it doesn't.
What is the Moneyline?
You're betting on who wins the match, full stop. That's the Moneyline, usually a two-outcome market. There's no third slot for a draw, unlike 1X2.
In tennis it's the standard result market, since a match can't end level. In basketball it's one of the most common.
Moneyline or 1X2: how many outcomes?
It all comes down to the number of outcomes and where the draw fits. The table puts the two markets side by side.
| 1X2 | Moneyline | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical outcomes | 3 | 2 |
| Draw | Possible | Usually absent |
| Football | Very common | Variable |
| Tennis | Not suited to the final result | Standard |
| Basketball | Variable | Very common |
| Extra time | Depends on the market | Depends on the rules |
Extra-time rules vary by sport and by operator, on the Moneyline just as on 1X2. Read the rules of the market you're looking at before you bet.
Example: a tennis Moneyline
Two players, two possible outcomes. The Moneyline applies directly, with no draw to allow for.
| Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
| Player A | 1.65 |
| Player B | 2.30 |
Put £15 on Player A and a win returns £24.75 (£15 × 1.65), a net profit of £9.75. If Player B wins, you lose the £15. There's no in-between outcome on a two-way market, whereas in 1X2 a draw breaks the all-or-nothing logic. Whichever side is the favourite, the arithmetic is the same. Only the odds change, and with them the size of the potential profit.
Like any odds, these two convert into implied probabilities. The detail is on the implied probability page.
Edge cases: tennis retirement and basketball overtime
In tennis, a player retiring mid-match is the most common edge case on a Moneyline. If a player retires when too few games or sets have been played, most operators void the bet and refund the stake. Past a threshold set by the operator, often the end of a full set, the bet can be settled on the score at the point of retirement, with the retiring player's opponent declared the winner. The rules differ noticeably from one operator to another, so check them before you bet.
In basketball, overtime is generally included in Moneyline settlement. A game never ends level, so the market follows the final result, overtime included, unless the operator says otherwise. In football, a result market usually covers regulation time only.
A match stopped early for a reason unrelated to play (a security incident, an equipment failure) generally follows the same logic as a tennis retirement. The stake is refunded if the operator's settlement threshold isn't reached.
Margin and implied probability on the Moneyline
A Moneyline reads with the same tools as 1X2 or a handicap: every price contains a margin. In the example above, 1.65 and 2.30 give implied probabilities of 60.6% and 43.5%. Together they come to 104.1%. That 4.1-point excess is the bookmaker's margin, and the general calculation is on the bookmaker margin page.
In this example the margin shows at a glance, because there are only two prices to add up. With a draw, it would be spread across three. I'd explain margin on the Moneyline before any other market.
What OddScore does with the Moneyline
OddScore tracks the prices on the Moneyline market at several bookmakers, in tennis, basketball and American football (NFL). It removes their margin and compares how they move over time.
The aim is to show how the market prices each of the two outcomes, and how that pricing shifts up to the start of the match, rather than to predict the match. OddScore doesn't give staking advice.
Understand how OddScore analyses odds movements →
Put it into practice
Apply this guide to real odds.
See a market reading
A real match with its odds, movements and 0-100 signal.
Open the demoMargin calculator
Measure a bookmaker's margin on any market.
Calculate the marginDig into the market
Odds movements are only part of the story. Here are the next topics to read.
Types of sports bets
Market, selection, line, odds: the main families of markets.
See the guide1X2 betting: understanding the 1, X and 2 odds
The three-way market, with an explicit draw.
Compare with 1X2Implied probability explained
Turn odds into a probability and see what it tells you.
Understand the conversionHow does cash out work?
Settling a bet before the match ends, at a price recalculated live.
Understand cash outFrequently asked questions
What is the Moneyline?
It's the market on the winner of a match, usually with two outcomes. In tennis, where there's no draw, it's the standard result market. In basketball, it's one of the most common.
Does the Moneyline include a draw?
Usually not. It's mainly used in sports where a match always ends with a winner. When a draw is possible, in football for example, the three-way market is called 1X2.
What's the difference between Moneyline and 1X2?
1X2 has three outcomes, draw included. The Moneyline usually has two. In football, the winner market is usually called 1X2 and has three outcomes: the draw gets its own outcome.
Does extra time count on a Moneyline?
It depends on the sport and the operator. Some markets include the result after extra time when a draw isn't possible in that sport, others stop at regulation time. Check the exact rules of the market.
Is the Moneyline used in football?
The term is mostly used in tennis and basketball. In football the usual result market is 1X2, because draws happen often.
Does OddScore track the Moneyline market?
Yes, in tennis, basketball and American football (NFL). OddScore tracks the prices on this market at several bookmakers, removes their margin and compares how they move over time.
Sources & methodology
This page combines standard Moneyline vocabulary, settlement rules published by Betfair, a licensed operator, and OddScore's own observation of Moneyline odds at several operators in tennis, basketball and American football (NFL). BeGambleAware is listed for player support.
- Describe the outcomes of the market and the sports where it's most used, with a fully settled worked example.
- Note that extra-time rules vary by sport and by operator, cover the tennis retirement edge case and connect the market to margin and implied probability.
- Betfair: Exchange general rulessupport.betfair.com
- Betfair: charges and commissionbetfair.com
- UK Gambling Commission: definitions of terms
- BeGambleAware