The simplest bet type. Pick a team; if they win, you win. The cost is built into the odds — favorites are priced at negative odds, underdogs at positive.
Markets & bet types
Moneyline
A straight bet on who wins, no point spread involved.
Example
Celtics -200 moneyline: risk $200 to win $100. Bucks +170: risk $100 to win $170.
Related terms
Point spread
A handicap added to the underdog (or subtracted from the favorite) to even out the market.
Total (over/under)
A bet on the combined score of both teams.
American odds
The default US format. Positive numbers show profit on a $100 bet; negative numbers show how much you have to risk to win $100.