Last Updated: November 8, 2026
Quick Summary
To remove vig, convert each American price to implied probability, add those probabilities together, then divide each side by the total. The results sum to 100% and give the no-vig probability for each side. On a -110 and -110 market, each side works out to 50.00%.
- Convert negative prices with |price| / (|price| + 100) and positive prices with 100 / (price + 100).
- Add both implied probabilities; the amount above 100% is the hold, which is 2.38% in the first example.
- Divide each implied probability by the total so the no-vig probabilities sum to exactly 100%.
- Compare the price you can take with the no-vig probability to judge whether the bet has positive expected value.
Table of Contents
- What the Vig Is and Why It Hides Fair Odds
- How to Remove Vig From American Odds in Three Steps
- Worked Example: Removing the Vig From a Point Spread
- No-Vig Odds Calculator: Checking Your Math
- How to Calculate Sportsbook Hold From Two-Way Odds
- Using No-Vig Odds to Check for Positive EV Betting
- Next Step: Test Your Own Lines Against the No-Vig Price
- Frequently Asked Questions
What the Vig Is and Why It Hides Fair Odds
Sportsbooks don't price bets at fair odds. They build in a margin called the vig, short for vigorish, also known as juice or overround. Edge, Sport Betting Edge's quantitative analytics service, compares prices with the market and tracks line movement, so understanding the vig is the first step to judging any price fairly.
The vig works like this. On a two-way market, both sides are priced so that the combined implied probability is above 100%. That extra slice is the book's expected profit. A market with no vig would price each side at its true chance of winning.
Why does this matter? Because the posted price hides the true probability. A bettor who reads -110 on both sides might think the game is a coin flip. The vig means the fair price is a little different.
Learning how to remove vig is how you recover the market's fair estimate. It is the basis for closing line value, the benchmark that shows whether your price beat where the market settled. The steps below show how to do it with American odds, using only arithmetic.
How to Remove Vig From American Odds in Three Steps
Removing vig takes three steps. Each one is simple arithmetic, and you can check every number with a calculator.
Step 1: Convert Each American Price to Implied Probability
Turn each price into the probability it implies. For a negative price (favorite), divide the absolute value by the absolute value plus 100. For a positive price (underdog), divide 100 by the price plus 100.
- -110 favorite: 110 / (110 + 100) = 52.38%
- +100 underdog: 100 / (100 + 100) = 50.00%
Step 2: Add the Implied Probabilities Together
Add both implied probabilities. The total will be above 100%. The amount over 100% is the vig.
Using the example above: 52.38% + 50.00% = 102.38%. That 2.38% is the hold on this market.
Step 3: Divide Each Probability by the Total
Divide each side's implied probability by the total. The results add up to exactly 100%, and they are the no-vig probabilities.
- Favorite: 52.38% / 102.38% = 51.16%
- Underdog: 50.00% / 102.38% = 48.84%
The no-vig price is the fair probability from step 3. Our expected value calculator runs these steps for you.
The three steps below turn posted prices into no-vig probabilities, and this table recaps the outputs from the worked numbers in the section.
| Step | What to do | Result in the example |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Convert each American price to implied probability | -110 → 52.38%; +100 → 50.00% |
| Step 2 | Add the implied probabilities together | 102.38% total; 2.38% hold |
| Step 3 | Divide each probability by the total | Favorite 51.16%; underdog 48.84% |
Worked Example: Removing the Vig From a Point Spread
Point spreads often carry the same vig as moneylines, but the useful version of this example runs the whole chain: price to implied probability, implied probability to no-vig probability, no-vig probability back to fair odds, and then a real expected-value calculation on a price you can actually take. That is the sequence you will repeat on every bet, so it is worth doing once by hand.
Start with a spread priced at -110 on both sides. Each side implies 52.38%, so the total is 104.76%. The hold is 4.76%. Dividing each side by 104.76% gives a fair probability of 50.00% for each side, which makes sense: a two-way market with identical prices should split evenly once the vig is removed.
Now convert that fair probability back into a price. Decimal odds are 1 divided by the probability, so 1 / 0.50 = 2.00. Fractional odds are decimal minus 1, expressed as a fraction, so 2.00 becomes 1/1 (even money). American odds at even money are +100. So the no-vig price on a -110/-110 spread is +100 on each side. That single conversion is the whole point of the exercise: the book is charging you -110 for something the market collectively prices at +100.
Next, price a bet you can actually get. Suppose one book still has the underdog at +105 while the market no-vig is +100. Convert +105 to implied probability: 100 / (105 + 100) = 48.78%. Compare that with the no-vig probability of 50.00%. Because 48.78% is below 50.00%, the price is better than fair.
Now calculate expected value in units. The formula is EV = (probability of winning x profit) - (probability of losing x stake). At +105, a one-unit bet returns 1.05 units of profit when it wins and loses 1.00 unit when it loses. Using the no-vig probability as your estimate of the true chance:
- EV = (0.50 x 1.05) - (0.50 x 1.00) = 0.525 - 0.500 = +0.025 units per bet.
That is a 2.5% expected return on stake, which is a realistic size for a small edge. Run the same math at -110 on both sides and the EV is negative: (0.50 x 0.909) - (0.50 x 1.00) = -0.045 units, or about -4.5%. The gap between those two numbers is the vig working against you, and beating it is the entire job.
Watch out: the no-vig probability is the market's estimate, not the truth. If the market is wrong about the game, a bet that looks positive EV against the no-vig line can still be a bad bet. The calculation tells you whether you beat the price, not whether you beat the outcome.
You can reproduce every step above with the expected value calculator and the odds converter. Reading spreads this way also helps when you compare betting odds across sportsbooks, and you can turn a spread into the moneyline and win probability it implies with our spread to moneyline calculator.
No-Vig Odds Calculator: Checking Your Math
Doing the steps by hand is good practice. A calculator catches arithmetic mistakes. Check your work with our odds converter, which turns American, decimal and fractional prices into implied probabilities.
If your result does not add up to exactly 100% after the division, recheck step 1 first. The most common error is using the wrong formula for favorites versus underdogs.
Keep a short list of your own checks:
- Confirm each implied probability is between 0% and 100%.
- Confirm the no-vig probabilities sum to 100%.
- Confirm the favorite has a higher no-vig probability than the underdog.
How to Calculate Sportsbook Hold From Two-Way Odds
Hold is the vig expressed as a percentage of the total market. It tells you how much the book keeps on average for each bet, if you compare it to your own calculations.
To calculate hold, add the two implied probabilities and subtract 100%. On a -110/-110 market, that is 104.76% minus 100%, or 4.76% hold. Lower hold means a sharper, more efficient line.
Our hold and no-vig calculator gives the hold and the fair odds for each side, along with the win rate needed at the listed price.
Watch out: Hold is not the same as the vig you pay on a single bet. Hold is the book's margin across the whole market, while your cost depends on the price you actually take.
Using No-Vig Odds to Check for Positive EV Betting
Once you have the no-vig probability, you can judge whether a price offers positive expected value. A bet has positive expected value when the price you take pays more than the true probability justifies.
The test is simple. Compare the implied probability of the price you can get with the no-vig probability. If the implied probability is lower, the price is positive EV.
For example, a side with a 48.84% no-vig probability priced at +110 implies 47.62%. Since 47.62% is below 48.84%, the bet has positive expected value on this estimate. Edge uses this kind of comparison across the NFL, college football, college basketball, the NBA, MLB and golf, and you can learn more about finding positive expected value in betting.
Watch out: The no-vig price is only an estimate of the market's view. If the market is wrong, your edge estimate is wrong too. Treat the result as a starting point, not a guarantee.
For sizing, the Kelly calculator shows how much of your bankroll a positive-EV bet justifies. Edge members receive picks with suggested stakes by email and Telegram, and every pick is logged and graded on the Records page.
Next Step: Test Your Own Lines Against the No-Vig Price
Pick three games from this week and work through the steps on each. Compare your no-vig numbers with the prices you can actually get. Track the results, and you will see how often the market's fair price agrees with your own estimate. Start your Edge free trial to test the models yourself, or see the models page for how they work.
Sports betting involves risk, and past results do not guarantee future results. Bet only what you can afford to lose.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate no-vig odds?
Convert both sides of the market into implied probabilities, add those two numbers together, then divide each side's probability by the total. The results are the no-vig probabilities, which always add to 100 percent. You can convert them back into American odds if you prefer that format. The method works the same for any two-way market, including point spreads, totals and moneylines, as long as both sides are priced by the same book at the same time.
What is the difference between vig, juice, and sportsbook hold?
Vig and juice are two names for the same thing: the commission built into the odds, which makes the implied probabilities of both sides add up to more than 100 percent. Sportsbook hold is the share of total wagered money the book keeps over time, which is related to the vig but measured from betting results rather than prices. The vig sets the price, while hold reflects what actually happens across many bets.
Are no-vig odds the same as true probabilities?
No. No-vig odds are an estimate of the market's fair price after removing the bookmaker's margin, assuming the sportsbook's prices are roughly balanced. They are not a guarantee of the real chance an outcome happens. If a sharp market or a model disagrees with the book, the no-vig price may still be off, so treat it as one input rather than a final answer.
Can no-vig odds show whether a bet has positive expected value?
They can help. If your own probability estimate for a side is higher than its no-vig probability, the price offered on that side may have positive expected value, because the offered odds pay more than a fair price would. The check is only as good as your estimate and the market used to derive the no-vig line, so verify your numbers before staking anything. You can run the figures through the expected value calculator on Sport Betting Edge's free tools page.
