How Much Money Would You Win if You Bet $100?

Figuring out the amount of money won on a particular bet can sometimes be easier said than done. Some people don’t know how to calculate wins, and therefore, they might not make the smartest decisions on putting a bet down in the first place.

How much money would you win if you bet $100? This all depends on the odds, but it’s a good starting point to use for other ways to figure out totals as well.

Placing $100 Down on a Toss-Up Matchup

If the two teams are very even, or there is no spread involved, both sides could be getting the same odds. This would seem easy enough, as picking a winner should double up a person’s bet.

However, it doesn’t work that easily, as a $100 bet does not automatically double. Instead, every sportsbook takes out the vig (their cut) that is usually a few percentage points. That’s why both sides could have negative numbers next to them. The negative number shows the amount of money a person has to bet to win $100. If the sportsbook uses decimal odds, simply multiply that number by $100 to figure out the payout.

Placing $100 on a Favorite

A $100 bet on a favorite might not pay out a large amount of money, but it can be a safe way to start building money up more and more. The bigger a favorite, the less money someone will win with $100.

Take -200 odds as an example. In this scenario, a $100 bet is only going to win someone $50. It would take a $200 bet to win $100. The implied odds are 66.66%, and decimal odds will be listed as 1.5.

Favorites have no cap, but they routinely go up to -500 or beyond. At some point, it’s not worth betting $100 only to win a small amount of money in the eyes of many. Once it gets past -1000, a person is winning $10 or less on a $100 bet. If for some reason the underdog wins, that takes a lot to get back to you even.

However, some people do make a living betting on heavy favorites. There is never a sure thing in sports betting, but heavy favorites are the closest thing to it.

Placing $100 on an Underdog

This is where some serious money can be won if an underdog hits. These are risky bets that are likely going to result in losses, but even hitting once in a while will allow people to stay in the positive overall.

It’s pretty simple to see how much money someone wins when they place a $100 bet on the underdog. Simply take the number next to the selection, and that’s the payout. A $100 bet on a +500 selection is going to pay out $500. Of course, the person still gets their initial hundred dollars back. With decimal odds, the same rule applies. Multiple the $100 by the odds.

Depending on the types of underdogs, a person only has to win once in a while to be in the positive long-term. The great thing about picking underdogs is a person can place a small wager and still win big. Betting only underdogs is probably not a great strategy, but mixing them in when the right opportunity is available is good.

Is it Easier to Look at Decimal or Fractional Odds?

Most people in the United States are much more familiar with fractional odds. They also pop up a lot in the United Kingdom. Reading fractional odds is easy, as the top number is the winnings, while the bottom number is the stake. If the odds are 2/1, a gambler will win $2 for every $1 bet. If the odds are 1/4, a gambler will win $1 for every $4 bet.

Decimal odds are also out there quite often. Some prefer reading them, as the number indicates how many times a stake will be multiplied in a total payout.

With decimal odds, a $100 bet with 1.50 odds will pay out $150 total. That’s a $50 profit, plus the original $100 stake. If the odds are 3.00, a $100 bet will pay out $300. This is a $200 profit, plus the $100 initial bit.

Is It Better to Bet on Favorites or Underdogs with $100?

As challenging as betting is, there’s no true way of being right all the time. Some believe that being on favorites and building up money slowly but surely is the perfect way to win long-term. However, if the winning percentage drops just a little bit, this can end up being pretty tough.

On the other side of things, gambling only on underdogs is going to put a lot of stress on people. Wins are few and far between, but it’s necessary to win at least somewhat consistently so that the bankroll doesn’t completely disappear.

Is parlay betting worth it?

If someone wants to make a lot of money with a $100 bet, parlay options are the way to go. Depending on how many teams are included with the parlay bet, the payout can be great if it’s a winner. Of course, the odds of a multi-team parlay bet winning goes down quite a bit more with each pick added.

Let’s start with a two-team parlay bet using decimal odds. If someone wants to bet on a team with 1.2 odds and 1.5 odds, the parlay odds would be:

1.2 x 1.5 = 1.8

So if it wins, the payout would be:

1.8 x $100 = $180

The profit would be $80 after removing the initial $100 wager.

Using that same $100 split between the two bets individually, the payout would be:

1.2 x 50 = $60
1.5 x 50 = $75
$135 – $100 wager = $35 profit

The difference between winning $80 and $35 is pretty significant. The difference gets even greater with bigger parlay bets involving more teams. Parlay bets can certainly turn into shots in the dark, but winning one of them can boost the bankroll for a long time.

Are $100 Wagers a Good Place to Start with Betting?

Those starting should only wager what they are willing to lose if everything goes wrong. For some, that might be $10 or less. For others, $100 seems like a pretty small wager.

For true beginners, staying at $100 or less for a single bet is the best approach according to smart, seasoned veterans providing advice. There’s not a ton of pressure if the team doesn’t win. Where a person gets in trouble is if they place $100 on multiple games and have $1000 or more and play at once. Beginners might end up losing most of their bankroll if their picks don’t hit.

Once gamblers get a little more comfortable, they can start to play around with different types of bets out there to grow the bankroll. There’s a lot of money to be won with just $100 in play, but it’s all about making reasonable picks. Stay disciplined with a method that works, whether it be picking favorites, underdogs, or relying on parlay opportunities.