At Sidelines, all odds are expressed in the American odds format. American odds are easy to distinguish from all others because they contain a positive (+) or negative sign (-). Positive signs are used to denote the bet’s underdog, while the negative sign indicates the favorite. The important thing to remember here is that the positive sign represents the amount won for every $100 wagered, while the negative sign represents the amount you need to wager in order to win $100. Simple, right?
Say the Lions are playing the Chiefs. The Lions are getting underdog odds of +210, while the Chiefs are getting the favorite odds at -245. What this essentially means is that if you wager $100 on the Lions, you stand to win $210 in profit (plus your original wager of $100, for a total of $310). Whereas, if you wager $100 on the favorite Kansas City Chiefs, you will only win $40.82 (which coupled with your original wager makes for a total of $140.82).Not exactly a juicy bet.
For more information on calculating payouts and understanding odds, check out the Sidelines odds calculator.