↑ 7-day trend: Average vig has worsened by 0.60 percentage points over the past week (from 6.35% to 6.95%). Odds margins are widening, meaning bettors are getting less value per wager.
AFL presents a distinctive betting landscape shaped by its high-scoring, fast-paced nature. Matches regularly produce combined totals north of 150 points, with individual team scores swinging dramatically based on form, conditions, and matchup dynamics. This scoring volume creates natural variance that bookmakers must account for, which in turn opens opportunities across a deep range of markets — head-to-head, line betting, totals, player props, first goalscorer, and multi-leg same-game constructions. The breadth of available markets rivals major North American sports, particularly during the home-and-away season when nine matches per round generate consistent weekly volume.
Margins on AFL betting tend to sit in a moderate range, typically between 4% and 7% on head-to-head markets at most major sportsbooks, though this varies meaningfully by book and by match profile. Marquee Friday night and Saturday afternoon fixtures — especially rivalry games or matches featuring top-four contenders — tend to attract sharper lines and tighter vig as books compete for volume. Conversely, early-season matches, Thursday night games, and contests involving lower-profile clubs often carry wider margins, as books price in additional uncertainty and face less competitive pressure to sharpen their numbers. The finals series in September generally produces the tightest markets of the year, with concentrated public and sharp action driving efficient pricing.
Several factors move AFL lines in ways bettors should monitor closely. Late injury news is critical — the loss of a key midfielder or full-forward can shift a line by 5+ points, and teams aren't required to finalize squads until shortly before the match. Weather plays an outsized role at exposed grounds like Kardinia Park or Blundstone Arena, where wind and rain suppress scoring and compress totals. Home-ground advantage remains statistically significant, particularly for clubs with dedicated home venues outside Melbourne. Interstate travel fatigue is a well-documented factor, with teams flying across the country often underperforming their market price, especially on short turnarounds during congested fixture blocks.
AFL Sportsbook Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Avg Vig | Grade | 24h | Moneyline | Spreads | Totals | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DraftKings | 6.95% | C | ↑ 0.26% | 6.82% | 7.09% | — | 7 |
Upcoming Events
| Matchup | Time | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Geelong Cats @ Fremantle Dockers | Jun 18, 10:10 AM | 1 books |
| Hawthorn Hawks @ Gold Coast Suns | Jun 19, 9:40 AM | 1 books |
| Melbourne Demons @ Adelaide Crows | Jun 20, 3:15 AM | 1 books |
| Carlton Blues @ Greater Western Sydney Giants | Jun 20, 6:15 AM | 1 books |
| Port Adelaide Power @ Collingwood Magpies | Jun 20, 9:35 AM | 1 books |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest vig for AFL?
DraftKings currently has the lowest average vig for AFL at 6.95%, earning a grade of C.
Why do only 1 sportsbooks cover AFL?
AFL is a niche market compared to major sports like NFL or NBA. Fewer sportsbooks offer lines because betting volume is lower. The 1 book that do cover it is DraftKings.
Why is AFL vig so high?
Even the best book charges 6.95% vig for AFL. Higher vig typically reflects thinner markets with less betting volume, wider spreads due to less reliable data, or fewer competing sportsbooks driving down prices.
Is AFL vig getting better or worse?
AFL vig is currently worsening (increasing). Average vig has shifted by 0.26 percentage points since yesterday. We track these changes daily to help bettors identify the best windows for placing wagers.
What is AFL and when is it played?
AFL (Australian Football League) is the top professional Australian rules football league. The season runs from March through September, with finals in September-October. AFL is the most popular sport in Australia and attracts significant international betting interest.
How does AFL vig compare to US sports?
AFL vig tends to be moderate — comparable to NBA. Australian bookmakers offer the tightest lines due to local market depth, while US-facing books typically carry wider margins since AFL is a niche sport for their customer base.
What is vig (vigorish) in sports betting?
Vig — short for vigorish, also called juice or overround — is the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. It's the difference between the true probability of an outcome and what the odds imply. Lower vig means you keep more of your winnings on every bet. For example, a standard -110/-110 line has about 4.76% vig.
How often is this data updated?
We pull fresh odds from The Odds API three times per day — at 6:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM UTC. Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds. The timestamp at the top of the page shows the most recent refresh.
How is the vig grade calculated?
Each sportsbook is graded on a letter scale based on average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exceptional, A (2–3%) is excellent, B+ (3–4%) is above average, B (4–5%) is the industry standard, C (5–6%) is below average, and D (above 6%) indicates high-juice markets.
Why does lower vig matter for bettors?
Lower vig directly impacts your long-term returns. A bettor placing $1,000 per week at a book with 4% vig loses roughly $40/week to the house edge. At 2% vig, that drops to $20/week — a $1,040 difference over a year. For serious bettors, shopping for lower vig is one of the most reliable ways to improve profitability.
How We Calculate These Numbers
- Data Source
- All odds on this page come from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed US and offshore sportsbooks. We track moneyline, spread, and totals markets across every sport with active betting lines.
- Update Frequency
- We pull a fresh snapshot of every tracked market three times per day — at 6:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM UTC. Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds for a given event. The timestamp at the top of each page tells you exactly when the data was last refreshed.
- Vig Calculation
- Vig (short for vigorish, also called juice or overround) measures the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. We calculate it by converting the odds on each side of a market to implied probabilities, summing those probabilities, and subtracting 100%. For example, a market priced at -110/-110 implies 52.38% on each side — a total of 104.76%, meaning a vig of 4.76%. Lower vig means better value for bettors because you keep more of your winnings.
- Per-Market Breakdown
- We compute vig separately for each market type: moneyline (h2h), point spreads, and totals (over/under). The "average vig" shown for each sportsbook is the mean across all market types weighted by the number of events sampled in each market.
- Grading Scale
- Every sportsbook receives a letter grade based on its average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exchange-level pricing. A (2–3%) is very competitive. B+ (3–4%) is above average. B (4–5%) is the industry standard — a -110/-110 line is 4.76%. C+ (5–6%) is slightly below average. C (6–7%) is below average. D (7–8%) is high vig. D− (8–10%) is very high vig. F (10%+) is predatory pricing. See the full Vig Index Methodology for formulas, worked examples, and known limitations.
- Trend Tracking
- We store daily snapshots for 30 days, allowing us to show 24-hour and 7-day vig trends. A downward trend (improving) means sportsbooks are tightening their lines — often in response to increased competition or higher betting volume as a season heats up.