Moneyline betting is the dominant wagering market in MMA, functioning as a straightforward pick-em on which fighter will win the bout. Unlike team sports where point spreads serve as the primary market, MMA has no scoring spread to handicap — the moneyline is the main event. This makes it the most liquid and heavily bet market for any UFC or PFL card, with oddsmakers devoting significant attention to setting accurate lines. Because fights can end in a split second via knockout or submission, moneyline odds in MMA often carry implied probabilities that reflect genuine uncertainty, even in seemingly lopsided matchups.
From a strategy standpoint, moneyline value tends to peak in the underdog range, particularly with fighters whose grappling-heavy styles create paths to victory that the public undervalues. Bettors should closely monitor weigh-in results, late camp injury reports, and historical performance data against specific fighting styles. Regarding vig, MMA moneylines typically carry slightly higher juice than major team sports like NFL or NBA, largely because lower betting volume and higher outcome variance give sportsbooks reason to build in extra margin. Comparing vig across books is especially worthwhile in MMA, where even small differences in pricing can meaningfully impact long-term returns.
Moneyline Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Vig | Grade | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pinnacle | 3.86% | B+ | 27 |
| 2 | BetOnline.ag | 3.94% | B+ | 55 |
| 3 | Bovada | 4.23% | B | 11 |
| 4 | DraftKings | 4.27% | B | 27 |
| 5 | BetUS | 4.28% | B | 12 |
| 6 | Caesars | 4.90% | B | 24 |
| 7 | Hard Rock Bet | 5.18% | C+ | 24 |
| 8 | BetRivers | 5.40% | C+ | 24 |
| 9 | betPARX | 5.40% | C+ | 24 |
| 10 | 888sport | 5.47% | C+ | 8 |
| 11 | Bally Bet | 5.50% | C+ | 29 |
| 12 | BetMGM | 5.53% | C+ | 19 |
| 13 | FanDuel | 5.69% | C+ | 34 |
| 14 | BetAnything | 5.80% | C+ | 18 |
Upcoming Moneyline Lines
| Matchup | Time | Pinnacle | Caesars | BetUS | Bally Bet | BetRivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Johnston @ Wes Schultz | May 2, 9:15 AM | +121 / -142 | +125 / -150 | +118 / -140 | +128 / -159 | +128 / -159 |
| Colby Thicknesse @ Vince Morales | May 2, 9:45 AM | +104 / -122 | +118 / -140 | +110 / -130 | +106 / -132 | +106 / -132 |
| Jacob Malkoun @ Gerald Meerschaert | May 2, 10:15 AM | -1127 / +734 | -1000 / +650 | -1000 / +625 | -1250 / +750 | -1250 / +750 |
| Louie Sutherland @ Tai Tuivasa | May 2, 11:00 AM | -209 / +176 | -210 / +175 | -220 / +182 | -225 / +175 | -225 / +175 |
| Beneil Dariush @ Quillan Salkilld | May 2, 12:45 PM | -447 / +352 | -420 / +330 | -400 / +309 | -480 / +350 | -480 / +350 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a moneyline bet?
A moneyline bet is the simplest form of sports wagering — you're picking which team will win the game outright, with no point spread involved. The odds reflect each team's implied probability of winning. Favorites have negative odds (e.g., -150) and underdogs have positive odds (e.g., +130).
Why does moneyline vig vary by matchup?
Moneyline vig is lowest on evenly matched games and highest on lopsided matchups. When a heavy favorite is -500, the book needs a wide margin on the underdog side to balance risk. Close games near pick'em (-110/-110) will always have the tightest vig.
Why does MMA have higher vig than team sports?
MMA is an individual sport with unpredictable outcomes — one punch can end a fight. Sportsbooks compensate for this uncertainty with wider margins. Additionally, MMA events happen weekly rather than daily, so there's less consistent volume to drive competition.
When are MMA odds available?
UFC events run nearly year-round, with numbered PPV events roughly monthly and Fight Night cards filling the gaps. Lines typically open 1–2 weeks before each event. There's no traditional off-season, though the schedule is lighter in December.
Which sportsbooks offer the best MMA odds?
Pinnacle and BetOnline are generally the sharpest for MMA due to higher limits and tighter pricing. Recreational books like BetUS and MyBookie tend to have higher vig on UFC fights. However, MMA vig across all books is typically higher than team sports.
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.
What sportsbooks do you track?
We track both regulated US sportsbooks (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars) and offshore books (Bovada, BetOnline, MyBookie, BetUS, LowVig.ag, BetAnySports). Data comes from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed sources.
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.