Moneyline betting is the dominant wagering market in MMA, functioning as a straightforward pick-em on which fighter wins the bout regardless of method or round. Unlike team sports where point spreads serve as the primary market, MMA has no spread equivalent — the moneyline carries all the action. This makes it the most liquid and heavily bet market for any UFC or PFL card, and consequently, the market where sportsbooks compete most aggressively on pricing. Even small differences in vig across books can translate into meaningful edge over time, particularly on heavy favorites where the juice tends to inflate significantly.
From a strategy standpoint, the moneyline market offers the most value when public perception diverges from underlying data — fighters coming off highlight-reel finishes often get overbet, while grapplers and decision-oriented fighters tend to be undervalued. Bettors should closely monitor weigh-in results, training camp reports, and late line movement, as MMA odds are more volatile than most sports due to the individual nature of competition. Vig on MMA moneylines generally runs tighter than props like method of victory or round betting, where books build in wider margins to account for lower volume and higher variance. Shopping lines across multiple books on the moneyline is where disciplined bettors find their edge.
Cross-Sport moneyline Vig Comparison
MMA moneyline averages 5.09% vig across 11 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
| Sport | Avg Vig | vs MMA |
|---|---|---|
| MMA | 5.09% | — |
| NCAAF | 4.55% | 0.53% higher |
| AFL | 6.81% | 1.72% lower |
| MLB | 6.04% | 0.95% lower |
| MLB Preseason | 3.47% | 1.61% higher |
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Vig | Grade | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BetOnline.ag | 3.81% | B+ | 48 |
| 2 | DraftKings | 4.30% | B | 48 |
| 3 | BetUS | 4.42% | B | 48 |
| 4 | Hard Rock Bet | 4.93% | B | 48 |
| 5 | BetRivers | 5.10% | C+ | 48 |
| 6 | Bally Bet | 5.11% | C+ | 48 |
| 7 | betPARX | 5.11% | C+ | 48 |
| 8 | BetMGM | 5.30% | C+ | 48 |
| 9 | Caesars | 5.92% | C+ | 48 |
| 10 | Fliff | 5.93% | C+ | 48 |
| 11 | FanDuel | 6.02% | C | 48 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest MMA moneyline vig?
BetOnline.ag currently has the lowest vig at 3.81%, earning a grade of B+.
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 exceptional and rare — these are typically sharp-friendly books. A (2–3%) is excellent. B+ (3–4%) is above average. B (4–5%) is the industry standard for most recreational sportsbooks. C (5–6%) is below average. D (above 6%) indicates high-juice markets where bettors face a steep cost per wager.
- 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.