A moneyline bet in MLB preseason — commonly known as Spring Training or Cactus/Grapefruit League games — is a straightforward wager on which team will win outright, with no point spread involved. Odds are expressed as plus and minus values reflecting each team's implied probability. For example, a favorite at -140 requires a $140 wager to win $100, while an underdog at +120 returns $120 on a $100 bet. Because baseball is inherently a low-scoring sport with tight margins, the moneyline is the dominant betting market, unlike football or basketball where spreads take center stage.
Preseason moneyline markets demand a different strategic approach than the regular season. Lineups are in constant flux — starters rarely play beyond a few innings, and roster fringe players see heavy action. Bettors should closely monitor announced lineups, pitcher splits (particularly how many innings a starter is expected to throw), and whether teams are prioritizing evaluation over winning. The vig on preseason moneylines tends to run higher than regular-season lines, often 5-7% compared to the typical 3-5%, because books face thinner information and lower betting volume. Comparing juice across sportsbooks becomes especially valuable in this market, where even small differences in pricing can meaningfully impact long-term returns.
Cross-Sport moneyline Vig Comparison
MLB Preseason moneyline averages 5.51% vig across 15 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
| Sport | Avg Vig | vs MLB Preseason |
|---|---|---|
| MLB Preseason | 5.51% | — |
| CFL | 4.89% | 0.62% higher |
| NCAAF | 4.68% | 0.83% higher |
| NFL | 4.44% | 1.07% higher |
| NFL Preseason | 4.38% | 1.13% higher |
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Vig | Grade | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BetAnything | 3.99% | B | 1 |
| 2 | LowVig.ag | 4.01% | B | 1 |
| 3 | BetOnline.ag | 4.01% | B | 1 |
| 4 | DraftKings | 4.33% | B | 1 |
| 5 | Bovada | 4.41% | B | 1 |
| 6 | Caesars | 4.51% | B | 1 |
| 7 | BetUS | 4.80% | C+ | 1 |
| 8 | MyBookie.ag | 5.03% | C+ | 1 |
| 9 | FanDuel | 5.13% | C+ | 1 |
| 10 | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet) | 5.28% | B | 1 |
| 11 | Hard Rock Bet | 5.77% | C | 1 |
| 12 | Fliff | 6.75% | D- | 1 |
| 13 | BetRivers | 7.82% | D | 1 |
| 14 | betPARX | 7.82% | D | 1 |
| 15 | ReBet | 8.92% | D- | 1 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest MLB Preseason moneyline vig?
BetAnything currently has the lowest vig at 3.99%, earning a grade of B.
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.