In Nippon Professional Baseball, spread betting — commonly referred to as the run line — typically centers on a standard 1.5-run margin, mirroring its MLB counterpart. The favorite is listed at -1.5 runs, meaning they must win by two or more, while the underdog at +1.5 simply needs to avoid a blowout or win outright. Unlike fixed spreads in football, the 1.5-run line in baseball rarely shifts; instead, the odds attached to each side fluctuate based on the perceived gap between teams. Some books offer alternate run lines at 2.5 or even 3.5, which can provide value in matchups featuring dominant pitching or anemic offenses.
The run line becomes most valuable when bettors identify mismatches between elite starting pitchers and weak lineups, particularly in interleague play or when teams deploy bullpen games. Monitoring late lineup changes is critical in NPB, where managers frequently rest regulars during grueling stretches of the 143-game season. From a vig perspective, NPB run line markets tend to carry slightly wider margins than moneylines, as books price in the added uncertainty of the 1.5-run cushion. Bettors comparing across sportsbooks can often shave meaningful juice on the favored side, where vig inflation is most common.
↓ 7-day trend: NPB spreads average vig has improved by 0.23 percentage points over the past week (from 6.31% to 6.08%). Sportsbooks are tightening their lines — a good sign for bettors.
Cross-Sport spreads Vig Comparison
NPB spreads averages 6.08% vig across 18 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
| Sport | Avg Vig | vs NPB |
|---|---|---|
| NPB | 6.08% | — |
| NCAAF | 4.85% | 1.23% higher |
| NFL | 4.78% | 1.30% higher |
| NFL Preseason | 4.37% | 1.71% higher |
| UFL | 5.53% | 0.55% higher |
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Vig | Grade | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LowVig.ag | 3.44% | B+ | 6 |
| 2 | BetOnline.ag | 3.44% | B+ | 6 |
| 3 | Pinnacle | 3.63% | B+ | 6 |
| 4 | DraftKings | 4.83% | B | 6 |
| 5 | BetUS | 4.92% | B | 6 |
| 6 | FanDuel | 5.56% | C+ | 6 |
| 7 | MyBookie.ag | 6.03% | C | 6 |
| 8 | Fanatics | 6.24% | C | 6 |
| 9 | BetMGM | 6.39% | C | 6 |
| 10 | Bovada | 6.40% | C | 6 |
| 11 | Hard Rock Bet | 6.55% | C | 6 |
| 12 | Caesars | 6.59% | C | 6 |
| 13 | theScore Bet (ESPN Bet) | 7.19% | D | 6 |
| 14 | 888sport | 7.46% | D | 6 |
| 15 | Fliff | 7.52% | D | 3 |
| 16 | Bally Bet | 7.62% | D | 5 |
| 17 | BetRivers | 7.62% | D | 5 |
| 18 | ReBet | 8.04% | D- | 6 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest NPB spreads vig?
LowVig.ag currently has the lowest vig at 3.44%, 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.