Wager Meaning: Sports Betting Examples & Guide November 2025

A wager is a financial commitment to the result of a sporting event, such as placing a bet on which team will win.

Placing a wager in sports betting is selecting an event (such as an NBA game or a soccer match), determining who or what you believe will win, and supporting your prediction with actual money. You receive payment if you are correct. The money you risked is lost if you're mistaken.

Understanding how wager betting operates is essential to getting started, whether you're watching March Madness or the Premier League.

What Does Wager Mean in Betting?

A wager is the amount of money you risk when you bet on a sports outcome. If your prediction is correct, you win money. If you're wrong, you lose the amount you wagered.

The basics of a wager:

• Wager: This is the money you put down on a bet.
• Stake: Another word for the amount of money you’re risking.
• Odds: These tell you how much money you could win if your bet is successful.

Let's dissect it using an illustration:

• You choose to stake $10 on the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Miami Heat.
• The odds are +150.
• If the Lakers win, you get $15 in profit, plus your original $10 back — a total of $25.

Key Wager Definitions

Odds in the U.S. are shown in American format. You’ll see positive (+) or negative (-) numbers:

• +500 means you win $500 from a $100 wager
• -240 means you need to wager $240 to win $100

A wager can be small or large. Whether you stake $1 or $500, the process works the same: you’re betting real money on a sports result.

What is a Favorite Wager?

A gamble on the team or individual that is predicted to win is known as a favorite wager. Favorites are shown by sportsbooks with a negative symbol (-) before the odds.

For instance, the Los Angeles Lakers are -180 to defeat the Orlando Magic. This implies that in order to earn $100, you would have to bet $180. The minus sign tells you that this team is considered more likely to win — the safer pick. These are called shorter odds because the potential profit is smaller. That’s because the sportsbook expects such an outcome. Bettors who want more “secure” wagers often look to favorites.

What is an Underdog Wager?

An underdog wager is a bet on the team or player not expected to win. The number is preceded by a plus symbol (+) for these odds.

The Orlando Magic are +150 versus the Los Angeles Lakers, for instance. This implies that if the Magic pull off the upset, you would gain $150 on a $100 stake. These are called longer odds because they offer a bigger payout, but they’re riskier. Sportsbooks give higher odds to underdogs because their chances of winning are lower. Many bettors love underdog wagers for the potential of high rewards, even though they’re less likely to land.

Wager Meaning – NBA Betting

Let's examine a straightforward bet involving the Golden State Warriors, one of the most well-liked teams in the NBA. You choose to gamble on the Golden State Warriors to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers on the moneyline. The sportsbook lists the Warriors at -150 odds.

This means the Warriors are the favorites, and you'd need to risk more than you’d win. Your wager is the amount of money you are prepared to risk on the result. No matter how many points the Warriors earn, they must win the game in order for you to win this wager. If they win, your bet is successful, and you get a payout. If they lose, you lose the amount you wagered.

Payout Breakdown at -165 odds:

Here’s how much you’d win if the Warriors win:

• $10 wager → Profit: $6.06 | Total Return: $16.06
• $25 wager → Profit: $15.15 | Total Return: $40.15
• $100 wager → Profit: $60.61 | Total Return: $160.61

Tip: The minus sign tells you it’s a favorite — and that you must risk more to win less.

Wager Meaning – NFL Betting

Now let’s look at a simple NFL wager using one of the league’s most infamous teams: the Las Vegas Raiders You bet on the Raider to defeat the New England Patriots on the moneyline. Las Vegas are at +130 odds according to the sportsbook.

Since the Raiders are the underdogs in this instance, a winning wager will provide a larger profit than a favorite. Your wager is the amount of money you risk, and since the odds are positive, the payout will be bigger than your stake.

To win this wager, the Raiders must win the game by any score. If they win, you get a payout based on the odds. If they lose, you lose your wager.

Payout Breakdown at +130 odds:

Here’s how much you’d win if the Las Vegas Raiders win:

• $10 wager → Profit: $13.00 | Total Return: $23.00
• $25 wager → Profit: $32.50 | Total Return: $57.50
• $100 wager → Profit: $130.00 | Total Return: $230.00

Tip: The plus sign means they’re the underdog — and offer a higher reward for the risk.

Wager Meaning – Soccer Example

Let’s use a simple soccer wager involving two of the biggest clubs in the world: Newcastle vs Liverpool in the Premier League. You place a moneyline wager on Liverpool to win the match. The odds are listed at +100.

This means Liverpool are slight favorites. In soccer, a moneyline wager is also known as a "match result" bet; it involves selecting the side that will win in normal time, which is 90 minutes plus injury time, but excludes extra time and penalties.

Liverpool has to defeat Newcastle in the standard 90 minutes in order to win this wager. You win your wager if they do. If the match ends in a draw or Newcastle wins, your bet loses.

Payout Breakdown at +100 odds:

Here’s how much you get if Liverpool wins:

• $10 wager → Profit: $10| Total Return: $20
• $25 wager → Profit: $25 | Total Return: $50
• $100 wager → Profit: $100| Total Return: $200

Note: In soccer, make sure you know if you’re betting on regular time or including extra time, especially in tournament games.

Best Sportsbook for Wagers

BetMGM is among the best betting sites in the United States if you're searching for a trustworthy, feature-rich site to make your bets.

The NBA, MLS, La Liga, the Premier League, college basketball, and many other sports are available for betting on at BetMGM sportsbook and betting app. The sportsbook offers a wide range of markets that cater to both novice and expert bettors, regardless of your preference for American sports or international soccer.

Why BetMGM is great for placing wagers:

• Extensive betting options for every NBA and soccer game
• Moneylines, spreads, totals, player props, and futures are among the dozens of markets available for each match.
• You may place bets as the action is happening with live betting.
• Using Same Game Parlays (SGPs) to combine several wagers on a single game
• Competitive American odds across popular leagues
• BetMGM promo code and bonus bet offers
• Clear, user-friendly desktop website and mobile application

You may gamble on basic things like who will win the game or more complex things like first goalscorer or total three-pointers made with BetMGM. It's built for all levels of bettors. If you're serious about sports betting, BetMGM offers one of the most complete platforms for sports betting, especially in high-action markets like the NBA and soccer.