What is juice in sports betting? The built-in betting fee explained
Juice, also called the betting margin, is the built-in fee in a betting price: the two sides of a market add up to more than 100%, and that extra is how the betting site earns its margin.
Updated November 6, 2026, 3:08 PM ET. Source: ESPN.
Juice on a standard spread
When a spread is listed at -110 on both sides, you must risk 110 to profit 100. The break-even win rate at -110 is 110 / 210, or 52.4%, not 50%. That 2.4 points is the juice.
Real example from ESPN, Nov 6, 2026
ESPN shows these DraftKings lines for 76ers at Cavaliers:
- 76ers -2.5: -110
- Cavaliers +2.5: -110
Both sides are -110, so each needs 52.4% to break even.
On the Celtics at Hornets money line, ESPN lists Celtics -378 and Hornets +300:
- Celtics implied chance: 378 / 478 = 79.1%
- Hornets implied chance: 100 / 400 = 25.0%
- Total: 104.1%. The extra 4.1% is the juice on that market.
Why it matters for research
Hit rates should be read against the break-even number, not against 50%. A player who cleared a number in 7 of 10 games is above 52.4%, but 10 games is a small sample.
Research more
- Tonight's games and lines
- NBA hit rates for every player
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- What is EV in sports betting?
- How to read line movement
- Breakeven win rate at -110
See every player's hit rates free for 24 hours at darimarket.us.
21+. Research, not picks: this page explains terms and shows past results and lines as listed by ESPN. It is not a prediction. If betting stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
FAQ
What is juice in sports betting? Juice is the fee built into the price. At -110 on both sides you risk 110 to win 100.
What is the betting margin in sports betting? It is another name for juice: the margin the betting site keeps because both sides add up to more than 100%.
What win rate beats -110 juice? 52.4%, because 110 / 210 = 0.524.