Vig (Juice/Hold)

The vig (also called juice or hold) is the commission sportsbooks charge for taking your bet. It's built into the odds, which is why both sides of a bet typically add up to more than 100% implied probability.

For example, at standard -110/-110 odds, each side implies about 52.4% probability. Added together that's 104.8%—the extra 4.8% is the vig.

Understanding vig is crucial because it represents the hurdle you must overcome to be profitable. Even if you're skilled at predicting outcomes, you need to win often enough to beat the vig.