Picking up the discussion on online casino sportsbooks, you may also find other types of bets beyond the basic "spread" bet. A money line bet is used to the same effect, only by adjusting the payout itself, not the point total. This is most commonly seen in baseball, where money lines are tweaked to account for pitching match-ups, home-field advantage, and other variables.
With a money line bet, you'll find two different totals. The negative total is what you must pay for a bet of one unit. If, therefore, you see a -210 on the New York Yankees, a bet of 100 dollars in favor of New York means you must pay 210 dollars if they lose. The reason for this disproportionate loss is the relative strength of the Yankees over most opponents. If they're facing Pedro Martinez and the Boston Red Sox, however, you might find a -110 instead of -210, since Martinez is such a dominating pitcher. Or you may even find that the Red Sox are favored, which brings us to the positive side of the money line bet.
More Finer Points of Online Casino Sportsbooks
Say the Yankees are in fact favored and you still want to take the Red Sox. The +170 you see tells you that for a bet of 100 dollars you stand to collect 170 if you win. The positive and negative sides of a money line bet do not always offset one another, which is a fact you can play to your advantage, especially if you have a tip on a particular team of player.
There are plenty of other bets you'll encounter at online casino sportsbooks, including over-under bets, parlays, and proposition bets. The last of these may be anything, including what are called "exotic" bets. It's a good idea to check with your online casino to see what types of exotic bets they'll cover. Online sports gambling can get very complicated, as there are nearly as many types of bets as there are events on which to gamble.