Online sports betting is not currently live in the state of Texas. When it is, we will update this page with the latest TX sports betting odds and promos.
Legalized sports betting is quickly spreading across the United States, and Texas is expected to join the party at some point soon. PlayTexas offers you a way to compare odds across all sports when sports betting is legalized in Texas. Plus, you can learn the ins and outs, so you’re prepared when legalization happens.
Here’s how to read odds, what types of bets you’ll see at online sportsbooks and some tips on getting the best odds.
Latest sports betting odds at Texas sportsbooks
Compare the latest sports betting odds at top Texas sportsbooks. When legal online sportsbooks go live in the state, you will be able to find current Texas sports betting lines for the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, college sports and more right here.
How to read Texas betting odds & lines
Reading odds may be a common practice for seasoned sports bettors, but beginners may be confused. So how exactly do sports betting odds work? Let’s explain by looking at an example of a well-known NFC East matchup to Dallas Cowboys fans, featuring the three most common wagers: the spread, moneyline and total.
Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
Dallas Cowboys | -6.5 (-110) | -160 | Over 46.5 (-110) |
Philadelphia Eagles | +6.5 (-110) | +130 | Under 46.5 (-110) |
Moneyline odds
The moneyline features odds on who will win the game straight up. The plus number indicates an underdog, while the minus number denotes the favorite.
In our example, the Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Philadelphia Eagles. You can see the Cowboys are -160 on the moneyline, and the Eagles are +130. Dallas at -160 means that you would have to wager $160 to win $100 on the Cowboys. You would receive a total of $260 for your $160 bet.
If you bet $100 on the underdog (Eagles +130) at Caesars Sportsbook Texas and they won, you would win $130 and receive $230 back.
Point spread odds
Point spread bets can be confusing to gambling novices. But the spread serves a very popular purpose: adding a mandatory winning margin to the favorite in order to “even” the odds. That’s why you’ll see near-even odds (-110) for this type of bet.
In our example, the Cowboys open at a -6.5 against the Eagles, with betting odds of -110 attached to both teams. That means that the Cowboys must win by seven points or more to “cover the spread.” Thus, if Dallas wins 35-28, they cover the spread, and you’d win $100 if you bet $110 on the Cowboys.
On the flip side, the Eagles are +6.5, so they’re spotted this many points in the game. If they won or if the final score was 34-28, bets on the Eagles would win. Since the odds are also -110 on this side, if you bet $110 on the BetMGM Sportsbook app in Texas, you’d win $100 and receive a total of $210 back.
The -110 on both sides signifies what is referred to as the vig. It’s the cut that sports betting sites take on both sides of the wager. When you see -110 odds like that, it means they’re claiming 10 cents on the dollar. You can also watch out for odds boosts at Texas sportsbooks that eliminate the vig.
Totals odds
Over/under bets on total scores are very common in sports betting, especially for NFL and NBA games. These wagers hinge on the combined point total for both teams and usually offer -110 odds on both sides.
In our example, the total is set at 46.5 points with -110 odds. If you bet the over at FanDuel TX sportsbook and the final combined score was 47 points or higher, you’d win. If it were 46 points or fewer, you’d lose. We know games can get out of hand quickly in the NFL, but many factors could alter the point total, such as weather, injuries and tight schedules. Do your research.
How do parlay odds work?
A parlay refers to combining multiple wagers into a single bet. While there’s great appeal in customizing your wager with parlays, they’re risky. Adding more bets to your parlay means the potential payout increases, but the overall wager is harder to hit. That’s because each bet, or leg, of the parlay has to win in order for your entire wager to pay out.
You’ll hear many stories about someone who added 10 or so bets to their parlay and won $10,000 or more with just a few bucks down. But these events are rare, and the odds reflect that.
Most people who win at parlay betting don’t go beyond two or three legs. They may only lump heavy favorites together to get better odds overall. There are strategies that work much better than trying to go for the gold every time, and as you begin to bet on sports, you may find your own that works.
Prop odds, futures odds & alternate lines
As sports betting has increased in popularity, we now have many more options to consider beyond the standard three covered above. Props, futures and alternate lines diversify focus and multiply options when consuming sports. Have a favorite player who’s been hot? Think they’ll win an award? Want to customize a spread or total to fit your prediction better? You now have ways to do that.
Props
A prop is considered a side bet outside of the standard moneyline, spread and total bets. Game and player props give you a chance at betting on achievements during the game and usually give solid odds on either side of the bet.
In a Houston Texans game, you may see a player prop for Marlon Mack to rush for 75 or more yards. A game prop could be on whether Houston will make two or more field goals in the contest. These days, you’ll commonly see two dozen or more prop choices for a standard game across all the major sports.
Alternate lines
Don’t like the spread set by the sportsbook? Think teams are going to run up the score in a specific game? That’s where alternate lines come in. You can craft your own bet based on what you think will happen in the game. This then impacts the odds in straight bets and parlays.
In our earlier Cowboys vs. Eagles example, say you think it’ll be a shootout well beyond the 46.5 points set by the sportsbook. If you go to the alternate lines section of the site, you can raise the total points set and bet the over for increased odds. Think the final score will be 50 or more? You can move the line to 49.5, and instead of -110 odds, you may receive +170 odds. Now a $100 bet wins $170 and gives you $270 back.
It works the same in basketball and in NBA spread bets. Are the Dallas Mavericks a -3.5 against the Los Angeles Lakers, but you think Luka Doncic will go off and it’ll be a blowout? You can move the line here to a -7.5, for example, and get +200 odds, giving you a chance to turn $100 into $300 if you’re right.
Futures bets
Are the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl this year? Is Luka Doncic winning NBA MVP? Are the Houston Astros going all the way? You can bet on all of those outcomes with futures bets at sportsbooks such as DraftKings Sportsbook TX, once launched. Each major championship and award has odds set on its winners long before the season starts. This gives you a chance to lock in sports odds early, so you don’t have to worry about fluctuations as results become more apparent.
If you didn’t bet before the season started, no worries. Those futures odds fluctuate based on performance, so you can still get in as the season progresses. Did Dallas lose their first couple of games but you still believe in them winning it all? You can now get better odds as a result. So depending on the wager, there are pros and cons to betting before the season starts.
While futures used to be limited to championships and award winners, you’ll now see markets like regular season win totals, division winners, conference winners and league leaders. It’s worth perusing the categories for your favorite sports to see how the odds predict what a team or player will do in the upcoming season.
For the 2022 season, the Dallas Cowboys’ odds to win the Super Bowl are +2000 (20-1) at DraftKings, +900 (9-1) to win the NFC and +140 to capture the NFC East. The Cowboys are also projected to have 10 wins, with both the over and underpriced at -110.
For the Texans, it’s +25000 (250-1) to win the Super Bowl and +1300 (130-1) to win the AFC. Their over-under for regular-season victories is 4.5. The over is +100, or even money. The under is -120, meaning you must wager $120 to win $100.
As the season progresses, these odds will change according to performance. So if the Texans start off with a winning streak, expect their odds to win the conference to go down, reflecting their hot start.
Related Pages:
- World Series futures odds
- MLB MVP odds
Is there a difference between Vegas odds and TX sportsbook odds?
At one time, Las Vegas was the place for sports betting. The city’s odds set the bar throughout the country. However, legal online sports betting has changed that view drastically.
Now, the odds you see in Vegas retail sportsbooks and the odds you’ll see at Texas online sportsbooks are often similar. And with our live odds comparison, you’ll be able to easily tell which sports betting site has the best odds for you. DraftKings may have the Mavs moneyline at -160, but FanDuel may have it as -150. You can compare and contrast with our up-to-the-minute odds table.
Vegas retail sportsbooks don’t carry the weight they once had because you don’t need to travel anymore to bet on sports. If lines are moving, it’s not because of the Vegas brain trust anymore. It’s because public betting shifts online could be affected by the latest news or trends.
What are live sports betting odds?
Live betting has skyrocketed in recent years. Receiving updated odds with every play allows you to wager based on the flow of the game.
As plays are made and momentum shifts, so do the lines and odds. The Cowboys may have opened at -6.5, but now they’ve built a two-touchdown lead in the 1st quarter, and the spread shifted to -10. You can ride that wave if you think it’ll be a blowout. Alternatively, you have a chance at underdog money if you think the Eagles will close the gap the rest of the way. That said, the biggest odds shifts occur on the moneyline, as every play can impact those odds.
Live betting also allows you to hedge your bets. This means you can possibly save yourself from losing your initial wager if things are going awry. Did you bet on the Astros to beat the Chicago White Sox, but things aren’t looking good early on? You can bet live on Chicago to try and offset your loss. Just be wise not to make another bet that can cause you to lose both.
Why do odds change?
Whether it’s an NHL moneyline, an NFL point spread or MLB over/under, betting sentiment will move the numbers. Lines move on recent developments, both before and during the game.
Before the game, lines often move because of injury news. If Dak Prescott is rumored to be out for a Sunday game, that will drastically affect the Cowboys’ chances of winning. The Cowboys’ moneyline odds would probably go up because their chances of winning would be harmed. The spread could move, and the anticipated point total would likely drop.
Key players like starting quarterbacks, star pitchers and top scorers always affect lines and odds if they’re rumored to be injured or are officially out of the game. Many will look for rumors to affect public betting sentiment and do what’s called “fading,” or betting against the public in the hopes that they’re wrong.
There’s no exact science behind it. But if Dak is rumored not to play and the public bets accordingly, but then he winds up playing, and the Cowboys win as originally expected, fading allowed you to win with better odds by betting against the public.
When it comes to betting on football and baseball, weather is a huge factor in odds shifts. It’s important to look out for weather patterns, especially with football in the winter. Rain, snow and heavy winds can certainly impact gameplay. The wind is a big one in baseball. Wind blowing in can affect the flight of the ball and keep run totals low.
How do you get paid when you win?
When you win, your money is typically credited to your account right after the game.
Some betting sites pay early on a prop bet that has been settled during the game, like a first touchdown scorer or if you wagered on the first inning of a baseball game. This enables you to make another wager if you like.
The more popular sports betting has become in a state, with increased sportsbook competition, the faster the books pay out. No site wants its customers to feel used or slighted.
When would I get a refund on my bet?
There are many times that bets are voided and you’ll receive your money back. If there is a rainout or a cancellation, the bet is declared void and you get your bet back.
While not considered a true refund, if you place a parlay bet and one of the legs either draws or gets voided, the parlay and its odds are adjusted accordingly to remove that leg. Thus, a three-team MLB moneyline parlay with one rainout would become a two-team parlay with lowered odds.
How to find the best odds at Texas sportsbooks
Line shopping is the best way to confirm you’ve found the best sports betting odds in Texas. That’s easier with online sportsbooks. When Texas opens up to legal sports betting, you’ll be able to pull up the latest odds on this page and easily scan what DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and more are offering across the state.
You can also compare odds by going to the sports betting sites and seeing what they have to offer. Any small difference can add up to something big, especially if you are crafting a parlay. Say the Texans are heavy underdogs against the Indianapolis Colts but you think they’ll win. Their moneyline odds may be +200 at one site but +220 at another. If you wager $100, you’d win $200 at the first site, but $220 at the other. That’s a 10 percent increase.
Always look out for sports betting promos and bonuses that can add to your profits as well. If DraftKings offers a 25% odds boost on that Texans bet, and no one else does, you can substantially increase your profit by using it.