The key to winning sports bets is heavily based on how well you understand NC sports betting odds. The odds of a game are the factor that determines how much money you stand to win if your team wins the game. So, knowing how to read sports betting lines and odds is important for anyone who enjoys sports gambling.
Top betting sites with the best odds in NC 2025
Betting Odds in North Carolina: All sites are 100% legal & licensed by the state.
| Company | Bonus | Features | Visit |
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 | BetMGM Sportsbook Up to $1,000 in bonus bets |
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 | Caesars Sportsbook Up to $1,250 bonus |
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 | bet365 Sportsbook Bet $1 Get $200 in bonus |
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 | DraftKings Sportsbook Bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets |
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North Carolina betting odds explained
For anyone who enjoys wagering on Sunday night football games or baseball during the summer, knowing how to read sports betting odds is essential. If you don’t understand betting lines and odds, your chances of winning good money are slim.
In this article, we will be discussing NC betting options and how to read American-style odds as well a decimal-style odds. We will also provide you with a great list of sportsbooks that offer unbeatable NC sports betting odds, fantastic promotions, and a massive variety of sports markets.
Sportsbooks with the best betting options NC
Besides having great odds, we try to look for other important factors when choosing reputable North Carolina sportsbooks to refer to our readers. We are looking for sports betting sites with a great sports market, a user-friendly site, and amazing customer service.
We also like to find those that offer frequent and worthwhile promotions and bonuses in order to save our readers a little money or help them win a big stack of cash. With these factors in mind, here are a few of the best NC sportsbooks we found with great sports betting odds.
DraftKings
Draftkings is known for its great NFL odds and football betting opportunities and promotions. This company is a go-to for good Superbowl lines and deals while also providing fantastic customer service and live bets.
FanDuel
Fanduel offers an easy-to-navigate website and app. They have a great variety of betting options along with unbeatable NBA odds, as well as great NFL futures and live betting games.
BetMGM
BetMGM is a very well-known and respected brand. This sports betting site has some of the most incredible college football odds, with new lines every week. This site is easy to use and has a sleek design.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars sportsbooks offer unique promotions and bonuses frequently as well as some hard to compare odds for football (NFL, NCAA ; CFL games). They provide an array of in-play and futures bets that are great for professional players or sportsbook newbies.
Reading and understanding NC sports betting odds
There are two types of sports betting odds you may see when placing sports bets. American style and decimal odds. Obviously, because North Carolina is an American state, that betting style will be what you typically see when wagering on sportsbook games.
The decimal odds system is more prevalent in Europe but still seen often and is simple to understand when you know what to look for.
Reading American style odds
American style odds use a positive+, negative- system to determine which team is most likely to win a game and indicates the amount of money you will need to put down to wager in their favor.
| Carolina Panthers | – 175 |
| Dallas Cowboys | +175 |
In the example above, you can see that the Carolina Panthers are the favorite team because they are more likely to win, meaning you will be required to wager more than the Dallas Cowboys, who here are the underdogs.
When placing a bet, those wagering on the Panthers will have to put down $175 to win $100. And those wagering on the Cowboys will need to put down $100 to win $175.
It is important to note that in American-style odds, everything is based on a 100s scale.
With that in mind, let’s say you only want to wager $10 on the Cowboys; that would mean you stand to win $17.50 if the Cowboys win their game.
Reading decimal style odds
With the decimal style odds system, you will be using decimals instead of using positive and negative signs to determine how much money you have to put down in order to bet on your favorite team.
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2.25 |
| Florida Panthers | 1.25 |
In the example above, someone betting $100 on the Hurricanes will receive a $225 payout if they win. On the other hand, those betting $100 on the Panthers will only bring in $125 profit.
How to read basic NC sports betting odds
When you are wagering on sports, it is essential to understand how you read the odds before you place your bet. You want to have a clear understanding of all options and betting types to make the most profitable decisions without too much risk.
Moneylines
Moneylines are the most typical form of betting for most sportsbooks. These are quick and straightforward bets that the majority of bettors like to play, having you choose which team will win, simple, black and white bet.
However, to keep bettors wagering on both sides of the line, bookies will set the wager placing an advantage on the underdog’s odds and a disadvantage on the favorite’s odds.
So, when betting on an MMA fight with Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker, Poirier is ranked #1, and Hooker is ranked #8 in the light-weight division. You will see the books offer higher odds for those who bet on Dan Hooker, while those wagering on Poirier have to front more cash to play.
{Dan Hooker (+150)/ Dustin Poirier (-175)}
In this bet, those wagering for Hooker would need to place $100 down in order to win $150 plus your initial wager. Those betting on Poirier will need to bet $175 in order to win $100 plus your initial wager.
Over/under
Over/under betting in NC is when the bookie sets a total point score for any given game, and you have to determine whether you believe that score is going to be over or under the final score.
A good example of an over-under bet is when a bookie sets the line for a Carolina Panthers vs. Dallas Cowboys game at 49.5 (-125). This means when betting over, the final score has to be 60 or more points more or 59 points or less if you are wagering under.
Each side will have to put down the same amount of $125 to win $100 plus the original wager.
Props
A props bet is when you can wager on details of a game other than the score. Great examples of prop bets in North Carolina are betting on which team will hit the first home run of the game, the Carolina Mudcats or. Delmarva Shorebirds for the Baseball league.
You will also see many prop bets made on the teams players themselves, like, which player will be first to spit or who will be first to yell at the ump.
Futures
When wagering on a futures bet, you are putting money on an event that will not take place for days, weeks, months, or longer. A great example of futures betting is wagering on who will win the Stanley Cup for the next season in Hockey.
Live-betting
Live betting is a great way to win good money if the odds are in your favor. These types of bets can be very hard to win but offer bettors many benefits, such as changing their perspective of a game’s outcome mid-match or jumping in on a bet they feel is a sure thing.
Point spreads
An NC point spread is similar to a Moneyline; however, the point spread system evens out the opportunity to win in favor of both teams even if the underdog is much less likely to win.
In a point spread system, the bookie will place the odds in the underdog’s favor while also allowing for a marginal win.
In a Carolina Panthers vs. Dallas Cowboys game, let’s say the Panthers are the better performing team by a lot. You may see a spread indicating {Panthers -9.5 (-125) Cowboys +9.5 (-125).}
Here, both sides would have to wager $125; for those rooting for the Panthers, they will need to win the game by ten or more points. Those wagering on the Cowboys have to hope the team either wins or doesn’t lose by nine or less.
All these details may seem a little confusing because it is a lot at first. However, once you get the hang of it, the system becomes much easier to understand.
Why odds and lines can change in North Carolina betting options
Bettors can become frustrated when they see the odds change and the lines move while wagering on sporting events. However, there is a very good reason that this happens, and it is to keep the bookie making money no matter which team wins the game.
Like all businesses, sportsbooks are designed for the owners to make big bank by providing tons of betting options on many sports markets without having to pay much to winners out of their own pockets.
How do they do this, you ask? Bets are set up so that the losing side will be the ones paying out to the winning side. And for the sportsbooks to keep this working properly, they have to keep the lines in check.
So, what makes the lines off balance? Another great question. Many factors can cause the NC betting odds and lines to change. Lines often move due to significant changes as the game gets close, for instance, a change in the team lineup, such as a star player getting injured or benched.
It could also have to do with the media is pushing information to the public, causing the lines to tip heavily to one side.
In this case, the bookie will have to change the line to make things even again. Even the weather can factor into how a predicted outcome of a game could change.
NC sports betting odds tips for first-timers
Although there is a little bit of luck that is factored into winning a sports bet, there is also a lot of knowledge and experience that make for great betting as well. Here are a few stips for NC sports betting from those who have been beating the odds for years.
- Don’t always go for the big win
- Trusting your gut is only half the battle
- Never under-estimate the underdog
- Lines will adjust over time, so keep your eye on them
- Shop around for the sportsbooks offering the best odds
- Track your progress and understand your weaknesses
- Remember, there is always a home team bias
- Don’t always follow the popular bet
- New players should always start with the smaller bets
These are a lot of great tips that will be helpful for anyone interested in sportsbook betting.
NC sports betting odds FAQs
What are NC sports betting odds?
Sports betting odds are the positive and negative signs surrounding the number on a line. This will determine your payout if your perspective team wins. If you see -125, you will need to wager $125 to win $100. If you see a +125, you will need to wager $100 to win $125. (negative for the favorite team, positive for the underdog.)
Who can bet on North Carolina sports betting sites?
Anyone currently living in North Carolina that is 21 years of age or older can legally wager on any licensed sportsbook site.
Why do NC sports betting lines and odds change?
Sports betting lines and odds will change if the prediction for the upcoming game changes due to unforeseen circumstances, like an injured player or poor weather. This is done to keep the scales on both sides of the bet even.
What is a point spread in NC sports betting?
A point spread is a way for sportsbooks to give both sides of the bet a fair and even chance of winning, adding points to the underdog’s final score and subtracting them from the favorites.
What is the most common form of NC sports betting odds?
You will often see American-style odds when betting from North Carolina. However, many sportsbooks offer the option of switching your odds to the decimal system in your user account preferences.