Glossary
Vig (Juice / Vigorish)
Vig — also called juice or vigorish — is the sportsbook's structural edge, baked into every price before a single bet is placed. It's why both sides of a bet almost always add up to slightly more than 100% implied probability: that extra percentage is the house's take.
In practice
A "pick'em" game priced at -110 on both sides implies 52.4% + 52.4% = 104.8%. That extra 4.8% is the vig — you're not getting a true coinflip price, you're getting a coinflip price plus the house's cut.
Why it matters here
Vig is why you can't just bet coinflips and break even long-run — you need real, provable value that clears it. Line shopping and genuine edges only mean something once you account for what the vig is already taking.