What is Hold in Sports Betting?
Hold (also called “vig,” “juice,” or “vigorish”) is the sportsbook’s built-in edge on every bet. It’s the gap between what you’re risking and what you can win — and it’s how sportsbooks guarantee profit regardless of outcomes.
Here’s a simple example: On a standard NFL spread, you’ll see -110 on both sides. If you bet $110 to win $100, the sportsbook takes $10 regardless of who wins. That’s approximately 4.5% hold.
But here’s what most bettors don’t realize: hold varies dramatically between markets, sportsbooks, and bet types. While some bets carry 10%+ hold (looking at you, player props), others drop below 2%. Finding these low hold markets is one of the most overlooked edges in sports betting.
Why Low Hold Markets Matter for Your Bottom Line
Let’s do some quick math to see why chasing low holds is worth your time:
Scenario: You bet $1,000 per week at -110 odds (4.5% hold)
- Expected loss to juice: $45/week
- Annual cost: $2,340
Same volume at -105 odds (2.4% hold)
- Expected loss to juice: $24/week
- Annual cost: $1,248
The difference: $1,092 per year — just from finding better prices, without improving your handicapping at all.
For serious bettors placing higher volume, these savings compound dramatically. Professional bettors obsess over hold because they understand a simple truth: every penny of reduced juice goes directly to your bottom line.
This is why +EV betting tools have become essential for profitable betting — they help you find markets where the math actually works in your favor.
How to Calculate Hold on Any Bet
Before you can find low hold markets, you need to know how to calculate hold yourself. Here’s the simple formula:
Hold = (1 / Decimal Odds Side A) + (1 / Decimal Odds Side B) – 1
Don’t worry — you don’t need to do this manually. But understanding the concept helps you spot opportunities.
Quick Examples:
Standard -110 / -110 market:
- Decimal: 1.909 / 1.909
- Hold: (1/1.909) + (1/1.909) – 1 = 4.76%
Reduced juice -105 / -105 market:
- Decimal: 1.952 / 1.952
- Hold: (1/1.952) + (1/1.952) – 1 = 2.44%
Sharp book -102 / -102 market:
- Decimal: 1.98 / 1.98
- Hold: (1/1.98) + (1/1.98) – 1 = 1.01%
The lower the hold, the less you’re paying the sportsbook for the privilege of betting.
Where to Find Low Hold Markets
Not all bets are created equal. Here’s where low hold opportunities hide:
1. Main Lines at Sharp Sportsbooks
Sharp (or “reduced juice”) sportsbooks like Circa, BetCRIS, and Pinnacle consistently offer the lowest holds in the industry. You’ll regularly find:
- NFL/NBA spreads at -105 or better
- Totals at -107 or better
- Moneylines with 1-2% hold
The catch? Sharp books limit winners quickly. They’re best used strategically or as price benchmarks.
2. Cross-Book Arbitrage Opportunities
When different sportsbooks have different opinions on a line, the combined hold across books can drop below zero — creating arbitrage opportunities with guaranteed profit.
Even when full arbitrage isn’t available, you can often find “low hold” by taking the best side at each book. Example:
- Book A: Chiefs -3 (-108)
- Book B: Bills +3 (-104)
- Combined hold: ~2.9% vs 4.5% at a single book
This is exactly what tools like AVO and OddsJam excel at — scanning dozens of books to find the best prices on each side.
3. Alternate Lines and Totals
Sportsbooks often price alternate lines less efficiently than main lines. You might find:
- Main spread: -110 / -110 (4.5% hold)
- Alternate spread (+0.5): -115 / -105 (2.8% hold)
This ties directly into devigging strategies — using one line to find value on another.
4. Two-Way Markets Over Three-Way
Soccer and hockey offer both two-way (draw no bet) and three-way (including draw) markets. Two-way markets typically have lower hold:
- Three-way (Win/Draw/Win): 5-7% hold
- Two-way (Draw No Bet): 3-4% hold
5. Game Props vs Player Props
Player props often carry the highest hold in the industry (8-15%), while game props and team totals typically sit closer to 4-5%. If you’re betting props, line shopping tools become even more critical.
Best Tools for Finding Low Hold Markets in 2026
Manually checking hold across dozens of sportsbooks isn’t realistic. Here are the tools that do the heavy lifting:
Crazy Ninja Odds Low Hold Tool (Free)
The Low Holds tool at CrazyNinjaOdds.com scans major sportsbooks and identifies markets with the lowest combined hold. It’s completely free and perfect for beginners learning to prioritize low-juice markets.
Best for: Casual bettors, anyone wanting a free starting point
OddsJam
OddsJam includes low hold scanning as part of its broader +EV betting toolkit. It identifies not just low hold markets, but positive expected value opportunities where you have an actual edge.
Best for: Bettors ready to move beyond just reduced juice into full +EV betting
AVO (Arbs vs Odds)
AVO specializes in arbitrage and low hold opportunities. Its clean interface makes it easy to filter by hold percentage and quickly identify the best-priced markets across all major books.
Best for: Arbitrage bettors and those focused specifically on reduced juice
Outlier
Outlier combines +EV alerts with line shopping across 60+ sportsbooks. While not specifically a low-hold finder, its odds comparison naturally surfaces the best prices.
Best for: High-volume bettors who need comprehensive coverage
Low Hold Betting Strategy: Putting It All Together
Finding low hold markets is step one. Here’s how to build a complete strategy:
Step 1: Prioritize Main Markets
Focus your volume on NFL, NBA, and MLB main lines where hold is naturally lowest. Avoid the temptation of high-hold player props unless you’re getting genuine +EV.
Step 2: Always Line Shop
Never bet without checking at least 3-4 sportsbooks. The best line shopping tools make this effortless.
Step 3: Consider Hold in Your +EV Calculations
A 3% edge on a 10% hold market is very different from a 3% edge on a 2% hold market. Lower holds mean your edge is more likely to be real.
Step 4: Use Sharp Books as Benchmarks
Even if you can’t bet at Pinnacle, use their lines to identify value at softer books. If you’re getting a better price than the sharpest book, you’re probably on the right track.
Step 5: Track Your Results by Market Type
Over time, track your ROI on different bet types. You’ll likely find that your edge is strongest in lower-hold markets where sportsbooks have less cushion to absorb your winning bets.
Common Mistakes When Hunting Low Holds
Avoid these pitfalls that trip up many bettors:
❌ Ignoring Limits
The lowest-hold books often have the strictest limits. A -102 line doesn’t help if you can only bet $50 on it.
❌ Chasing Pennies on Bad Bets
Low hold doesn’t make a bad bet good. Getting -108 instead of -110 on a losing pick still loses money.
❌ Forgetting Account Longevity
Hammering sharp lines at soft books is a fast track to getting limited by sportsbooks. Balance your low-hold hunting with recreational cover.
❌ Over-Complicating Things
If you’re spending 30 minutes to save $2 on juice, your time is better spent elsewhere. Use tools to automate the process.
Low Hold vs +EV Betting: What’s the Difference?
Low hold betting and +EV betting are related but distinct strategies:
Low Hold Betting: Minimizing what you pay to the sportsbook. You’re still betting on outcomes you believe in, just at better prices.
+EV Betting: Finding bets where the true probability is higher than the implied odds suggest, regardless of hold. You’re betting because the math says you have an edge.
The best approach? Combine both. Look for +EV opportunities in low-hold markets. This maximizes your edge while minimizing the house’s cut.
Tools like OddsJam and AVO help you do exactly this — they don’t just find low holds, they calculate whether you actually have positive expected value.
Getting Started: Your Low Hold Action Plan
Ready to start saving money on juice? Here’s your first week:
Day 1-2: Learn the basics
- Bookmark Crazy Ninja Odds Low Hold tool (free)
- Calculate hold on 5-10 random bets manually to understand the concept
Day 3-4: Set up your tools
Day 5-7: Practice finding low holds
- Before every bet, check at least 3 books
- Note the hold percentage on each bet you place
- Target markets under 3% hold
Week 2 and beyond:
- Graduate to +EV betting strategies
- Track your savings from line shopping
- Expand to more sportsbooks for better coverage
Final Thoughts: Low Hold is the Foundation
Every profitable bettor — whether they follow handicapper picks or find their own +EV opportunities — prioritizes low hold markets. It’s the foundation that makes everything else work.
You can’t control whether your picks win. But you can control how much you pay for the privilege of betting. Reducing hold from 5% to 2% across your betting volume is like giving yourself a 3% edge — before your handicapping even comes into play.
Start hunting low holds today. Your bankroll will thank you.
