What Is a Player Prop Line? Definition and Example
How the line and its two prices work
The line is the number to beat. The over wins if the player finishes above it, and the under wins if he finishes below it. Each side has its own price, written in American odds, and the two prices are rarely the same because the book builds its margin into them.
- The player scores 27
- The over wins, the under loses
- The player scores 24
- The under wins, the over loses
- $115 on the over at -115
- wins $100, returns $215
- $105 on the under at -105
- wins $100, returns $205
A negative price is what you risk to win $100. The two prices add up to more than 100% once you convert them; the extra is the book's margin (see no-vig odds).
Half-points and pushes
A line that ends in .5 cannot tie, so every game has a winner. A whole-number line, such as 25 points, can land exactly on the number. That result is a push, and most books return the stake. Some lines are posted at a whole number for exactly that reason: the push takes some probability off both sides.
Props with no number
Some props have no line at all: anytime touchdown, anytime goal, to hit a home run, 2+ shots on target. The book posts a price on yes only. There is no under to bet, and because the price is not paired with an opposite side the margin cannot be taken out, so its implied chance reads a little high. Probetrics labels those prices "implied, margin included" and shows no fair chance for them.
Consensus line and best price
Different books post different numbers for the same player. On Probetrics the consensus line is the number most books share for that player and market, and the best price is the highest payout available on each side at that number, from a licensed US sportsbook. A book that has moved to a different number is not compared at this number.
Sportsbook lines are the books' own view of the game, not a forecast from us. A high line for a receiver means the books expect a big role for him; it does not say he will clear it. The board pairs each line with the player's games against it, labeled as history.
Questions and answers
- What is a player prop?
- A player prop is a bet on one player's stat in a game, such as points, passing yards, strikeouts or whether he scores a touchdown, rather than on which team wins.
- What happens to a prop if the player does not play?
- Most sportsbooks void the prop and return the stake, but rules differ by book and by sport (a pitcher or goalie who is not the listed starter is a common exception). The book's own rules are the final word.
- Is a prop line a prediction?
- No. It is the sportsbook's posted number, set to balance risk and margin. Probetrics shows it next to the player's past games as history and does not claim it will be beaten or missed.
Read next
- No-vig oddsNo-vig odds, also called fair odds, are a two-sided price with the sportsbook's margin (the vig, or juice) taken out, so the two sides' chances add up to 100%.
- Implied probabilityImplied probability is the chance a price says an outcome has, found by converting the odds, and it puts American, decimal and fractional prices on one 0 to 100% scale.
- Hit rateA hit rate is the share of a player's games that finished on one side of a prop line, and over a small sample it is a wide range rather than a single number, which a Wilson interval makes visible.
- Alternate lineAn alternate line is a different number for the same prop than the main line, priced to match: an easier number pays less, a harder number pays more.
This page explains arithmetic and vocabulary. It does not recommend a bet, a side, an amount or a sportsbook, and the examples are illustrations. For information only, not betting advice. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.