How to Calculate Your NBA Bet Slip Payout: A Step-by-Step Guide

Figuring out your potential payout on an NBA bet slip can feel a bit like navigating a terrifying night in a video game. I remember playing this one title where the nights were genuinely terrifying—the map was all these dense, wooded areas that just swallowed the light, and the XP boost you got for surviving wasn't worth the sheer panic. You’d just sprint for the nearest safe house, heart pounding, and wait for the sun. Calculating a complex parlay sometimes gives me that same frantic energy, where you’re just hoping all your picks make it to the “safe zone” of winning so you can collect. But unlike that game, there’s a clear, un-scary formula to it all. Let me walk you through it, step-by-step, from the perspective of someone who’s torn up more than a few losing tickets.

First things first, you need to understand the odds format. In the US, you’ll mostly see moneyline odds, which can be positive or negative. A negative number, like -150 for the Lakers, tells you how much you need to bet to win $100. So, -150 means a $150 bet profits $100. A positive number, like +130 for the underdog Knicks, tells you how much you’d win on a $100 bet. That +130 means a $100 bet profits $130. It’s the fundamental language of the ticket. Now, a single bet is straightforward. You bet $50 on the Celtics at -110? Your total payout is your $50 stake back, plus your profit. To find the profit, you’d do ($50 / 110) * 100, which is about $45.45. So you’d get back $95.45 total. Easy.

The real magic, and the real terror, comes with parlays—combining multiple picks into one ticket for a bigger payout. This is where that video game night sprint happens. Each leg of your parlay has to win; if one loses, the whole ticket is gone, just like getting caught in the open after dark. The math isn’t just adding; it’s multiplying. Let’s say I’m feeling bold and build a three-team parlay: Team A at -110, Team B at +150, and Team C at -200. First, you convert all those odds into decimal format, which is much easier for multiplication. For American odds, the formula is a little different for favorites and underdogs. For a negative odd like -110, you do (100 / 110) + 1 = 1.909. For a positive odd like +150, you do (150 / 100) + 1 = 2.5. So, Team A’s decimal odds are 1.909, Team B’s are 2.5, and for Team C at -200, it’s (100 / 200) + 1 = 1.5.

Now, the fun part. You multiply all those decimal odds together: 1.909 * 2.5 * 1.5. That equals approximately 7.159. This is your total multiplier. If I wagered $25 on this parlay, my total payout would be $25 * 7.159 = $178.98. That includes my original stake. My pure profit would be $178.98 - $25 = $153.98. See how that skyrockets? That’s the double-XP boost right there. But the risk is every bit as real. In that game I mentioned, the double XP at night was tempting, but the stakes were too high for me—I usually just hid. With parlays, the temptation of that big number can make you add just one more leg, turning a sensible bet into a desperate sprint against the odds.

Sportsbooks often make it even easier these days. Most betting apps have a built-in “parlay calculator” where you plug in your bets and your wager, and it shows the potential payout instantly. It’s like having a map to the safe house. But I think it’s crucial to know the math yourself. It gives you a gut-level understanding of the risk-reward ratio. For instance, adding a heavy favorite with -500 odds to a parlay barely moves the needle on your multiplier—it might only change it from 6.0 to 6.2—but it adds a massive point of failure. Is that tiny boost worth the risk? Usually not. It’s like knowing that a certain path through the woods only saves you three seconds but puts you right in the path of a monster. I personally avoid those “dead weight” legs.

Let’s do one more quick example, a two-teamer with more concrete numbers. You bet $100 on a parlay with the Bucks at -120 and the Warriors at +115. Convert -120: (100 / 120) + 1 = 1.833. Convert +115: (115 / 100) + 1 = 2.15. Multiply: 1.833 * 2.15 = 3.941. Total payout on your $100 is $394.10. That’s a profit of $294.10. Not bad for two correct picks. Compare that to betting them separately: if you bet $50 on each, your total profit would be lower. The parlay rewards you for the compounded correctness. But remember, if either the Bucks or Warriors lose, that entire $394 potential vanishes. In the separate bet scenario, if only one wins, you might still salvage some money. That’s the eternal choice: the safer, incremental gain, or the thrilling, all-or-nothing run for the big score. For me, I’ll sprinkle in a few small parlay bets for fun—the equivalent of a quick, planned night mission with a clear escape route. But my serious bankroll stays on single bets or smaller two-team parlays. Knowing exactly how that payout number is generated takes the mystery out of it and turns it from a scary leap of faith into a calculated decision. You’re no longer just hoping for sunrise; you’ve charted your path, you know the odds, and you’ve decided if the reward is worth the run.