All About Spread Betting

All About Spread Betting

States Where Sports Betting Is Legal

What Is A Spread In Sports Betting?

What Does The + And – Mean In Sports Betting?

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Pros Generally have better betting line value than the moneyline It can add more value to parlay wagers Can have higher maximum bet limits Adds excitement to games with a clear better team against a worse team Cons Assessing a wager could take more time The winning team in real life doesn’t necessarily win the wager

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As of the second half of 2022, more than 30 states have retail and/or online sports betting laws enacted or pending legislation for the industry.
Since the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018, sports betting has caught on like wildfire. Each year, more and more bettors are finding interest in the activity.
Even if you’ve never wagered on a game, you’ve likely heard the term “point spread” or “the spread.” But what exactly is it? How can you use it when betting on your favorite sports team to add extra money to your wallet?
Here, we’ll not only explain what sports betting is, but we’ll look at the purpose of the spread, compare moneyline betting and spread betting, how it varies by sport and more.
To better understand spread betting, there are four main terms to know and understand: underdog, favorite, push, hook and juice.
When you first arrive at your favorite online sportsbook and look at the available bets for the upcoming games, you may notice two notations in the spread column—a “-” and “+.”
These are important as these not only indicate what the spread is but also illustrate which team is favored and which is the underdog.
For example, you look in the spread column of the upcoming Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins game. The Dolphins are +2.5 on the spread, and the betting line is -110.
With that +2.5, you could view the game starting with a score of the Dolphins up 2.5 to 0. Of course, the game’s score will be 0 to 0, but in the eyes of the spread, the Dolphins either need to win outright or lose by no more than two points.
You’ll lose that spread bet if the Dolphins lose 23 to 20. However, if they lose 23 to 21, you would win, as the added 2.5 points would result in a score of 23.5 to 23 through the prism of the wager.
On the other side, the “-” before the number indicates the favorite. Sticking with the above Dolphins/Ravens example, the Ravens would be -2.5.
Side note: For most sports, the spread will be the same on both sides, with the only difference being “-” or “+.”
Unlike the Dolphins, who need to lose by no more than two points, the Ravens now need to win by at least three points, given the added 0.5 on the spread.
Now, if the spread were Ravens -3, they would need to win by at least four. If the final score were 23 to 20, that would result in a push.
While we go into each wager hoping to win, taking a draw is better than losing.
A push can only occur when the spread is a whole number and doesn’t have the added 0.5.
As mentioned, if the spread is -3 and the team wins by three, this would result in a push as the underdog also has a spread of 3 on the other side, but with a “+.”
You don’t win or lose when this occurs—you receive your original wager back.
We’ve made mention of “the added 0.5,” but in sports betting, that added 0.5 is important. So important, in fact, that it has its own term—the hook.
There’ll never be a push with the hook, as teams cannot score half of a point. However, depending on which side you bet, the 0.5 acts like a whole point.
Again, if the spread is +2.5, you need to win outright or lose by no more than two; if the spread is -2.5, you not only need to win outright, but you need to do so by three or more.
Juice, also known as “vig,” is a price you pay for making a wager through an online sportsbook. The standard betting line, commonly seen in spread betting, is -110. With this betting line, you’ll earn $10 for every $11 wagered.
Think of it this way: If you see a “-” line of anything above -100, each point is the “juice” or the “vig.”
Spread betting is exclusively for sports betting. Thus, this isn’t a bet type you’d find at an online or retail casino.
The closest thing to a spread at an online casino would be the house edge, which is constant with each online casino game. In contrast, the spread is an optional wager in sports betting.
No matter what sport you’re a fan of, there’ll always be good and not-so-good teams.
There’s always going to be a disparity in professional sports.
But that’s where the point spread comes in.
The purpose of a spread is to make the teams as even as possible. The point spread is typically generated by online sportsbooks using algorithms and other mathematical formulas which determine how superior or inferior a team is.
So, when you bet on the point spread, you can look at the favorite and think, “According to this bookmaker, this favored team is considered ‘x’ number of points better than this other team.”
While the spread accounts for the strengths and weaknesses of each team, the moneyline removes all of that.
The moneyline wager is picking which team will win outright, with no strings attached.
While picking a moneyline team may be easier, the conversation around bet value is necessary.
We can all conclude that the Rams are incredibly likely to beat the Jaguars. However, the moneyline in a bet like that could have a -1000 line for the Rams. This would mean that you’d need to wager a hefty sum of $1,000 to profit $100.
The spread counteracts that value disparity but introduces an additional variable.
Say the Rams are -14.5 point favorites. You may conclude that the Rams will win, but will they win by 15 or more?
Generally, a point spread betting line will almost always be roughly -110.
So, you can bet on the Rams to win outright at -1000 ($1,000 to win $100), or you can assess the situation, and whichever side you think will cover the spread will get you $100 on a $110 wager.
Now, there are times when betting on the moneyline makes more sense. That said, there are different strategies for different sports, such as the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA.
The key spread number in the NFL is -3 or anything less than that. When you see a -3 line, this is typically for when two teams are relatively equal in stature, but this could account for home-field advantage.
When you see a spread less than three, it may be better value, depending on which side you want to wager, to bet the moneyline.
According to Sports Insights , the chances of winning an NFL game by less than three points is minimal.
The point spread in the MLB is known as the “runline.” Unlike the NFL, the runline will always be 1.5 on each side. The betting line will almost always be different than -110, as 1.5 runs in a baseball game can be substantial.
Also, with the runline of 1.5 being so static, the “favorite” may not be the best candidate for that -1.5 runline.
The NHL also has an alternate term for the points spread—the puckline. Like MLB betting, the standard puckline is also 1.5. This makes sense, as MLB and NHL scores are far more synonymous than the NFL or the NBA.
As the NHL and MLB are more similar to one another final score-wise, the NBA and NFL are more on par.
However, the similarity isn’t the final score but rather the margin of victory. NBA games can have high point totals, but you’ll find that the spreads are more “in the ballpark” with the NFL.
It’s more common to find “larger” spread numbers in the NBA, but the betting line of -110 is something you should often expect to see.
You can absolutely win money when betting the spread. However, there are a couple of easy strategies you can deploy immediately to assist in winning cash.
If you’re in a state where multiple sportsbooks are available, we recommend looking to see if any offer better value for you, depending on the wager you intend to make.
Whether getting a better betting line or adding 0.5 or a whole point to a spread, this can be a way to find the most attractive bet for you.
Alternate line wagers may not be available at all sportsbooks, but it is something to consider. With this type of bet, you can bet on a different spread with the betting line value reflecting that change. You may sacrifice some betting line value for that added point or two.
All online sportsbooks will have some form of a bonus or promotion offer.
Whether it’s no-deposit bonuses, deposit bonuses, free bets, “risk-free” bets or something similar, you can leverage these to explore wagers that you might not have otherwise considered. Some promos are tied to specific bets.
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Graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Journalism, Richard Janvrin has been covering iGaming and sports betting since December 2018. Richard has covered betting at Bleacher Report, Gambling.com and The Game Day.

Brian Pempus has covered the U.S. gambling indusry since 2009, starting with Card Player Magazine in Las Vegas. He was later deputy editor of sports betting at Better Collective and managing editor at The Game Day, before joining Forbes Advisor in 2022.

Akhilesh Ganti is a forex trading expert who has 20+ years of experience and is directly responsible for all trading, risk, and money management decisions made at ArctosFX LLC. He has earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and an MBA from M.S.U., and is also registered commodity trading advisor (CTA).

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Spread betting refers to speculating on the direction of a financial market without actually taking a position in the underlying security. The investor does not own the underlying security in spread betting, they simply speculate on its price movement using leverage. It is promoted as a cost-effective method to speculate in both bull and bear markets.

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A contract for differences (CFD) is a marginable financial derivative that can be used to speculate on very short-term price movements for a variety of underlying instruments.

Stop-loss orders specify that a security is to be bought or sold at market when it reaches a predetermined price known as the stop price.

Day traders execute short and long trades to capitalize on intraday market price action, which result from temporary supply and demand inefficiencies.

An exit point is the price at which a trader closes their long or short position to realize a profit or loss. Exit points are typically based on strategies.

The E-mini S&P 500 is an electronically-traded futures contract representing one-fifth of the value of the standard S&P 500 futures contract.

Futures are financial contracts obligating the buyer to purchase an asset or the seller to sell an asset at a predetermined future date and price.

Getting Market Leverage: CFD versus Spread Betting

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Thomas J Catalano is a CFP and Registered Investment Adviser with the state of South Carolina, where he launched his own financial advisory firm in 2018. Thomas' experience gives him expertise in a variety of areas including investments, retirement, insurance, and financial planning.

Spread betting refers to speculating on the direction of a financial market without actually owning the underlying security. It involves placing a bet on the price movement of a security. A spread betting company quotes two prices, the bid and ask price (also called the spread), and investors bet whether the price of the underlying security will be lower than the bid or higher than the ask.

The spread bettor does not actually own the underlying security in spread betting, they simply speculate on its price movement.

Spread betting should not be confused with spread trading , which involves taking offsetting positions in two (or more) different securities and profiting if the difference in price between the securities widens or narrows over time.

Spread betting allows investors to speculate on the price movement of a wide variety of financial instruments, such as stocks , forex , commodities , and fixed-income securities . In other words, an investor makes a bet based on whether they think the market will rise or fall from the time their bet is accepted. They also get to choose how much they want to risk on their bet. It is promoted as a tax-free, commission-free activity that allows investors to profit from either bull or bear markets.

Spread betting is a leveraged product which means investors only need to deposit a small percentage of the position's value. For example, if the value of a position is $50,000 and the margin requirement is 10%, a deposit of just $5,000 is required. This magnifies both gains and losses which means investors can lose more than their initial investment.

Spread betting is not available to residents of the United States due to regulatory and legal limitations.

Despite the risk that comes with the use of high leverage, spread betting offers effective tools to limit losses :

Risk can also be mitigated by the use of arbitrage, betting two ways simultaneously.

Let’s assume that the price of ABC stock is $201.50 and a spread-betting company, with a fixed spread, is quoting the bid/ask at $200 / $203 for investors to transact on it. The investor is bearish and believes that ABC is going to fall below $200 so they hit the bid to sell at $200. They decide to bet $20 for every point the stock falls below their transacted price of $200. If ABC falls to where the bid/ask is $185/$188, the investor can close their trade with a profit of {($200 - $188) * $20 = $240}. If the price rises to $212/$215, and they choose to close their trade, then they will lose {($200 - $215) * $20 = -$300}.

The spread betting firm requires a 20% margin, which means the investor needs to deposit 20% of the value of the position at its inception, {($200 * $20) * 20% = $800, into their account to cover the bet. The position value is derived by multiplying the bet size by the stock’s bid price ($20 x $200 = $4,000).

Investors have the ability to bet on both rising and falling prices. If an investor is trading physical shares, they have to borrow the stock they intend to short sell which can be time-consuming and costly. Spread betting makes short selling as easy as buying.

Spread betting companies make money through the spread they offer. There is no separate commission charge which makes it easier for investors to monitor trading costs and work out their position size.

Spread betting is considered gambling in some tax jurisdictions, and subsequently, any realized gains may be taxable as winnings and not capital gains or income. Investors who exercise spread betting should keep records and seek the advice of an accountant before completing their taxes.

Because taxation on winnings in some countries is far less than that on capital gains or trading income, spread betting can be quite tax-efficient, depending on one's location.

Investors who don’t understand leverage can take positions that are too large for their account, which can result in margin calls . Investors should risk no more than 2% of their investment capital (deposit) on any one trade and always be aware of the position value of the bet they intend to open.

During periods of volatility, spread betting firms may widen their spreads. This can trigger stop-loss orders and increase trading costs. Investors should be wary about placing orders immediately before company earnings announcements and economic reports.

Many spread betting platforms will also offer trading in contracts for difference (CFDs), which are a similar type of contract. CFDs are derivative contracts where traders can bet on short-term price moves. There is no delivery of physical goods or securities with CFDs, but the contract itself has transferrable value while it is in force. The CFD is thus a tradable security established between a client and the broker, who are exchanging the difference in the initial price of the trade and its value when the trade is unwound or reversed.

Although CFDs allow investors to trade the price movements of futures, they are not futures contracts by themselves. CFDs do not have expiration dates containing preset prices but trade like other securities with buy and sell prices.

Spread bets, on the other hand, do have fixed expiration dates when the bet is first placed. CFD trading also requires that commissions and transaction fees be paid up-front to the provider; in contrast, spread betting companies do not take fees or commissions. When the contract is closed and profits or losses are realized, the investor is either owed money or owes money to the trading company. If profits are realized, the CFD trader will net the profit of the closing position , minus the opening position and fees. Profits for spread bets will be the change in basis points multiplied by the dollar amount negotiated in the initial bet.

Both CFDs and spread bets are subject to dividend payouts assuming a long position contract. While there is no direct ownership of the asset, a provider and spread betting company will pay dividends if the underlying asset does as well. When profits are realized for CFD trades, the investor is subject to capital gains tax while spread betting profits are usually tax-free.

Spread betting is a way to bet on the change in the price of some security, i
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All About Spread Betting

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