How Betting The Spread Works

How Betting The Spread Works
Sports Picks Best Odds NFL Signup Offers Promotions Best Sportsbooks Betting States Best Casinos DFS Sites Join Newsletter
Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...
Posted: Jul 28, 2021 Last updated: Aug 26, 2022
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.
Point spread betting is a popular form of betting, especially with basketball and football, since these are two sports where more points are scored throughout the game than in other sports like baseball and hockey. Therefore, it’s essential to understand how point spreads work before placing a wager.
Always pay attention to line movement and monitor point spreads on multiple sportsbooks to get the best bang for your buck, as this will help put you in the best position to succeed as a point spread bettor.
As is the case with moneyline bets, point spreads involve betting on a favorite or underdog in a given game. If you bet on a favorite, they need to win the game by more than their assigned point spread. For example, if I take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7.5) on the point spread, that means that they need to win by at least eight points for me to win my bet.
If you bet on an underdog, they must either win the game outright or lose by a smaller margin than the assigned point spread. So, for example, if I bet on the Philadelphia Eagles (+3.5) and they lose by three or fewer points or win the game outright, I would win my bet.
When it comes to NFL betting, the favorite is assigned a spread for the projected winning margin. They need to win by more than the spread for you to win your bet. If you take the underdog, you can win your bet if they win outright or lose by fewer points than the spread allows.
The best to get Caesars’ terrific welcome bonus:
The favorite is assigned a spread for the projected winning margin. They need to win by more than the spread for you to win your bet. If you take the underdog, you can win your bet if they win outright or lose by fewer points than the spread allows.
BetMGM is the best to get BetMGM’s excellent signup offer.
The favorite is assigned a puck line of (-1.5) and the underdog of (+1.5). In this case, if you bet the favorite, they have to win by two or more goals. You will likely have a payout ranging from (-130) to (+200) for a favorite on the puck line.
If you bet on the underdog, this means that they can lose by one goal or win outright for you to win the bet. Betting on the underdog on the puck line is a costly decision, as it’s usually priced (-170) or higher.
The NHL betting site to place spreads bets is FOX Bet. They have very competitive odds and plenty of promotions. :
The favorite is assigned a run line of (-1.5) and the underdog of (+1.5). In this case, if you bet the favorite, they have to win by two or more runs. You will likely have a payout ranging from (-130) to (+200) for a favorite on the run line.
If you bet on the underdog, this means that they can lose by one run or win outright for you to win the bet. Betting on the underdog on the run line is a costly decision, as it’s usually priced (-150) or higher.
Soccer includes spreads when it’s between two unevenly matched teams. In these types of games, favorites are given spreads between 1-3 goals. This means that they need to win by more than that spread for you to win your bet.
A point spread is assigned based on the projected outcome of the game.
Home-field advantage is a huge factor in the point spread. For example, if the Kansas Chiefs play the Denver Broncos at home, the Chiefs would likely be favored by 10.5 points. However, if the game were in Denver, the Chiefs would be favored by about 4.5 points. The impact of home-field advantage depends on the team playing with it — some teams do not have as favorable a crowd or atmosphere as others. Denver, for example, is a particularly tough place to play, given the altitude.
There are other factors like injury status, current form and overall talent in the game. It’s important to keep track of the latest news around the league to find value on point spreads.
It’s also worth noting that some teams just aren’t very good at covering the spread while favored in the game. For example, a team might have a good record but had won numerous close games, so they might not be as good against the spread. This statistic is also worth keeping an eye on.
Keep in mind, that there are other types of sports bets worth taking into consideration.
A push is when the final result of the game lands precisely on the number of the spread. For example, if I bet on the Toronto Raptors (-4) over the Orlando Magic and the Raptors win by four, I would push my bet, which means that my money is refunded and the bet ends in a tie. Games with halves in their point spreads, like the Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) over the Atlanta Falcons, will never result in a push.
The favorite is the team projected to win the game. They are assigned a point spread with a minus symbol (-) in front of the number, such as Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5). If you were to bet on the Steelers to cover the spread in this instance, Pittsburgh would need to win by seven or more points for you to win your bet.
The underdog is the team that is projected to lose the game. They are assigned a point spread with a plus sign (+) in front of the number, such as Carolina Panthers (+5.5). In this case, the Panthers would need to lose by five points or fewer or win outright for you to win your bet.
Be sure to learn how to bet on sports before wagering.
When betting on the point spread in the NFL, you need to remember key numbers. A touchdown, for example, is worth seven points, while a field goal is worth three points. The key numbers are three, seven, and ten points.
The difference between a 2.5-point spread and 3.5-point spread is vast, as you may end up losing your bet if your team loses by way of a game-winning field goal (three points). 6.5-point spreads, 7.5-point spreads, 9.5-point spreads and 10.5-point spreads are also worth keeping an eye on as final scores are often within three, seven, and ten points.
It’s also worth mentioning that the home team usually gets an imaginary spread of three points. If a home team is favored by (-2.5), the oddsmakers are telling you that the road team is the superior team. You should keep a close eye on home teams that are favored by few points, as it’s often the sharper play to go with the road team in those situations.
You don’t need to worry about key numbers as much in the NBA, but I would advise always betting on the point spread when betting basketball. More often than not, if the team wins the game, they’re able to cover the spread. But, at the same time, be careful with high spreads in the NBA.
Betting on a favorite of 10 or more points can come back to bite you in the NBA, as teams tend to send in their subs when up double-digits in the fourth quarter, which can allow the opponent to cut down the lead — resulting in something called a back-door cover. These exist in the NFL as well.
In NHL, MLB and soccer, tread lightly with spreads. Only take the underdog if they aren’t priced too high — often, you’ll see them at (-200) or higher, which is far too risky. It’s also tough to take the favorite, especially if they end up winning by only one goal. However, it could be profitable since you get some solid value on the favorites. I prefer betting on the spread in MLB than NHL or soccer because baseball teams usually win by more than one run.
Point spreads involve a winning margin. If you bet on a favorite, they need to win by more than the assigned spread. For example, if a spread is (-7.5) points, your team needs to win by eight or more. If you bet on an underdog, they can lose by fewer than the assigned spread or win outright for you to win. For example, if a spread is (+5.5) points, your team can lose by 5 or fewer or win outright.
Moneylines just require your team to win the game outright — the winning margin does not matter in this type of bet. Each team will be assigned a moneyline based on their projected probability of winning the game. For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers might be (-250) at home against the Rockies, who might be (+190). In this case, you would risk $25 to win $10 if you take the Dodgers. You would win $19 on a $10 bet if you took the Rockies.
It is better to choose moneyline in MLB, NHL, and soccer when taking favorites because the price is too high in the NFL or NBA. For example, if you took the Chiefs moneyline and they were favored by 7 points, you’d likely be laying (-400), which means you’d be risking four times your bet. However, it could be profitable for you to go with the moneyline on underdogs in the NFL or NBA since they’ll provide some nice value.
Point spread bets are good because they allow you to take heavily favored teams without incurring the financial risk involved. For example, let’s say the Chiefs are favored by 10 points against the Raiders. If you were to bet on them to win on the moneyline, you would likely be risking seven times your original bet. In this case, you can take them to win by more than 10 points and only have to pay a (-110) price.
Another reason to consider spread betting is that you can take an underdog without worrying about that team winning the game. For example, if I took the Raiders (+10) against the Chiefs, I would still win my bet if they lost by nine points or fewer. Point spreads allow bettors some options when deciding on who to take in a particular game.
One negative of point spreads is that it can be difficult for a team to win by the assigned margin. You can handicap the game well, only to have your team’s quarterback throw a late interception for a touchdown that would lower their winning margin, causing you to lose your bet.
Another negative is how difficult it is to choose the point spread in hockey or soccer correctly. There are so many one-goal games in these sports that you’ll often find yourself with a bad beat with your team only winning by one goal, which is one of the major downsides of spread betting.
Before joining The Game Day, Frank spent three years in the fantasy sports and betting industry, writing for websites like RotoBaller and 4for4football. Frank is an active member of the fantasy baseball and fantasy football community, participating in high-stakes leagues like NFBC/NFFC as well as industry competitions like Scott Fish Bowl, RazzBowl, and TGFBI. Frank is a member of the FSWA and IBWAA. Give him a shout to talk fantasy sports and sports betting.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.
All betting content on TheGameDay.com is exclusively intended for audience members 21 years and older who are permitted to gamble in legal states. The Game Day may earn revenue from site visitor referrals to betting services.
Responsible Gaming: Many sportsbooks offer ways to encourage responsible gaming, including the establishment of limits to deposits, spending, and time dedicated to betting.
The Game Day is a TGD Operations Limited endeavor.

service@docsports.com
1-866-238-6696

Member Log In
Join

Matchups/Stats

NFL
NCAA FB
NBA
NCAA BK
NHL
MLB

51 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.
One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,
insight and advice from our expert handicappers
If you've never set foot in an actual sportsbook before or logged into an online sportsbook, the chances of you getting overwhelmed when you actually do are very high. In an actual Las Vegas sportsbook, there is typically a lot of commotion, and the odds and lines are displayed on a massive digital board for everyone to see. When a novice sports bettor looks at the massive digital signage, they will see a bunch of numbers, both positive and negative, some two digits, some three digits. They also won't have a clue what any of it means. The same can be said for the online sportsbooks. It essentially looks like a massive spreadsheet with negative and positive numbers beside each teams' name.
One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks and insight from our expert handicappers.
Get free sports picks for every league and nearly every matchup on Doc’s free picks page.
The easiest way for me to describe what all these numbers mean to you is to define it as point spread betting . Point spread betting is the most popular way to bet on the NFL and NBA, and it is a way for a sportsbook to generate betting interest on both sides.
When two teams square up for a matchup, whether that be on the gridiron or on the basketball court, one team is typically better than the other (for whatever reason you want to believe). Since sportsbooks are in the business of making money, they tag the better team with a point spread, thus making them the "favorites" to win that specific game. Normally, the favorite has a few favorable factors working for them like playing at home or being well rested or playing a revenge game against a team that previously beat them. Every factor counts in the world of betting, and it's up to you to decide if the "favorite' can, in fact, cover the point spread.
If sports betting were an easy hobby, we would take the better team (playing at home) every single time and collect our winnings. But sportsbook adjust and price the money line astronomically high (depending on how much better they are than their opponent), and it simply is not worth it to lay that kind of juice.
Let's use the 2019 Super Bowl matchup between New England and Los Angeles as an example.
Moments before kickoff, sportsbooks were sitting with New England -2.5 or Los Angeles +2.5. This is what it would look like online:
Los Angeles +2.5 (-110)
New England -2.5 (-110)
This is what it would look like in a Las Vegas sportsbook:
501. New England Patriots -2.5 (-110)
Using the example above, the linemakers have determined that the New England Patriots are two-and-a-half-point favorites over the Los Angeles Rams. The favorite team can also be referred to as the chalk . The favorite will always be represented by a negative (-) number, while the underdog will always be represented by a positive (+) number.
Based on the line above and which team you decide to bet on, the Patriots must win by three or more points in order for those with a Patriots (-2.5) ticket to be declared a winner. As long as the Patriots win by three or more points, the final score itself does not matter. A 3-0 win is just as much a winner as a 34-31 win.
However, if the Patriots were to win the game by two points or less, then all Patriots backers can toss their tickets in the trash. A 30-28 or 21-20 Patriots win would cash the tickets with Los Angeles +2.5 on them. A Rams outright win as two-and-a-half-point underdogs would also do the same.
The same rules apply to the NBA as well. The favorite must win by more than the line dictates, while the underdog must stay within the number or win the game outright.
The standard price to pay when betting on point spreads is (-110). This is the sportsbooks way of ensuring a profit no matter which side covers the spread. The extra 10 cents is also known as the "juice" or "vig" . Paying the extra 10-cents is like paying a tax or commission to the sportsbook for brokering the bet.
The -110 line means that in order for you to profit $100, you must wager $110. Some sportsbook offer something called "reduced juice" , which means that you can still profit $100 but the risk is a few dollars less.
For example, if you see reduced lines such as -7.5 (-105), that means that you must risk $105 dollars in order to profit $100. If you see -7.5 (-102) then you must bet $102 in order to profit $100. It may not seem like a big deal at the time, but saving a few bucks each time over the course of the season can really help your bankroll.
Which brings me to my next point. If you are serious about getting into sports betting, it is vital to have more than one sportsbook to make a wager at. Shopping around for the best lines will help your bankroll, and you will be able to turn a bigger profit. If you see a pair of sneakers for $110 at one store, and the exact same pair is $102.99 at another store - which store are you buying them from?
Get expert sports picks on every game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.
One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers

Sportsbooks That Offer Bets On The Spread
Last updated on: September 6th, 2022
One of the most popular ways to bet on sports online is by betting the spread . The spread is a bookmakers’ attempt to even the playing field between two unevenly matched teams. The spread essentially deducts points from the favorite’s final score, giving both teams an even chance of winning the game, once the handicapped spread is applied. Betting with the spread means taking the points and betting on the underdog (the team considered less likely to win the game). The underdog’s point spread will be listed as a positive number (+7). This means that seven points are added to the underdog’s final score. Betting against the spread means giving points betting on the favorite (the team considered more likely to win the game). The favorite’s point spread will be listed as a negative number (-7). This means that you would subtract seven points from the favorite’s final score.
Team A is a 7-point underdog against Team B. If you bet on Team A with the spread and the final score showed a Team B victory 27-21, you won your bet and “covered the spread.” Since you bet on Team A +7, adding 7 points to Team A’s final score changes the outcome in favor of Team A 28-27. Even though Team A lost the game outright, the added points give them the advantage. Likewise, if you bet on Team B against the spread, subtract seven points from the final score. In a game that Team B won 17-7, the handicapped score of 10-7 still sits in favor of Team B.
Betting on the spread has become a classic bet type of various types of sports in the world, but the NFL is the most common for this particular bet type. When betting on the NFL, bettors know that points are typically scored in increments of seven or three. Wit this knowledge, a projected close game would most likely have a spread of three. This type of idea is not as easy to predict as the NBA, where free throws to stop the clock can suddenly make the result of the game a six-point differential instead of a three-point game, messing up a spread bets that were placed on a spread of -2.5. When betting on the spread for baseball it is called the run line, and hockey refers to it as the puck line, with most other sports sticking with the classic money line title. Examples for these sports are but not limited to:
Since betting on the spread is one of the most popular ways to bet on sports online, most online sportsbooks will offer spread bets on most major events, but particularly football. The best and most popular online sportsbook that offers bets against the spread is Bovada. For over 20 years, Bovada has been providing users with the ultimate online sports betting experience to American clients. Bovada even offers several valuable welcome bonuses, granting qualifying customers with free play cash. Be sure to check out Bovada for all of your online sports betting needs, including betting against the spread.
Alterative Spread Betting On The NFL
When betting on the 2022 NFL season, BetOnline allows bettors to wager on many different alternative spr
Sex Riding Big Cocks
Striptease Solo Girl Hd
Amateur Self Pee

How Betting The Spread Works

Report Page