What Does Spread Mean In Basketball Betting
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What Does Spread Mean In Basketball Betting
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Last updated on: May 25, 2022
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Sports betting has always been one of the biggest industries in the entire US, and basketball has always been one of the key sports betting markets. Competitive basketball, such as college tournaments or the NBA, is a high-stakes game that some people often bet on. In line with that, point spreading is one of the biggest bets in basketball betting. But what is a point spread and in basketball, and what does a point spread mean?
Basketball is a sport with stakes that are not only confined within the four corners of the court. Instead, there are those watching and closely following the games because they have a large stake in the outcome of every game. The reason is that they have money on the line, especially when they are betting on the outcome of the games played at the professional and even the college levels.
Sports betting has always been a part of what makes professional sports so interesting in the United States. It allows the people who are not stakeholders or even fans of certain teams to cash in, depending on the game results. And because of how there are plenty of games played in professional and collegiate basketball leagues all over the country, basketball has become a prime target for sports betting.
One of the simplest forms of basketball betting is called point spread. This is one of the most basic ways of betting on a basketball game’s outcome without even considering who won in the game. And it is that very fact that makes NBA point spread in basketball betting so popular among different people around the world.
The major selling point of point spread betting is its parity, which allows the teams playing one another to be on a leveled playing field as far as basketball betting is concerned. This will make sense as we explain why parity is so important when betting on a basketball game .
In a basketball game, there will always be a superior team with better star players. Of course, that team is the favorite to win the game, and betting on that team will almost certainly guarantee a payout unless that team finds itself in the middle of a shooting drought or ends up with multiple injuries in the game. But, barring any hitches, the favorite should most likely win the game. So, betting on that team will force the sportsbook to lose money and go bankrupt because everyone betting on the game can just simply bet on the superior team to win.
But point spread creates a leveled playing field that gives the superior team a disadvantage and the inferior team an advantage. Point spread creates a situation wherein there is still a 50/50 chance of winning or losing the bet, which is essentially what gambling is all about. Sportsbooks will never make any money out of basketball betting if the superior team did not have some sort of a disadvantage and the inferior team is not given an advantage based on the point spread odds.
In the most basic sense, point spread levels the playing field between teams by giving the favored team a handicap while allowing the underdog to have some sort of an advantage. The sportsbook allows point spread to work by putting a betting line that represents how many points they think the better team will win over the inferior team. You will see this in the – and the + signs next to the team’s name when you look at the point spread odds of a basketball game.
The team with the – sign is supposed to be the favored one, while the other team should have the + sign. Meanwhile, the numbers next to the signs represent how many points the sportsbook thinks the favored team will win. The favored team should now exceed the sportsbook’s margin for a person to win the bet. It is not enough for the team to win because it needs to win by more points than the odds said.
Of course, the same concept applies to the losing team if you were to bet on them. The losing team has to either win the game or lose by fewer points than the odds said. However, if that team loses by a greater margin than what the odds said, you will lose your bet.
As you can see, point spread betting works is quite simple because all you need to look at are the – and + signs that are next to the names of the teams playing when you are looking at the odds. It now comes down to how well the team performs and whether or not the odds are against you.
Point spread, in this sense, allows both teams to play on an equal field as far as sports betting is concerned. So, even though a team is favored to win against a much weaker opponent, you still need to make sure that the team makes it over that point “line” or “spread” for you to cash out on your winnings.
But be reminded that point spreading only applies to sports betting and not to the actual game. As far as the players on the court are concerned, they are more concerned about winning the game than winning by a number that exceeds the line or the spread.
There are some situations where the superior team is already over the margin before the fourth quarter begins but ends up going under the spread at the end of the game because they opted to rest their starters. This is where it can get tricky because not all teams are concerned about winning by a huge margin as much as they are concerned about keeping their best players healthy and well-rested. That is why, as simple as point spread betting may be, it is never easy to predict how many points the winning team will have at the end of the game.
Now, if you try to look at the odds and you see a team with a +7 spread, you might be wondering what that means. Based on how point spread betting works, the team with the +7 is the inferior team that is predicted to lose that game. The +7 symbolizes how many points the sportsbook believes that the team is going to lose.
So, if you were to bet on the team with a +7 spread, that means that the team should either win the game or lose by six or fewer points for you to win the bet. If the team loses by seven points, the bet is a tie. However, if the team loses by more than seven points, you will lose your bet if you placed your bet on the team with a +7 spread.
If you want to place a point spread bet in any basketball game, it is important to first know whether or not both offline and online sports betting is legal in your state. Currently, here are the states that allow offline sports betting:
Among those states, Arkansas, New Mexico, New York, and North Carolina are the only ones that do not allow online sports betting.
So, if you have determined that sports betting is legal in your state, the next thing you might want to do is to go to a nearby casino to place your bet. However, the easiest way to bet is to go to a sportsbook website or app. Some examples of these apps include:
The odds that these apps set on certain games will vary because different sportsbooks tend to predict the outcome of basketball games differently. Some might have larger or smaller point spreads on the winning team, while others may have a different winning team.
If you want to know a good example of how point spread in basketball works, let us look at a sample game such as the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Brooklyn Nets. Based on the star power, availability of the players of both these teams, and whoever has homecourt advantage, let us say that the Nets have a –3 point spread while the Lakers have a +3 point spread.
Here are the scenarios that can happen if you bet on the Nets:
Meanwhile, if you placed your bet on the Lakers, here are the things that can happen:
So, now that you know the different scenarios that can happen based on the odds, what you need to do is to formulate your own basketball betting strategy based on your own analysis of which team will win and by how many points the team will win. You can also bet on multiple games to increase your chances of paying out.
Usually, point spread wagers payout by a margin of -110. There are some variations in the payout odds, but you will almost always see a margin of -110. But what does this margin mean?
If you bet $100 on a basketball game with a payout margin of -110, you will have a profit of $90.90. You can get that value by dividing your bet by the absolute value of the payout margin and then multiplying the result by 100.
Point spread betting can be a fun and engaging way for you to feel like you have a stake in the results of a certain basketball game. It is simple to understand and very easy to bet on. However, it can be tricky if you do not do your own analysis and have no betting strategy heading into the game. This is why point spread betting can sometimes be a double-edged sword that can give you a good payout or harm you if you are not too careful with how you handle your bets.
Did you enjoy this post? Then you’ll love the other basketball FAQ articles . Check them out below:
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A Spread Bet is basically an assumption of how an NBA match-up will pan out, with points handicaps given to each team.
NBA Point spread betting is recognizable by the use of the + or – symbols.
Spread betting is a type of betting in which a bookmaker will handicaps a match-up by setting a margin for each team, which essentially makes the game equal. This estimated margin outcome is referred to as the ‘spread ‘, which is where the term spread betting comes from. A spread bet is only available for events where there are two possible outcomes, such as a game of NBA basketball, where there are no draws.
A typical spread will look something like this: Chicago -8.0 @ Philadelphia +8.0
For example; if the bookmaker believes Chicago is an 8-point better team than Philadelphia, the bookmaker can handicap Chicago 8 points. The spread bet becomes Chicago to win by more than 8 pts or Philadelphia to be within 8 points at the end of the game.
Both outcomes should be of equal odds roughly -105 to -110 or $1.91 .
The above example would be listed by the bookmaker as: Chicago -8.0 @-110 | Philadelphia +8.0 @-110
When you play the point spread, you are not betting whether an NBA team is going to win or lose a game, you are betting how many points they will win or lose by.
If you think Philadelphia are a decent chance to beat Chicago in the above example, taking a spread of +8.0 would be a great bet. Alternatively if you think Chicago will dominate the game, a -8.0 spread is a good bet to take.
With a spread of +8.0, Philadelphia must win the game outright or lose by 8 points or less to cover the spread and be graded as a win. Alternatively, Chicago must win by at least 8 points to cover and be graded as a win.
For picking the Spread in NBA basketball, the main aspects to focus on are –
I guess the best advice here is to WATCH THE NBA NEWS! Get ahead of the bookies and find where the traps are st, and set your own traps.
The bookmaker will list the spread as either a solid number, or to a decimal point.
For example; the bookie may list the spread as -8.0 or -8.5.
The odds for the solid number will usually be less, as there are now 2 outcomes that can favour the bettor, not 1.
If the spread is set as -8.0 and the winning margin is 8, the bettor has “Pushed” the bet, and (depending on bookie) will get their outlay refunded.
If the spread is set as -8.5, the only outcome for the bettor is a Win or Loss.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800 GAMBLER
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Basketball spread betting is the most popular way to bet on both college and NBA basketball . A point spread is the amount of points, set by a sportsbook, that a team must win by, or stay within, for the bet on that team to pay out.
The Point Spread : When betting on basketball , the team you bet on must “cover the spread .” This means the team must win or not lose by a predetermined margin of points. In this example, if you bet the Bulls, the Bulls must win by 4 points for you to win your bet.
Setting the line at just 1.5 does mean that these two teams are extremely close. This is what is called a “ spread ” bet, or “betting against the spread .” This is a very common bet in basketball and football games, but it is seen in other sports as well.
As you can see, Dallas is the 4.5 -point favorite, which means the Cowboys would need to win the game by five points or more to win the bet. Conversely, New York is a 4.5 -point underdog, which means to win the bet the Giants would need to win outright or not lose the game by more than four points.
If the Packers win that game by more than 7 points, they have covered the spread . Betting “against the spread ” (ATS) just means you’re betting on the point spread in a particular matchup as opposed to the moneyline, or some other type of wager.
With the spread set at 2.5 points , a bet on the Cowboys would mean that they would have to win by more than 2.5 points (3 or more) in order for you to win that bet. If you were to bet on Dallas you would need the Cowboys to win by 4 or more points .
When a money line is a positive number then the odds are the amount you would win if you were to bet $100 and were correct. For example, a money line of + 200 would mean that you would make a profit of $200 if you bet $100 and were correct. For example, a – 200 money line means you would win $100 if you bet $200 and won.
Negative numbers signify the favorite on the betting line. The negative number indicates how much you ‘d need to bet to win $100. If the number is positive, you ‘re looking at the underdog, and the number refers to the amount of money you ‘ll win if you bet $100.
Yes, Over / Under odds can fall on the exact number at the end of the game. If the Over / Under hits on the exact number, that’s called a push. There is no winning bet, and all wagers are refunded to bettors no matter whether they took the Over or the Under .
A handicap of the point spread value is given to the favourite team so bettors can choose sides at equal odds. “ Cover the spread ” means that a favourite wins an event with the handicap taken into account or the underdog wins with additional points.
Point spread betting is the most popular form of sports betting. The favorite in a game is listed as being minus (-) the point spread . The worse of the teams playing in the game is called the underdog. The bettor wins if this team wins the game outright or loses by an amount smaller than the point spread .
How to play POINT SPREAD in 5 steps
If the point spread is an even number and the difference in the competition’s result falls directly on that number such that the teams are then evenly scored, it is a tie. In point spread betting, a tie is called a “ push .” In the case of a push , all bets are returned to the bettor.
A 7 -point spread simply refers to the number of points posted alongside a team’s odds of winning. When there is a 7 -point spread , it means that the favorite team needs to win by more than 7 points to win the bet. It also means that the underdog can lose less than 7 points to win the bet.
On occasions the point spread will be a whole number, for example eight, which means that it is possible for the game to end in a tie after the point spread has been applied. If the game does indeed end in a tie, then the bet will be considered a push, and your stake will be returned with no winner and no loser.
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