What Is Point Spread In Soccer Betting

What Is Point Spread In Soccer Betting

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These are just three of the many questions we get from our readers on the topic of point spread betting .
And we understand why! We also scratched our heads when we first familiarised ourselves with the concept of point spreads.
Don’t worry though, we promise that we’ll answer these questions and a lot more in this thorough guide. By the end, you will see that it’s a lot simpler than you think it is!
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There is one crucial aspect to keep in mind for a point spread bet:
A point spread bet is not about who you think will win or lose, but how much they win or lose by.
In other words, the point spread is the number of points by which the team is expected to win (or lose).
In this NBA example, Phoenix Suns are playing against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The first thing you’ll notice is that, unlike other bets, the point spread bet has a +5 and a -5 next to the two team names.
This can be confusing at first, but it’s really simple.
First of all, the + and – are an indicator of which team is the favourite , and which is the underdog .
In this case, we know that the Bucks are considered the favourite to win the game.
That number indicates the number of points the team needs to win or lose by in order for the bet to be successful.
Let’s say you bet on the Phoenix Suns.
What happens if the Milwaukee Bucks win by exactly 5 points?
That’s a good question, and it actually happens quite often in events like the NBA and the NFL.
A win (or loss) with the exact number of points triggers what is called a ‘push’, leading to a void bet and a refund.
To avoid this situation, a sportsbook tries to include a half number in the spread, for example, -5.5.
Keep in mind that the 5 points is specific to this example.
You can also have a point spread of 7, 2.5, 1.5 – it really depends on what point spread is required to equalize the two teams.
This brings us to our next point. You might have already noticed in our example that the odds are -110 for each team.
This can seem a bit strange to bettors used to moneyline bets. With a moneyline bet, you will always have a difference in odds between the two teams to mark the favourite and the underdog.
However, the aim of point spread betting is to balance the odds of the two teams so that they both have a 50% chance of covering the spread.
So while the Bucks might have a 65% chance of winning the overall game, they have a 50% chance of covering a spread of more than 5 points and win the game.
This is why you’ll nearly always find the odds at -110 for point spread betting.
What this means is that for every $1 you win, you have to risk $1.10 .
Definitely! The best betting sites will offer point spread options for the first half, second half, quarter, etc.
Here’s an example from Sports Interaction for a First Half Point Spread for an NBA game.
Betting options for the second half usually only open up towards the end of the first half , which requires you to do some live betting.
Why complicate things when you can just use a moneyline bet to bet on who will win or lose, right?
Well, point spread betting has become so popular for a reason. As we’ve said before, in most sports matchups, there is a clear favourite and underdog. This makes the odds one-sided and difficult to profit from unless you spot a value bet .
On the other hand, point spread betting opens the door for many more betting opportunities .
It also gives you the chance to bet on what is likely to be the losing team , as the odds are balanced out in this type of bet.
This is a tricky question to answer because it depends on a lot of factors.
Moneylines are easier to win, and we recommend this type of bet for beginners who are just starting out in the sports betting world.
You make a bet on which team will win the game. You either win or lose. As we mentioned before, there is generally a clear favourite and underdog, which makes it even easier to pick your bet.
The downside of a moneyline bet is that the payouts are low . Of course, you can always bet on an underdog and get a big payout, but an underdog’s win is an infrequent occurrence.
Let’s look again at the Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns.
If you bet the moneyline on the favourite, odds of -210 and a $100 bet will give you winnings of just $47.62 .
Of course, you can always increase winnings by wagering more money, but that should always be subject to your bankroll.
In fact, in our sports betting strategy guide , we recommend that you do not spend more than 15% of your bankroll on the same bet.
On the other hand, point spreads are harder to win because there are more variables. You’re not betting on who wins but on how far apart the final score spread will be.
The hard win comes with a reward: a better payout . If you look at the above example, the Milwaukee Bucks point spread bet has odds of +105.
Remember the $47.62 winnings from our moneyline bet? Well, now it’s a potential $105 winnings if we bet $100 on the Milwaukee point spread.
But to win that, the Bucks need to win by 5 points or more, which will be tight considering that in the last two previous games with the Phoenix Suns, the Bucks only won by 6 and 4 points.
We’ve used an NBA example throughout this guide, but this doesn’t mean that point spreads are exclusive to the NBA.
Apart from the NBA, point spread bets are mostly used for the NFL, NCAA football and basketball .
However, you will also see the same concept for sports like baseball and hockey with some minor differences.
You’ll find the term ‘run line’ being used instead of point spread betting in baseball.
Let’s take a quick look at an example:
The line for baseball run lines is always 1.5 , so you essentially bet on a team winning by two runs or more, or the underdog losing by one run or winning the game.
There are instances where the betting site will offer alternative lines of 2.5 runs , but the odds will be adjusted accordingly.
The puckline in hockey betting is very similar to the baseball’s run line.
The line offered is also always 1.5, which gives the underdog an advantage of 1.5 goals and disadvantaging the favourite by 1.5 goals.
Here’s an example of what puckline odds would look like:
When you bet on other sports like tennis and soccer , you will usually find a ‘handicap bet’ category.
Handicap betting is essentially the same concept as the point spread, the run line, and the puckline, and is the preferred term in Europe.
Apart from the European handicap , you might also see the term ‘ Asian Handicap ‘. We won’t get into detail in this guide, but the main distinction between the two is that for Asian handicaps you are not restricted to just losing or winning everything. You can also win or lose a part of the bet amount.
When you’re starting to bet, it’s normal to want to get away from point spread bets. At first, they are really confusing!
However, as you can see from this article, they are not that complex to understand.
To make sure you’re really comfortable with this concept and its application to sports betting, let’s summarise what we’ve discussed in this guide:
It brings much more flexibility for you to take advantage of the odds and create a bet that you consider to be valuable!
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‘Against the Spread’, also known as ATS, simply means that you’re betting on the point spread instead of another type of bet.
You can use a team’s ATS record to analyze its performance against the spread.
What is a push in point spread betting?
A push in point spread betting is when the point total hits the exact number which you bet.
Let’s say you bet on the Milwaukee Bucks as the -5 point favourite to beat the Phoenix Suns (+5). If the Bucks win by 5 points, both bets are a push and the money is refunded.
The best way to find out which NFL teams cover the spread is to check ATS statistics .
For example in 2020, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills had the most success covering the spread.
What does a negative point spread mean?
When you see a minus sign next to a team on a point spread bet it means that the team is marked as the favourite to win the game.
The number next to the minus sign means that the team is favoured by that number of points.
For example, Milwaukee Bucks -5 vs. Phoenix Suns +5 = the Bucks are the favourites to win by more than 5 points.
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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 spreads from all of the NFL action during the regular season. If a bettor feels confident that the Bills will beat the Rans by more than 2.5 points, BetOnline offers props that range from 1 to 15-point favorites. This adds value to the bet because the alternate lines significantly increase the amount with longer odds the higher the original line is stretched. If the Bills were to end up winning by 14, BetOnline rewards bettors who sue the alternative lines..
Live Betting On Covering The Spread
As spread betting has always been one of the most popular bet types available for legal books, MyBookie offers spread betting for all of the most popular sporting events. Whether betting on a Grand Slam event or the NFL playoffs, MyBookie moves their game lines and spreads during the action of the game or match. Live betting o the spread gives bettors value that wants to bet on an underdog comeback. If a team was down by 21 at the half and the spread moved to 21, a bettor could win big by betting on the favorite team to not cover at MyBookie.
With the 2022 NFL season kicking off on Thursday, September 8th, there are many spreads that have betting value for each week of the regular season. Some teams have small spreads to cover as heavy favorites and teams with spreads that could be too long to cover. The first week of the NFL season is one of the best weeks to bet on teams covering or not because of the excitement of seeing how the team looks for the first game of the season.
The Saints have Jameis Winston locked in as their starting quarterback and will be unveiling an offense that has one of the best running backs in the NFL in Alvin Kamara, a rookie wide receiver in Chris Olave that is one of the favorites for ROY, and the return of Michel Thomas for 2022. The Saints are -230 favorites and there is value in betting on them to cover the 5.5 spread. During their 2021 season opener, the Saints beat the Packers as an underdog by 35 points.
Russell Wilson is starting his 2022 season in Seattle like normal but will be playing for the Denver Broncos. The Seahawks have entered a rebuild-type year without their franchise QB and have announced Geno Smith as the starting QB for the first game of the season. The 6.5 spread has value for the Broncos as -260 favorites because of the momentum coming in through the Bronco’s new offense against a Seattle team that has to figure things out. As a starter last year, Smith went 1-2 and only beat the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There are various reasons why a point spread may change before kickoff. One of the most common reasons is lopsided betting action on the game. Legal sportsbooks always strive to garner an even amount of money on both sides of the outcome, in order to guarantee profitability. If a lopsided amount of money is bet on one side over the other, bookmakers will do one of two things: if the disparity is large, they will adjust the actual point spread, giving more or less points to the underdog (sometimes even flipping the favorite and underdog); if the disparity is small, they will change the “juice” or odds for the lesser-bet side. This is done to garner more bets to balance the books.
Breaking news, like an injury to a key player or impending inclement weather, can also change a point spread. It is important to place your wager as soon as possible if you like a specific spread, as spreads are always subject to change – most point spreads change several times before settling at the closing spread at kickoff. However, once you place a wager, the point spread will be locked in at the number you took.
One interesting way to bet on the spread is by using an alternate spread. This allows bettors to choose their own spread, with adjusted payout rates. Alternate lines usually cover a very large range of spreads, and as such, a very large range of possible payouts.
This is a great way to bet on the spread, as it allows you to dial in your risk tolerance and confidence in the team you are betting on. Most games have huge varieties of alternate spreads, with football games usually offering the most.
Point spreads are very popular across a wide range of sports, including those that do not score with “points.” Sports like baseball , which counts runs instead of points, or hockey , which counts goals, will have different names for their spreads. These spreads function the same as a point spread, but with a different name.
A puck line is simply a point spread in hockey. It functions in exactly the same way as a point spread.
Similarly, a run line is a point spread in baseball. Run lines are almost exclusively 1.5 runs, but alternate spreads are usually available.
A goal line is a point spread in soccer. It functions the same as a typical point spread. Unlike a run line, goal lines vary depending on the teams involved.
Because of the nature of taking the spread, sportsbooks don’t host the odds too high, usually setting them between (+110) and (-115). The aim is to set the spread as evenly as possible, making it a great betting choice for betting on the favorites, but not so great when betting on underdogs as the payout is bigger on the moneyline. If you would like to increase your potential payout and still play the spread, alternate spreads are your best choice.
A tie against the spread is referred to as a “push.” Often, sportsbooks will set their spreads with half points, often referred to as a “hook”, in order to avoid this. However, a push can still happen on occasion. If a push occurs in a single spread bet, most sportsbooks will return your original wager but offer no winnings. If a push occurs in a parlay, there are two possible avenues for a sportsbook to take: one is to count a push as a loss, therefore causing the bettor to lose the parlay; the other is to remove the bet from the parlay entirely, lowering the payout but still keeping the parlay intact. Be sure to check your preferred sportsbook’s terms and conditions to see how they handle pushes in parlays.
Some games may not show a numerical spread, but instead show a “PK”. This is short for “pick,” meaning that the game is even without a point spread and bettors must choose the winner outright. Usually, sportsbooks will manipulate the “juice” in order to attract more bettors to the lesser bet side of a PK spread.
Juice is the odds for each side of a point spread. The juice functions exactly the same as a moneyline, indicating the payout rate for each side of the spread bet. For most point spreads, both sides will have the same juice, typically (-110). Sometimes a sportsbook will manipulate the odds in order to attract more bettors to the lesser bet side, but these changes are usually relatively minor and done in +-005 increments.

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What Is Point Spread In Soccer Betting

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