What S A Betting Spread

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What S A Betting Spread

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What Is A Spread In Sports Betting?


What Does The + And – Mean In Sports Betting?


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Sports betting has expanded both in the number of markets that exist and with new intricacies added to player props and live betting. But spread betting is one of the more popular forms of sports betting, and this is a sentiment that will likely never change.
Spread betting has its own allure given the simplicity of the wager type and the ease in following along during a game in the context of each spread wager. In this article, we will discuss what spread betting is and the markets available for this type of bet.
Additionally, we will identify and address some of the complexities of spread betting and some frequently asked questions regarding this betting method.
Point spreads are handicaps placed on a team based on whether they are expected to win or lose by a certain margin. Oddsmakers attempt to reach a specific number line for spreads that they believe would make the forecasted final score closest to even.
One other popular type of betting is placing wagers on the moneyline. A moneyline wager is a bet placed on who will win or lose a game or contest regardless of spread.
For example, if the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees played, and the Dodgers had a +100 odds moneyline, you would win $100 on a $100 bet. The payout is simply 1:1. A wager on the Dodgers’ side would be a winner as long as the Dodgers win the game.
This is very different from the spread, which oddsmakers set to make the teams competing as even as possible, taking into account the perceived strengths and weaknesses of each side.
When it comes to the spread, there is always a favorite and an underdog unless the uncommon occurrence of a pick’em occurs. A favorite will always be surrendering points, i.e. a -7 spread for the Buffalo Bills against the Miami Dolphins means that oddsmakers have labeled the Bills as the favorite by seven points. On the other side, the Dolphins will draw a spread of +7, meaning that oddsmakers view the Dolphins as an underdog by seven points.
The aforementioned pick’em is a situation where no spread exists because the matchup is viewed as one that is extremely close. This basically defeats the purpose of the spread and makes it so that the moneyline is the only bet available in most cases.
The Miami Heat are playing the Orlando Magic in the NBA. The Heat are listed as nine-point favorites, drawing a spread of -9. The Magic, as a result, draw a spread of +9. If the Heat win the game by more than nine points, they will be the winning side against the spread (ATS). If the Magic lose the game by fewer than nine points or win the game outright, they will be the winning side against the spread.
In the event that the final score results in the Heat winning by exactly nine points, i.e. 112-103, neither side of the spread will win and will result in a “push.” This returns all wagers to bettors on the spread.
Point spread bets are appealing because of their simplicity. In addition to the spread number, there are also odds attached to each spread. The vigorish, also known as juice, can be seen on each spread bet before placing your wager.
The vig can be thought of as the book’s fee for taking the wager.
Arguably the best thing about spread betting is that the odds are normally between the -120 and +100 odds range. This ensures that bettors are laying far less juice to make these types of bets than they otherwise would on something like a lopsided moneyline.
A +7 spread is very commonly seen in the NFL due to the scoring of a touchdown and a successful extra point. It can be seen in other sports, as well. If the spread is set at +7, this means that to cover, the underdog must either win the game outright or lose by fewer than seven points. For the favorite to cover, they must win by more than seven points.
A +1.5 spread is less common compared to other spread numbers across all sports given what the oddsmakers are implying when attaching it to a game.
This means that the underdog must win outright or lose by exactly one point to cover the spread. Alternatively, a +1.5 spread means that the favorite must win by two points, runs, etc. or more. The +1.5 is the standard “run line” in MLB betting.
Many baseball games are decided by fewer than two runs.
In the event that the underdog only loses by one, they would be doing what is called “winning by the hook.” This refers to the fact that a side wins against the spread by exactly 0.5 points which is quite common given how excellent oddsmakers are in getting their predictions close to the final score.
As previously mentioned, spread bets have odds attached to them that are usually quite reasonable, existing in the range of -120 to +100 in most cases. Depending on whether you are a bettor who looks to win one unit on a bet or you wager a unit on all bets, this has a significant impact on how much you can make on an individual wager against the spread.
A unit is simply a predetermined dollar figure for your standard wager. If you set aside a certain amount of money for sports betting, a unit is typically 1% of your sports betting funds. This helps bettors minimize risk on any one bet, as sports betting has high variance.
If a bettor with a $100 unit size wagers on a -120 odds spread, they would be placing either a $120 bet to win $100 or a $100 bet to win $83.33.
Let’s now discuss some spread betting examples and intricacies of each major North American sports league. Each league is different given the way scoring is done in each sport, creating somewhat of a learning curve for spread betting.
Betting on spreads in the NFL is one of the most popular ways of utilizing spread betting in the United States. The typical spreads available are first quarter, first half and full game spreads with some bettors also engaging in second half spreads. The NFL has a standard structure for this betting market, unlike some of the other major sports leagues.
An example of an NFL spread wager would be to bet the full game spread of the Arizona Cardinals +7.5 points against the Los Angeles Rams. This would require the Cardinals to win the game outright or lose by less than a touchdown.
Similar to the NFL, NBA spread betting is fairly standard. The same methods are available such as quarter, half and full game spreads. Bettors have proven to engage more in the quarter-by-quarter betting as opposed to the NFL given the fast-paced nature of basketball.
For example, a bettor can place a wager on the first quarter between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. The Celtics are favored by two points against the spread. Bettors would be forced to either back Celtics -2 or Heat +2 with an exact difference of two points representing a push.
MLB betting has a very different structure than the NFL and NBA because scores and winning margins are often low. There are technically no “spreads,” but rather a “run line.” Unlike most other sports, MLB run lines typically have odds that can reach as high as -200 or +200 depending on what direction the game is predicted to go.
If the New York Yankees are matching up with the Boston Orioles and the Yankees have a -250 moneyline attached to them, their run line will look something like “Yankees -1.5 at -120 odds.” On the other hand, if the Yankees were to play the Los Angeles Dodgers and were just -115 favorites, their run line would look something more like “Yankees -1.5 at +190 odds.”
NHL “puck lines” operate very similarly to the way MLB run lines do. However, the main difference with hockey is that the average game has far fewer goals scored than a baseball game has runs scored.
If the Nashville Predators play the Anaheim Ducks and the Predators are -200 favorites, their puck line would likely look something along the lines of “Predators -1.5 at -110 odds.” However, if the Predators were to play the Lightning at -115 favorites, the puck line would look something closer to “Predators -1.5 at +190 odds.”
Betting on the spread can be an enjoyable time for any bettor as it adds a wrinkle into the experience that bets on markets like moneylines do not provide. Whether you are looking to back that massive underdog or the close home favorite, doing the research can maximize your profits when engaging in spread betting.
All in all, wagering on spreads is one of the simplest and purest forms of sports betting and should be viewed as one of the best options holistically.
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Daniel Preciado studied sport analytics at Syracuse Univeristy and has covered sports betting since 2018 for The Game Day, The Action Network and Fansided.


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.


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 l
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