What Is A Point Spread Bet?

This is because there is more parity across the NFL than college football, mostly because of the fact that there are fewer teams in the league. In college football, a top team facing against a bottom feeder team means a huge difference in talent because of the vastly different resources between the two schools. Picks or Pick Ems’ are when two teams have a very low spread or no spread at all. This means that gamblers can pick either side and get very similar odds and potential returns. Sometimes gamblers will accept weaker odds in exchange to get rid of the hook tied to the actual point spread. This is known as buying the hook and is relatively common, especially in sports like football where the scoring follows a strict structure.

That’s why a bettor will have to bet $115 to win $100 on the Giants. Obviously, the Cowboys can’t win by 7.5 points because a half point is impossible, but that exists to remove the possibility of a push. If the Cowboys won by seven, the Giants would have won the bet, called covering the spread. If the Cowboys won by eight, they would have covered the spread. 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.

Point Spread Odds Explained

However, regardless of the exact number, the point spread will often be X.5 points. The favorite in the game, according to the oddsmakers, will have a negative number while the underdog will have a positive number. They only look that way at first to people who aren’t familiar with them. Once you get the hang of them, you’ll be ready to start making bets against the spread, and, more importantly, making smart bets against the spread. It can be a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to make some extra money.

Even casual observers use “the spread” as a shorthand way to talk about the eventual outcome of a contest. To cover the spread, a bettor must either bet on the favorite or the underdog, and to win their wager, the team must cover the point spread—or, win by more than the point spread. 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. If you bet on an underdog, they must either win the game outright or lose by a smaller margin than the assigned point spread.

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.

Odds Of

When this happens, the bet is neither a win nor loss; it’s a push, which means that all money is returned to bettors. Spreads may look a little different when you are logged into a sportsbook trying to place a wager. In the NFL you will see something called a Moneyline which means the team that will win straight up. In MLB it will be called the Runline and in Hockey you will find that the NHL calls it the “Puckline”. When it comes to spreads that is the handicap we discussed above in the Mavericks example. Each game will have a spread and a vigorish amount which typically is -110 so thats a 10% tax you pay if you win to the sportsbook.

• For parlays to be profitable, all or nearly all of the bets in the parlay must have a positive expected value (+EV), and most bettors can’t clear that bar.
• Now that you’re clear on how spread betting work, let’s talk about how they pay.
• When this happens, the bet is neither a win nor loss; it’s a push, which means that all money is returned to bettors.

As you may know, it’s possible to ignore the point spread of a game and make bets only based on the moneyline. It’s important to understand the difference between the two methods so you can follow a betting strategy that works for you. When there is a point spread, the moneyline is typically -110. This means that you’ll have to bet $110 to earn a profit of $100. As we’ll see later on, the moneyline for point-spread games doesn’t always stay at -110, but that’s usually the starting point. In our example, if you bet on Alabama as a 24.5-point favorite against Vanderbilt, you would need Alabama to win the game by at least 25 points to win the bet.

How To Bet The Middle Middling

Parlaying multiple individual point spread lines into one bet is a way to increase your reward and your risk. When you place such a wager, each point spread line is known as a “leg.” Assume you want to bet the spread of a Memphis Grizzlies game and three other NBA games. Should you decide to make this bet, you would need Tennessee to win by more than 3 points. Even if the Volunteers still win this game, but only by 3 points or less, your bet would lose. The -110 tells you what the payout would be if your bet does win. In this instance, your payout would be $210 if you wagered $100, and Tennessee wins by more than 3 points.

For example, there are still plenty of offshore operators who take in US consumers. They may look legit, but closer inspection reveals that they’re not legal and regulated. Most online sportsbooks have a dedicated Currency Pair section for house rules, but others may include them in the FAQ or help sections. You are responsible for understanding the rules where you play, so take the time to review to avoid any surprises.

Losing The Bet

In this example, betting $100 on the Red Sox would pay $135, and betting $155 on the Giants would pay $100. These odds will shift before the game begins in order to balance the action between both teams. Because the spread is standard and quite small, buying points isn’t https://www.bigshotrading.info/ an option with the MLB runline. Click here for our comprehensive guide on how to bet on NBA basketball. Not every state has legalized sports betting so check if your state has legal betting on the NBA. Click here for our comprehensive guide on how to bet on NFL football.

However, prop bets are more complex as there is usually a question proposed (Will Mac Jones throw for more than 350 yards?). If the Patriots beat the Chiefs by exactly 3 points, say the final score is 10-7, the result is a push, and the money staked is returned to bettors. Often, oddsmakers will use spreads that incorporate a half-point in order to avoid pushes because there are no half-points awarded in hockey, baseball, basketball or football. Point spreads are one of the most common bets in the sportsbook for a reason.

Sports Betting Resources

After looking around, you find BetRivers at -108 on the same side. While this seemingly small difference may not look like much, it can certainly add up. If that doesn’t help to even out the action, additional adjustments may take place. Additionally, you can also see spreads move by a half-point or more as operators look for the right mix. Therefore, shopping around for the best prices is always a good idea. The -4.5 indicates that the Cincinnati Bengals are 4.5-point favorites.

Now, if I asked you “do you believe we’ll get number 3 on the next roll of the dice? ” your answer will probably be “no” because it’s Dividend more likely that any of the other five options will appear. +x in American odds is identical to (x+100)/100 in decimal odds.

College Football Spread Betting

On the other hand, a spread of “+x” on a given team means they have to either lose by less than “x” points or win the game for your bet to be declared a winner. Sign up at BetOnline, take advantage of the great $1,000 welcome bonus, and begin sports spread betting today. It’s a bit of a toss-up between Bovada and BetOnline for our No.1 spot on this list. Finally, the Bovada bonus code found at the link offers a $750 welcome bonus for new sports bettors in the form of a 100% deposit match. So, it’s possible to sign up and spend the first month betting on point spreads using your bonus earnings instead of your own capital. The Ravens, on the other hand, have been challenged to not only defeat Cincinnati but to do it in style, winning by a margin of -6.5 points.

For example, sports that have simple 1-point scoring systems (e.g., baseball, hockey, and soccer) may be analysed using Poisson and Skellam statistics. The underdog is the team considered less likely to win, or put another way, more likely to lose. For point spread betting purposes, the value of the point spread is added to the team’s total as part of the wager. An amateur gambler looks at the day’s matchups and goes “I’m sure Team A is going to win this game because bla bla bla. Therefore, let me log in my sportsbook account and bet on them.” That is a very wrong approach to sports betting and a sure fire way to be a loser. Our favorite thing about BetUS where spread betting is concerned is the selection of media available to watch during the build-up to the weekend’s sports action.

Prop Bets And Future Bets Explained

A teaser is a bet that alters the spread in the gambler’s favor by a predetermined margin – in American football the teaser margin is often six points. In return for the additional points, the payout if the gambler wins is less than even money, or the gambler must wager on more than one event and both events must win. At some establishments, the “reverse teaser” also exists, which alters the spread against the gambler, who gets paid at more than evens if the bet wins.

So in our example above, let’s pretend that Carolina had missed an extra point and the game ended up as Carolina 20 – Denver 17. In that case, the game would be a push because Carolina’s score of 20 minus the 3 points would be equal to Denver’s score of 17. And similarly, Denver’s score of 17 plus the three points would be equal to Carolina’s score of 20.

A touchdown, for example, is worth seven points, while a field goal is worth three points. Keep in mind, that there are other types of sports bets worth taking into consideration. Be advised that most bettors will have difficulty turning a profit with parlays. For parlays to be profitable, all or nearly all of the bets in the parlay must have a positive expected value (+EV), and most bettors can’t clear that bar. Point spreads are generally a pretty good option for most bettors, for several reasons.

Author: Mary Hall