What is a Point Spread in Sports Betting?

Point spread betting is an extremely popular form of sports wagering. This is mainly because point spreads make teams more evenly matched, allowing bettors to back an underdog that might keep the game close or a favorite that could win big.

Many bettors have likely seen a point spread number such as -3 or +14.5 next to their favorite team on a broadcast before understanding its significance. The point spread is the expected margin of victory in a game between two teams and can be found on the board at every single one of the industry’s best sports betting sites.

Continue reading for more information on what exactly a point spread is, how to read one, tips for line shopping, and much more.

Unlike a moneyline wager, which is just on a team to win, a point spread bet will add or subtract points from a team’s final score. The point spread adds some extra excitement to expected mismatches as well as close games.

Let’s say there’s a college football game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Michigan Wolverines, and the betting market determines that Michigan should win by a touchdown.

The point spread for the college football showdown would be Michigan -7, meaning they’re the favorites to win the game. So if you bet Michigan -7 and they beat Alabama by more than a touchdown, you’ll win your bet. If they win by six points or less, you lose the bet.

Spread betting is most popular for the NBA, college basketball, NFL, and college football. However, point spread bets are also available in other sports like the NHL, MLB, and soccer. Alongside moneyline bets and point total bets, point spread betting is a big focus for sports fans.

This article will take a deep dive into point spread betting, including how to read the spread for a sporting event, different outcomes after placing a point spread wager, and the different sports that offer a point spread.

A point spread is meant to even the playing field in a game, representing which team is the favorite and which team is the underdog.

Point spread lines are indicated by a plus sign for the underdog and a minus sign for the favorite. The spread number is then added or subtracted from the game’s score at the end.

Point spread bets are especially popular in sports wagering as you’ll get decent odds. Point spread odds are commonly around -110 for football and basketball, which can give much better value than a moneyline bet.

The point spread is set by different oddsmakers and posted at sports betting apps and retail sportsbooks. These oddsmakers calculate the spread by giving teams power ratings based on their talent, with the numbers changing throughout the season.

Additionally, different advantages such as extra rest or playing on a home field are factored into the spread number.

It’s not uncommon for the point spread to change before a game begins. Point spreads shift from when the number is originally posted (opening line) to the number as the game starts (closing line).

Sportsbooks will also update the number if the betting market begins wagering on one side more heavily than the other. This is because sportsbooks aim to have even amounts of bets between the two teams.

Another common reason for line movement is an injury to a star player. Changes to the roster, such as a starting lineup or trade, can also impact the number.

The point spread will also change numerous times throughout the game. That means you can still place a point spread bet after the game has started. This can lead to some strategy for in-game bettors.

For example, you can bet a bigger number on an underdog that falls behind early if you expect the team to keep it close before the game ends. With this strategy, it’s key to keep your sports betting app open and keep an eye on the shifting point spread lines.

Point spreads determine how many points a team is likely to win or lose by. It’s basically a way to handicap the difference between two teams, adding an extra layer of excitement to wagering.

Here’s a quick point spread betting example.

Let’s say the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams are set to play in the Super Bowl. In this scenario, the two teams are competitive, but the oddsmakers list the Rams as -3.5 favorites. This would mean that Kansas City is the underdog at +3.5.

Point spread bets are ultimately added or subtracted from the final score. To cover the spread, Los Angeles would have to win by four or more points. So if the Rams win 27-24, they’ll win the Super Bowl but won’t cover the spread.

That would mean that adding the +3.5 to Chiefs’ final score would win the point spread bet. So, think of it as the Kansas City Chiefs winning the game 27.5-27. The +3.5 underdog spread bet would also cash if the Chiefs win the game outright.

The positive point spread indicates which team is the underdog, so Kansas City (+3.5) would have the positive point spread in the above example. The positive point spread means if the underdog loses but you add the number to the final outcome, the bet wins. A win outright would also mean that Kansas City would cover the spread.

The negative point spread means that one team is the favorite. So the Los Angeles Rams (-3.5) would have the negative point spread in the above example and need to win by more than three points to cover the spread.

There are three possible outcomes for point spread bets: wins, losses, and pushes.

This means bettors will either win their point spread wager, lose their stake if a team doesn’t cover the number, or get their stake refunded if the game ends in a push.

These three potential outcomes make different aspects of point spreads such as half points and shifting numbers much more important. It also makes individual plays in a game much more significant.

Say that the Indianapolis Colts are -6.5 favorites against the Dallas Cowboys and the teams are tied 20-20. Then, just before the end of the fourth quarter, the Colts score the go ahead touchdown to win the game outright but miss the extra point.

In that case, the final score would be 26-20, meaning the Colts win but don’t cover the spread.

Bettors win spread bets if their team covers the final number, so a wager on a +7.5 underdog when the team lost by seven or fewer points or won outright would be a winning bet. If that team lost by eight or more points, it’s a losing bet.

A push is when the final margin is the same number as the point spread, such as if Team A is -10 and beats Team B 31-21. With a push, the bettor’s stake is simply refunded, so it’s not a win or a loss.

Many point spreads will have a half point in the number, with this 0.5 points being commonly called the hook. The hook can make all the difference for a winning bet, as a team losing by 10 when the spread is +10.5 would cover the spread by that half point.

After the point spread number is initially posted on different sportsbooks, it’s subject to change heading into the game for a number of reasons.

A matchup could open up with a small spread before the game lands with a much larger number. If one team is getting significantly more betting action, the sportsbook will begin shifting the number. So if one team is favored by three points and the betting public is heavily betting on that team, the number will likely move towards four points and beyond.

Changes to a roster will also shift a point spread. Injuries and benching, alongside trades or players getting released, will result in a change to the posted number. How much the number changes depends on how important that player is to the game.

So an injury to a starting quarterback for an upcoming NFL game will result in the number shifting significantly. With the convenience of mobile betting, you can easily open your favorite sports betting app and check the current odds.

Shopping around for the best odds is essential in point spread betting.

Although the numbers for point spreads will be pretty close on different sports betting sites, odds tend to vary from sportsbook to sportsbook. Oftentimes, sportsbooks will even have slightly different spread margin numbers, which is hugely beneficial even if it’s by one or two points.

For example, the Los Angeles Lakers could be +2.5 underdogs against the Milwaukee Bucks. If you’re looking to bet on the Lakers, you can check out different sports betting apps for better odds.

While BetMGM might list the Lakers +2.5 with -120 odds, DraftKings could have the same bet at -115. Then if you bet $10 on the Lakers with DraftKings and the team covers the spread, you’d get $8.70 instead of $8.33 with BetMGM.

The best strategy for point spread betting is to look around for the best odds before placing a wager. Plus, you could get a more positive number with different sportsbooks, such as if FanDuel listed the Lakers at +3.5.

Spread bets are most popular in football and basketball, as they’re both high scoring sports that can have major blowouts.

Point spreads are quite different in sports like baseball, soccer, and hockey. In fact, the names can even be different, as the point spread is referred to as the run line in baseball and the puck line in hockey. All three sports are much lower scoring than football and basketball, so the spreads are smaller.

Baseball, soccer, and hockey all usually have spreads of 1.5 points, with the odds varying based on which team is expected to win by two or more. While spread betting is still popular in these other sports, many bettors find more value in a moneyline bet on a team to win outright or a point total wager on how many runs/goals are scored.

Basketball is one of the top sports for point spread betting. Professional basketball games in the NBA and WNBA get a lot of attention when it comes to spreads.

But college basketball is also popular with point spread bettors, especially when it comes to March Madness. Part of the reason that college basketball has a bigger emphasis on point spreads is that not every state allows for player prop betting on college games.

Bettors can also wager on the spread for the NBA In-Season Tournament, G League basketball, Olympic basketball, and more.

The NFL is the top sport for bettors, especially when it comes to point spread wagering. There are spread bets available on the regular season, postseason, Super Bowl, and even the preseason.

There are also plenty of point spread bets on college football, both during the regular season and the College Football Playoff. Bettors can also check out the spread for spring football leagues such as the UFL. Football point spreads often relate directly to how the sport’s scoring is recorded.

In particular, 3-point and 7-point spreads are common in football betting, as those numbers reflect a team expected to win by a field goal or touchdown.

You might still want some information about point spread betting, so we’ve put together answers to frequently asked questions on the subject.

A team covers the spread when they win or lose by a certain number that’s determined by the oddsmakers. This number essentially guesses the margin between the two teams, so an underdog could only lose by a certain margin or a favorite would have to win by a certain margin. A team winning by 14 points when they’re 11-point favorites would cover the spread.

Point spread bets can be combined into a parlay bet. Bettors can add different spread bets, alongside other types of wagers, in a parlay for better odds. So you could put together a parlay bet featuring the spreads for all the afternoon games of an NFL slate.

Certain situations can lead to point spread bets getting cancelled, such as an incorrect number being posted by the oddsmaker or a matchup ending prematurely or being rescheduled. Occasionally, baseball bets can be cancelled if there’s a pitcher change. If your bet is cancelled, your stake will be refunded.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.