If you’re looking to break into the wide world of online sports betting and hopefully win some cash in the process, we don’t recommend diving in without a little knowledge beforehand. That includes learning a few technical terms and concepts you’ll need to be successful, like “betting against the spread,” also known as ATS betting.
You’ll likely come across terms such as “point spread” or “betting spread” as you go about making your wager, and it’s important that you know what this means before you make your final decision and place your bets. This technical jargon might seem overwhelming at first, but when you get down to it, it’s a very simple concept that just takes a little bit of effort to grasp.
Read on for a full breakdown of betting against the spread below.
Understanding Point Spread Betting
Point spread betting is a practice commonly used in sports betting for people placing wagers. It increases the fairness of a game between two drastically mismatched teams.
In situations where a team that’s known for playing exceptionally well is going up against a team that hasn’t had a great season, it’s usually overwhelmingly clear who the winner is going to be. This predictability effectively ruins the bet for the participants, as the outcome is obviously stacked in favor of the better team.
That’s why proprietors of online sports betting use this simple technique to keep the bet fair even under these extreme circumstances. By adding a betting spread to the score of the team that is less likely to emerge victoriously (commonly referred to in sports parlance as the “underdog”), it makes the team with the advantage have to work a little harder and win by a larger point margin for those betting on them to receive a payout.
Let’s take a look at an NFL football game as an example. If the Arizona Cardinals are playing the Jacksonville Jaguars, their respective reputations indicate that Arizona will be the obvious winner. Therefore, a betting spread of a certain amount of points will be added to Jacksonville’s score. If the spread were 50 points, the Cardinals would have to beat the Jaguars by at least that many points for betters supporting Arizona to earn their winnings.
What is “Against the Spread” Betting?
Someone who is betting against the spread is putting a wager on the team with the advantage of winning. For the winner to receive their payout, the superior team (we’ll stick with the Cardinals vs. Jaguars example for now) will need to “cover” the spread and beat the Jaguars by at least 50 points.
In addition to “covering,” or beating the opposing team by more points than the spread is worth, some other related terms you’ll need to know are “laying” and “getting.” When the spread is determined before the game, the favored team is said to be “laying” the number of points indicated by the spread. Essentially, they are setting their score behind by this amount to keep the bet fair. The underdog will then “get” those points or have them added onto their score from the beginning.
When analyzing the betting line, you can see these figures indicated by positive or negative numbers next to the names of each competing team. Depending on the game outcome, those betting on the underdog can still win their bets even if their team loses, as long as the favored team does not manage to cover the spread.
Can the Point Spread Change?
There is a variety of situations in which the oddsmakers can be prompted to make changes to the betting spread while the season is in progress. This is to maintain the fairness of the bet as circumstances change and new factors need to be taken into account. Most often, these changes to the betting spread result from an unexpected injury or a financial imbalance.
Let’s go back to the hypothetical Cardinals vs. Jaguars game as an example. Under normal circumstances, the Cardinals would be considered the favored team and have to lay 50 points to even the playing field for those betting on the underdog. However, if one of Arizona’s key players were to sustain an injury prior to the game, this would have a significant effect on the predicted outcome. Therefore, the spread would likely be reduced to balance out the odds back slightly to the Cardinals’ favor.
Also, if the Cardinals are receiving a disproportionately high amount of wagers, the oddsmakers may decide to adjust the spread to protect themselves from drastic financial losses in the event of a Cardinals win.
Understanding Payout Amounts
In addition to the number indicating the spread amounts on the betting line, there will be another three-digit figure to the right which factors into calculating your payout. More often than not, this number will be either positive or negative 110, but it could also commonly be 105, 115, or 100, depending on the circumstances.
So what does this mean? This refers to the amount of money you could win or lose, depending on the game’s outcome. This is a percentage, with 100 representing the entirety of the money you will bet. So if the betting line has a negative 100 next to the Arizona Cardinals, and the Cardinals win the match, betters in support of Arizona will win back the entirety of the money they bet.
However, if the figure were 110, this would indicate an extra 10% premium that the oddsmakers were charging for people trying to bet against the spread. This can act as an incentive for betters to support the team charging a smaller premium in the hopes of walking away with as much of their money as possible.
What Sports Use Point Spread Betting?
Point spread betting is most commonly practiced with NFL football games, which is why we used teams from this league in our examples. Football games see overwhelmingly more bets against the spread than games for any other sport. However, that doesn’t mean that football is the only option for this betting practice.
Against the spread betting also takes place in basketball, hockey, soccer, and baseball, although it is not nearly as prevalent as it is in football. While the concept is functionally the same regardless of the sport, the practical conventions differ slightly from league to league, and each sport typically uses its own distinct terminology.
For instance, while the term “spread” is used for wagers on football games, the same idea is referred to as the “goal line” by soccer fans, the “puck line” for hockey spectators, and the “run line” for baseball enthusiasts. So if you’re not putting money down on an NFL game, it could help to brush up on the terminology of your preferred sport beforehand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does an ATS wager differ from a Moneyline wager?
A Moneyline wager is incredibly straightforward. All that matters for you to receive your payout is that you put money on the team that wins. With ATS, the situation is more complicated because the team you support has to win by a certain margin.
Is ATS better or worse than Moneyline, Over/Under, or any other practice?
This cannot be answered in abstract, as it all depends on the specific game and the specific odds. Neither style is inherently better or worse than the other, it just comes down to making a smart wager under the circumstances.
Learn More About Online Sports Betting
Now that you have a better understanding of point spread betting and how it works, you’re ready to branch out and dive deeper into different sports betting topics and start placing your bets.
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