Guide to Spread Betting
From over and under to a parlay bet, sports gambling can be complex. Yet another term that might be throwing you for a loop is spread betting.
Check out our guide to the basics! We go over how placing a point spread bet works in different sports, provide examples, and answer your FAQs. By the end, you’ll know all you need to make your first wager.
What Is Point Spread Betting?
Point spread betting is a way to even the sides when the competitors of a game are unevenly matched. Bookies may also use this point spread betting when teams are evenly matched. In this case, they’ll draw up point spreads in a way that encourages people to wager. The move helps make up for the anticipated low turnout on point spread bets. To win the bet, the team you wagered on must cover the spread with the final score. For example, if you made a point spread wager against a team that was an underdog, and they win the game outright, your bet wins.
Parlay Definition
When you hear about spread betting, you might hear the term “parlay bet.” But what is the parlay meaning?
Essentially, the parlay definition is a group of wagers. You can combine spreads with other wagers like over/under. These bets cane come from different sports, such as a football or basketball game. The parlay bet is tricky to win as you must win all wagers, but the payout tends to be higher because of the lower odds. However, if you have one losing bet, the parlay fails
Different Types of Spreads
Point spread betting differs slightly to account for the differences between sports, but the basic concept remains the same.
Straight Bets
You can place straight bets on single games. To win, the wager must cover the actual point spread lines or tie with the expected outcome. They are the most common and most simple type of sports gambling other than overs. When you place this wager, you can either go for the favorite or the underdog. Your payout is affected by the betting odds
Spreads in Basketball/American Football
Straight bets are the most common type of wager in basketball and football. These two sports regularly have the highest number of wagers.
Football odds and spread in the NBA are normally between 2.5 and 10.5, depending on the strength of both teams. Unless otherwise noted, the odds for these wagers are -110. Not all states allow sports gambling for college teams, so the majority of wagers are for the professional leagues.
Spreads in Hockey/Baseball
In hockey, the spread is called the puck line, but it is called the run line in baseball. In both cases, spread betting is similar to point betting in other sports except for the fact that the line is almost always set at -1.5 and +1.5.
The favorite team must win by at least two goals or runs, while the underdog must lose by one point or win the game.
Spreads in Football (Soccer)
Football (soccer), by nature, is usually a low-scoring game which makes football odds pretty low. To alleviate this issue, bookers tend to offer modified versions. The most common modification is a bet on a tie. It works just like any other wager on a team winning, where you place money on the outcome of your choosing and win a profit if it comes to fruition.
Spreads in Tennis
In tennis, there are two options for spread betting, the first of which is wagering on the game line. In this situation, you gamble on the number of games the players win.
For example, let’s say Player X is -4.5 and Player Z is +4.5. If you were to wager on Player X, you would win if they won 5 or more games against Player Z.
The other type of wager for tennis is the set spread. Instead of focusing on the number of wins, here gamblers look at the number of sets a player wins. The set line is particularly tricky in matches of five sets, so make sure you’re familiar with your odds.
Point Spread Examples
Let’s look at Team A with an excellent winning season and Team B with an average-at-best season. When these two teams meet for a game, Team A will be the favorite (minus sign), and Team B will be the underdog (plus sign). For this example, let’s say Team A is -7.5 and Team B is +7.5. Gamblers for Team A will only win if the team wins by at least 8 points, while gamblers for Team B win if the team loses by 1 to 7 points or wins the entire game.
Calculating Payouts
When you are point spread betting, the bets are usually paid out at -110, which means for every $100 bet, you can win up to $90.91 in profit. In most cases, both sides of the wager have the same winning opportunities. While -110 is the standard in sports betting, there are occasionally other odds, although most sportsbooks will have -110 as their offer price.
Points Spread FAQ
Before you begin spread betting, be sure to check out the official rule books for state-specific details, rules, and definitions.
When sports betting, what can change the point spread?
The point spread can change when the favored team has significantly more wagers. Bookers usually try to have an equal amount of money on both teams.
Who wins a point spread bet when the spread ties?
Although rare, if the spread ties, there is no winner or loser. Instead, bookers return all of the stakes. Ties are only possible when the spread is a whole number.
How do you read a point spread?
The plus and minus sign next to the team names signifies their status as the favorite or underdog. While it seems counterintuitive, the plus sign indicates the underdog, and the minus sign is for the stronger team. You can find more info on this in our betting 101 guide.
What does it mean when you take the point spread?
Take or cover the spread means betting that the favored team will win by more points than the spread. It also means you could bet that the underdog will not lose by more than the set number of points.
What does it mean when you bet against the spread?
To bet against the spread means that you are betting on the point spread rather than the moneyline or other type of bet.
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