Understanding How Point Spread Betting Works: Betting Guide

Are you new to sports betting and do you want to understand how point spread betting works? Most people who watch the NFL, MLB, and NBA have a good understanding of the game as well as many of the teams’ strengths and shortcomings. If you are into sports betting, you can profit from this knowledge by placing bets on the outcomes of particular games. There are many different types of bets available at both online and retail bookies.

The bookmaker or online gambling site gives two possibilities for the punter in a fixed-odds or money line bet. You can wager on either the underdog or the favorite to win the game. However, when a strong club faces a weak team, the bookmaker may find that the strong team is favored by the majority of bettors. If the favorite wins, this makes it harder for the sportsbook to earn from the wager.

Spreads in sports betting, a.ka. lines aim to balance out the changes between two teams that are not evenly match.

When a spread is set, it is in the hopes that both sides of a game will have the same amount of activity.

Point spread bets are a term that many new bettors are familiar with, but they may not understand what they mean or how they function. Fortunately, getting started to point spread betting is quite simple.

What is Point Spread?

Point spread betting is a type of betting that focuses on a team’s performance and is typically focused on statistics. For advanced bettors, it’s a popular form of gambling since it’s more challenging than a straight bet.

The primary goal of a point spread bet is to provide you the chance to gamble on a team or individual in a game by comparing their strengths and weaknesses. This point spread is calculated using the scoring units of each sport to give potential bettors an idea of how close the two teams will be in terms of winning margins. These scoring units can be in form of points, runs, goals, etc.

In its most simple form, a spread is a forecast of how well each side will do. A set number of points will be favored by the stronger team or player, depending on the perceived disparity in ability between the two teams.

The team with a negative sign (-) is the one that is favored. On the other hand, the underdog team is represented by a plus symbol (+).

Let’s assume that team A and team B will be competing for the same prize. Based on the bookmaker’s prediction, team A will win by a particular amount of money. So, the bookmaker gives team A a positive number. Team B, on the other hand, will have a negative number.

After that, you can bet on whether the bookie’s forecast for a victory or a loss is correct or incorrect.

Then, you may bet on whether the bookie’s prediction of a victory or a loss is correct or incorrect.

Understanding Point Spread

The most important thing to know about point spreads is how the pluses and minuses are calculated. When it comes to point spreads, both sides are usually given odds of -110. This figure might change depending on how much the sportsbook will charge for their vig or commission. Every bookmaker has a vig because if it didn’t have one, it wouldn’t be able to keep going. That is why they collect the fee so that you may wager on a site that you know is safe and will pay you if you win. Usually, it would be +100 if a game had even odds.

When a team’s spread is -110, which is reasonably common for both sides of a point spread bet, you’ll need to wager $110 to win $100.

How to Win with Point Spread Betting?

Let’s assume a team A is given a -8.5 point favorite or an 8.5 point underdog. To “cover the spread”, the favorite team must win by at least nine points. It doesn’t matter whether they win by eight points or fewer, since they didn’t cover the spread.

Let’s take a look at team B which is a 6.5-point underdog, or +6.5 points. This means that the underdog must win or lose by fewer than 6.5 points to win the point spread bet. The outcome is the same whether the underdog team wins by 30 points or loses by fewer than 6.5 points.

Anyone who gambled on the point spread will have won because the underdog has covered.

Let’s say a team is favored by seven points, often known as -7, in our last scenario. By exactly seven points, the favorite team wins. It is referred to be a “push” in betting when the point differential settles exactly on the spread in this way.

In addition, you’ll get your money back on the bet. However, you don’t win any more money because it is a tie.

Understanding Points Spread Betting: The Outcomes

There are three possible outcomes for a point spread bet:

·         Win

·         Loss

·         Push

A sportsbook will pay the bettor the full amount depending on the “price” of the wager if the bet is successfully placed and the bettor wins. Usually, this is -110. As a result, a $100 wager would win $100, an $11 bet would win $10, and so on.

The game outcome that falls exactly on the point spread margin is known as a “push”. On the other hand, bettors get their initial wagers back if the game result is “voided” or “canceled.”

Of course, a loss will always be a loss.

A point spread bet varies from a moneyline bet in that the outcome of a spread bet does not always reflect the outcome of the sports event for the bettors. In a point spread bet, the losing team may still yield a win for bettors. This depends on the score of the athletic event, whereas a moneyline bet includes choosing one side to win outright. So, if Oklahoma wins Kansas by a 30-point score of 51-21, Kansas would be a huge underdog yet cover the spread.

Understand Point Spread Bets: The Three Components

Actual Point Spread

The point spread is the expected margin of victory for the favorite over the underdog in terms of the number of scoring units.

Scoring Units

·         Points – basketball, football

·         Runs – baseball

·         Goals – hockey, soccer

The magnitude of the spread varies greatly depending on the sport and the event. Moreover, a point spread is also integrated into a home-field advantage. It has the usual “adjustment” ranging from zero to three points, depending on a team’s home-field record.

The Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints, is a notoriously difficult place to play for visiting teams. A spread that favors a team that performs well at home is usually adjusted by a maximum of three points. However, a spread that favors a team that does poorly at home or in general is likely to be adjusted by a lower amount.

The Saints would then have to play their opponent on a neutral field. Therefore, the benefit of being on the home field would not be counted as a point.

Professional bettors will even compute their spreads on games. Then, compare them to what sportsbooks have posted and attempt to uncover and exploit any gaps. On the other hand, the sportsbooks or bookmakers will establish the spread. Then, the bettors will analyze the matchup in a process called “handicapping”.

What is handicapping?

Handicapping is the practice of giving different contenders an advantage by awarding them with a bonus or other form of compensation to even out their odds of winning. Bookmakers use handicap betting to make a sporting event more equitable.

To win an event, the bookies assign a “handicap” to one of the participants, which they must overcome. When one team is considerably superior to the other, this is especially true. To level the playing field, bookmakers will give more than simply win/draw/lose odds. In addition, they give a handicap bet on one team’s ability to win if they match specific requirements.

Point Spread Gambling: The Favorite

“Favorite” refers to the team that has a higher chance of winning. To win $100, you must wager the amount specified (For example, -110) using the betting unit (size) to be $100. The sportsbook would pay $210 if the bet was successful. This is the difference between the bettor’s stake ($110) and the win ($100).

When a team wins by a margin bigger than the point spread, bettors who chose the favorite win their stake. Let’s say the Colts are favored by 5.5 points against the Titans. So, if the Colts win by 7 points, the Colts have “covered the spread”. Therefore, the bettors who bet on the Colts will win.

The point spread is always preceded by a negative sign (-) to indicate a favorite. In an AFC East matchup, the Patriots have a “6.5-point favorite” against the Jets. On the other hand, the Jets would be a “6.5-point underdog” against the Patriots.

Spread Bet: The Underdog

The underdog refers to a team that is thought to have a higher chance of losing than winning. As part of the wager, the value of the point spread is added to the total of the team’s total.

When an underdog team either wins the event straight up or loses by less than the point spread, the punters for the underdog win.

So, if the Seahawks are favored by 5.5 points over the Rams but only win by 4 points, Seattle has “failed to cover”. Moreover, bettors who bet on the Rams would win the bet even though the Rams lost the game in which they were favored. The Rams have “covered the spread” in this example. In addition, they will have done the same if they win the game outright.

The point spread is usually preceded by a plus symbol (+) to indicate an underdog. In this example, the Rams get a point spread of +5.5.

Evens or Pick ’em: When the teams are evenly matched.

The term “even” or “pick ’em” refers to a game in which two teams are so similar in terms of quality of play. As a result, the sportsbook considers that they are equally likely to win or lose.

On the moneyline of an evens or pick ’em point spread, the terms “evens,” “pick ’em,” or “PK” are usually listed. When you look at the odds, you may see that both sides are posted at -110. Therefore, you must choose a winning side to win your wager. Meanwhile, you’ll receive your stake back only if the game ended in a tie.

Point Spread Betting: The Vig or Juice

The term “vig“, a.k.a. “juice“, is an acronym of the word “vigorish“, which refers to the amount a bookmaker “charges” for taking a wager. Essentially, it’s the expense of doing business as well as how bookies make a living.

The normal spread gambling price is -110 on both sides or 20 cents. This is based on a combined vig of 10 cents per dollar for the favorite and 10 cents per dollar for the underdog. The extra $10 is not included in a $110 wager at -110. This is why the winning bet is $210 (the $110 bet plus $100 in profits) rather than $220 (the $110 bet plus $100 in winnings).

As the sportsbook aims to encourage wagers at different rates, the point spread will occasionally run from +100 to -120 on each side. Alternatively, it can run from -105 to -115. This is because the point spread is meant to attract bettors who wish to gamble on either the favorite or the underdog.

A sportsbook will often change the point spread to balance out the “activity” on the bets you made. This happens when the price on one side of a point spread hits -120 or higher and wagers are uneven on one side compared to another.

How to Bet Point Spread?

Point spread betting is very simple to do when you play at a top sportsbook betting in Singapore. 

·         Select the sport you would like to play.

·         In the game module, click on the spread you wish to wager on. Usually, point spreads are lined up with the team you want to bet on.

·         On the right-hand side of the page, look for the bet slip. If you are playing on your phone, this will pop up automatically.

·         Log in, then enter your bet by clicking “Login to Place Bet”.

Point Spread Betting FAQs:

What kinds of sports use point spread betting?

Football and basketball are the most popular sports for betting on point spreads. It’s also utilized in hockey (puck line) and baseball (run line). To broaden their offers, sportsbooks are also beginning to employ the spread in other sports like golf and tennis.

Is it possible to wager on point spreads for a half-hour or a quarter-hour game?

As far as football and basketball are concerned, most bookmakers will provide point spread lines for each quarter and half.

What does “pick ’em” or “PK” mean in sports betting?

Pick ’em or PK is a term used when both teams are evenly matched, therefore, there is no spread in the match. To win the game, the team you choose must simply win.