|
Betting
on the Point spread is most common in
NFL football sports betting. Spreads
are intended to level the betting playing
field between two teams. If the handicappers
do their job right and choose the right spread
number, there should be an even chance of winning
or losing the bet taking into account the spread.
Learn more about Spread betting here
The Basics of Point Spreads
The two most popular ways of expressing odds
in American football are point spreads
and money lines.
When you look at a point spread, you
will see one team with a negative number and
one team with a positive number. Remember, for
sports betting purposes, points are subtracted
from the favorite
team's final score to determine if the favorite
is a winner. That is why the the favorite team
is always listed with a negative number.
As you might expect, the reverse is true for
the underdog. The underdog team is given
a positive number because points are added to
the underdog team's final score to determine
if the underdog
is a winner for purposes of the sports bet.
Events that tie are considered "no action" -
no one wins or loses. Let's look at an example.
The New England Patriots are playing
the New York Jets.
The Patriots are expected to win the game and
the spread is 6. So, you see the Patriots
listed as -6 and the Jets listed as +6. You
place a bet on the Patriots. If the Patriots
win by more than 6 points, you win the bet.
If the Patriots only win by 6 points, then the
game is considered "no action" and all money
is returned. If the Patriots win by less than
6 points, you lose the bet.
Note: that when
you place point spread bets, you are generally
laying 110 to win 100 (the book needs it's juice).
Point spreads can go up or down at any time
depending on various factors like player injuries,
weather, and the like. The spread may also
be adjusted if the bets coming into the sportsbooks
are disproportionately favoring one side or the
other. You are generally locked in to whatever the
point spread was at the time you placed your
sports bet.
|
