Do you have to beat the spread to win?

This is most often seen when betting on the NFL, but point spreads are common in the NBA as well. When you bet “against the spread,” it's not enough for the favorite to win the game; now, they have to win by more than a specified amount (the point spread) in order for them to “cover the spread.”

Do you have to beat the spread?

To cover the spread, a bettor must either bet on the favorite or the underdog, and to win their wager, the team must cover the point spread—or, win by more than the point spread.

What happens if the spread hits exact?

A push in sports betting occurs when the point spread or point total hits the exact number in which you bet. For example, you can bet the Dallas Cowboys as a -7 point favorite to beat the Green Bay Packers or the Packers as a +7 point underdog.

Can a team lose and still cover the spread?

To place a bet on the favored Giants means they must win by at least 10 points to cover the spread. The underdog Jets can lose by eight points and still cover the spread.

Do you win if the spread is 3 and they win by 3?

A spread of -3 means that that team must win by over 3 points to cover while a spread of +3 means that the team must win or lose by less than 3 points to cover.

What is the "Spread" in Sports Betting

How do I win if the spread is?

Spread vs.

Point spreads involve a winning margin. If you bet on a favorite, they need to win by more than the assigned spread. For example, if a spread is (-7.5) points, your team needs to win by eight or more. If you bet on an underdog, they can lose by fewer than the assigned spread or win outright for you to win.

What does a +3 spread mean?

What Does a 3 Point Spread Mean? A 3 point spread means the favorite must win by at least 4 points (winning by exactly 3 would result in a push) in order for a bettor picking the favorite to win the wager.

Do they cover the spread if the underdog wins?

(2) The underdog covers the spread:

Bettors win choosing the underdog when the underdog wins outright OR the underdog loses by a margin LESS THAN the point spread. Example: The Cowboys are favored by 7.5 points over the Giants, but the Giants keep the game close and lose by only a field goal, 30-27.

What happens if a team wins by exactly the spread?

Spreads and odds might adjust after you place your bets. Your wagers will be settled based on the numbers at the time of bet placement. If the final score of a game lands exactly on the margin of the spread — i.e., 30-27 for a three-point spread — then the bet is a push, and the sportsbook will refund wagers.

Can you lose a spread bet?

The only way you lose a point spread bet on an underdog is if the favorite beats that underdog by a margin greater than the spread. In this case, if the Volunteers win by more than 3 points, your bet would lose. While novice bettors might think that betting on the underdog is smarter, that isn't true at all.

Do you have to beat the spread on a money line bet?

If you place a bet on the moneyline, that means you think the team you bet on will win the game. If they win, you win, no matter the score. While a point spread requires the team you bet on to win by a specified margin, moneyline does not.

How does a +7 spread work?

If the spread is set at +7, this means that to cover, the underdog must either win the game outright or lose by fewer than seven points. For the favorite to cover, they must win by more than seven points.

Is it better to bet over under or spread?

The bettor interested in an over/under wager must guess whether the teams will combine to score more than 46.5 points or fewer. If you think it's going to be a lower-scoring game, you will want to bet the Under. If you think it'll be a higher-scoring game, you should bet the Over.

Can a spread bet push?

A push describes a bet for which there's no winner or loser between a bettor and the sportsbook. The sportsbook will refund your initial stake if the bet is a push. A push is most common for spread and total bets, but it can come up elsewhere.

How does the spread work?

The spread, also referred to as the line, is used to even the odds between two unevenly matched teams. Bookmakers set a spread with the hopes of getting equal action on both sides of a game. For example, the Colts are a -3 point favorite against the Texans. The -3 points is the spread.

What if you bet $100 on every NFL underdog?

Jared Smith on Twitter: "If you blindly bet $100 on every underdog ML in the NFL this season you'd be up $1,841." / Twitter.

What happens if you always bet the underdog?

If you bet on the underdog regularly, you shouldn't expect to win as many bets but overall you may win more profit. Moneyline bets on the public underdog are pretty simple: if a lot of people are betting on the favorite, the odds of the underdog will become more attractive. This makes them a more valuable bet.

What does a negative spread mean?

In the simplest terms, a negative spread indicates the favorite, which is the side that's expected to win the matchup. A negative point spread really means that team has some work to do. For a negative spread bet to hit, the team has to beat its opponent by a margin greater than the point spread.

What does minus 4 mean spread?

The minus sign denotes that that team has to win by more than that margin while the plus sign indicates that the other team can lose by that margin, or win the game, and they cover the spread in either case. Following this example, the Chiefs are at -4.5.

How do you read a bet spread?

Do more people bet over or under?

If games went over or under much more often than the other, sports betting would be easy, wouldn't it? The betting market is pretty good at creating accurate totals to split both sides 50/50. But in most sports, games do go under slightly more often. It's not enough to beat the vig and be blindly profitable, though.

Is it better to bet each way or to win?

Each-way fractions: The odds on the place part of your each-way bet are a fraction of the win odds, because your selection has a greater chance of placing than winning.

What does +7.5 point spread mean?

To beat the spread, they must close the point gap to within 7.5 points or win outright. Once the game is over, you can take the Patriots final score and add 7.5 points. If they now have more than the opponent, your bet is a winner.

What does +13.5 spread mean in football?

So, if you bet on the Chiefs and they win the game, but by less than 13.5 points, you would lose that bet. If you bet on the Broncos you would win the bet if they win, OR if they lose by 13.5 points or less. A Chiefs 28-17 sounds great for Kansas City, but that's a winning bet for Denver.

How does +10.5 spread work?

Looking at the underdogs, the Redskins are +10.5 on the spread (10.5-point underdogs), meaning they would have to lose by 10 or less in order for your bet to cash. The Titans are 4.5-point underdogs, meaning they would have to lose by four points or less in order to win.