How do point spreads work?

For point spread betting purposes, the value of the point spread is added to the team's total as part of the wager. Bettors who choose the underdog win their wager when that team either wins the event outright OR loses by an amount less than the point spread.

What does a +7 spread mean?

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.

What does +3 spread mean?

The point spread is the expected final score difference between two teams. It is represented as both a negative and positive number; if the spread is 3 points, you'll see that as both -3 and +3. The team that is the favorite to win gets the minus-number (-3); the underdog gets the plus-number (+3).

How does a +7.5 spread work?

If you bet on them to win, they must beat the opposing team by at least 7.5 points. On the opposite side of the wager, the New England Patriots are the underdog to win. To beat the spread, they must close the point gap to within 7.5 points or win outright.

What does a +4 point spread mean?

Common Example of Point Spreads in Action

For example, with a 4-point spread, the favorite team must win by more than 4 points for bettors to get paid. Conversely, the underdogs can lose by 1, 2, or 3 points (or win the game outright) and still win the bet.

Point Spread Betting Explained: Sports Betting 101

What is a +6.5 point spread?

Now, let's use an example of a team that is a 6.5 point underdog, or +6.5. For the underdog to win the point spread bet, they can either win or lose by less than 6.5 points. If the underdog team wins by 30 points or loses by less than 6.5, then the outcome is the same.

How does a negative point spread work?

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 is point spread for dummies?

A point spread is a bet on the margin of victory in a game. The stronger team or player will be favored by a certain number of points, depending on the perceived gap in ability between the two teams. A minus sign (-) means that team is the favorite. A plus sign (+) means that team is the 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.

What does a minus 6 spread mean?

The favorite is the team projected to win the game. They are assigned a point spread with a minus symbol (-) in front of the number, such as Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5). If you were to bet on the Steelers to cover the spread in this instance, Pittsburgh would need to win by seven or more points for you to win your bet.

What does it mean if a team is minus 6?

The Money Line: Odds for a game based on $1. A "minus" (-) preceding the number indicates the team is a favorite. A "plus" (+) preceding the number indicates the team is an underdog.

What does a negative 4.5 Spread mean?

In basketball, you might see a point spread of -4.5/+4.5, which means the favored team will need to win the game by five points or more for your bet to cover the spread. If you bet on the underdog, they simply need to win the game or lose the game by less than four points. If they lose by five, your bet won't cash.

What does +4.5 mean in NFL?

Above is an football point spread. Pittsburgh is +4.5, with Cincinnati at -4.5, which means Pittsburgh is a 4.5-point underdog and Cincinnati is favored by 4.5 points. For a bet on Pittsburgh to win at +4.5, they can either win the game outright or not lose by an amount that surpasses 4.5.

How do you read spread odds?

What does a minus 6.5 Spread mean?

A minus 6.5 spread means the favorite team must win by more than 7 points and the losing team must lose less than 7 points to win.

What does +15 spread mean?

Chiefs ( +1.5) vs.

The Eagles are favored by 1.5 points, which means if you bet them and they win by 2 points or more, you'd win your bet. The Chiefs are a +1.5 point underdog, so if you were to bet on them, they would need to either win the game outright or at least not lose by 2 points or more.

What does a +1.5 spread mean?

When you see a +1.5 in front of a team's name, that means that they are 1.5-point underdogs in that matchup.

Are spread bets worth it?

Spread betting can yield high profits if the bets are placed correctly. Most spread betting traders are successful only after creating a systematic trading plan following years of experience. Only a small percentage succeed and the majority fail.

What does +3.5 mean in NFL?

A positive spread (ex: Bengals +3.5) means one can win the bet if that team loses by less than that amount. Betting the Bengals +3.5 means the bet wins if they lose by 3 points or less, or if they win outright.

What does plus minus spread mean?

The minus sign means that the final score will have the spread number subtracted from it. The plus sign means that the team's final score will have the spread number added to it. In summary, the point spread is a calculated prediction of how much a team will win or lose by.

How do you play the spread?

Bettors who choose the favorite win their wager when that team wins by an amount greater than the point spread. For example, if the Colts are favored over the Titans by 5.5 points and the Colts win by 7 points, the Colts have “covered the spread.” Bettors who wagered on the Colts will have won the bet.

What does +12.5 spread mean?

Oddsmakers have assigned a “point spread” to the matchup, which basically gives the underdog team an artificial “head start”. The Point Spread is +12.5 for Charlotte, which means that when they start the matchup and the real score is 0-0, Charlotte will actually be leading 12.5-0 for the purposes of picking a winner.

How do you 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. For example, let's say Seattle is a 13-point favorite over Denver.

What happens if a team wins but doesn't cover the spread?

If the Seahawks beat the 49ers 24-21, you still win the bet because the Seahawks didn't “cover the spread.” A +7 spread is commonly seen in football betting as 7 points is the total of a touchdown (6 points) and a point-after-touchdown or extra-point (1 point). This is a common way to score in football.

What happens if a team wins by the exact spread in a parlay?

If a game in a parlay pushes -- meaning the score lands exactly on the spread or total -- that leg of the parlay is removed, and the rest of it will stand. So a three-team parlay (+600) with two wins and one push will just become a two-team parlay (+260).