How do you win against the spread?

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.” Let's go over some of the basics of betting the spread. BET $5 ON NFL & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS!

What does a +7 spread mean?

The underdog odds will be +7, meaning the team can win outright or lose by less than seven points to win the bet. A loss by exactly seven points would cause a push bet.

What does against the spread mean?

It's the way the oddsmakers even the field and make the favorite's odds more attractive. When you bet “against the spread,” or ATS, you're betting not for the outright winner. The favorite has to win by a set number of points (the spread) to “cover the spread” and get the payout.

Is it better to bet the spread or win?

Betting on favourites against the spread results in better payouts than when taking the moneyline. With underdogs, covering the spread requires winning the contest or losing by a less than the point spread.

Do you win if you hit the spread exactly?

Points spread betting: outcomes

That means a bet for $110 would win $100, or $11 would win $10, and so on. (More on this later.) Alternatively, a “push,” when the game result falls exactly on the point spread margin — results in a “voided” or “canceled” bet and means that bettors get their original wagers returned.

Point Spread Betting Explained: Sports Betting 101

Does the spread matter who wins?

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. However, if the underdogs lose by more than 4 points, the bet is a loss.

When should you bet against the spread?

Betting Against The Spread

To win you want the “underdog” to either win the game outright OR lose by less than the “Point Spread” you are given. As an example of this we will use the following. The New England Patriots (-7) vs NY Jets (+7). In this example we are taking the underdog the NY Jets +7 points.

How do you read against the spread odds?

How do you read a spread?

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).

What does +7.5 mean in a spread?

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 +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.

What does +8.5 mean in spread bet?

Let's say that a team is favored as 8.5 point favorites or written as -8.5. For the favored team to “cover the spread,” they must win by at least nine points. If they win by eight points or less, it doesn't matter that they won because they didn't 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.

How do plus minus odds work?

How Does Plus/Minus Work in Sports Betting? With betting, odds are defined in terms of money and $100 is usually the standard amount. If the odds have a minus, that means you have to wager that amount to win $100. If the odds have a plus, that means you'll win that amount of money if you win the wager.

How do you determine a spread in a football game?

You will find a plus or minus sign listed in front of each team's point spread, depending on which team is the favorite (minus sign) and which is the underdog (plus sign). If you bet the favorite, Tampa Bay, to win at -3.5, the Buccaneers will need to win the game by four points or more to cover the spread.

How much do you win if you beat the spread?

Let's say you decide to bet $100 on the Packers to win by more 7 points and the final score is Packers 30, Seahawks 21. The Packers have won by 9 points, meaning they've covered the spread, and you've won the bet. The -110 means that your $100 bet will win you a total of $190.

What do the spread numbers mean?

It can be seen in other sports, as well. 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 is the +1.5 spread?

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.

Is it better to bet right before the game?

Betting early allows you to take advantage if Vegas sets the line favorably for the side you intend to bet on. There are of course cases when you can find a more favorable line closer to game time. This is why some sharps wait until just before a game starts to lay their action.

Is it better to take moneyline or spread?

While a point spread requires the team you bet on to win by a specified margin, moneyline does not. However, point spread bets typically have odds somewhat close to even money, meaning you would win about as much as you bet if you won. Moneyline bets have a wide range of odds.

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.

How often do underdogs cover the spread?

NFL underdogs won 34.3% of games during the 2022-23 regular season. That's approximately three percentage points lower than the 2021-22 season (37.5%), reducing the three-year winning percentage (2020-22) to 34.7%.

How does a spread bet work?

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. If you want to bet the Colts on the spread, it would mean the Colts need to win by at least three points for you to win the bet.

Is a negative spread good or bad?

It's not possible to have two of each sign for a spread. The team with the negative (-) number is the favorite, or team predicted to win the game. The team with the positive (+) number is the underdog and is expected to lose the game.

Is a negative spread bad?

Betting on a team with a negative point spread means they are the favorites. If they still seem likely to win and cover, they can start to pay out pretty well. Some hate the idea of trusting the underdog team to stay competitive in a matchup.