What Is A Spread In Betting?

To better understand spread betting, there are four main terms to know and understand: underdog, favorite, push, hook and juice.

Underdog: Plus Numbers

When you first arrive at your favorite online sportsbook and look at the available bets for the upcoming games, you may notice two notations in the spread column—a “-” and “+.”

These are important as these not only indicate what the spread is but also illustrate which team is favored and which is the underdog.

The underdog shows a “+.”

For example, you look in the spread column of the upcoming Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins game. The Dolphins are +2.5 on the spread, and the betting line is -110.

With that +2.5, you could view the game starting with a score of the Dolphins up 2.5 to 0. Of course, the game’s score will be 0 to 0, but in the eyes of the spread, the Dolphins either need to win outright or lose by no more than two points.

You’ll lose that spread bet if the Dolphins lose 23 to 20. However, if they lose 23 to 21, you would win, as the added 2.5 points would result in a score of 23.5 to 23 through the prism of the wager.

Favorite: Negative Numbers

On the other side, the “-” before the number indicates the favorite. Sticking with the above Dolphins/Ravens example, the Ravens would be -2.5.

Side note: For most sports, the spread will be the same on both sides, with the only difference being “-” or “+.”

Unlike the Dolphins, who need to lose by no more than two points, the Ravens now need to win by at least three points, given the added 0.5 on the spread.

Now, if the spread were Ravens -3, they would need to win by at least four. If the final score were 23 to 20, that would result in a push.

The Push

While we go into each wager hoping to win, taking a draw is better than losing.

Think of a push that way: A draw.

A push can only occur when the spread is a whole number and doesn’t have the added 0.5.

As mentioned, if the spread is -3 and the team wins by three, this would result in a push as the underdog also has a spread of 3 on the other side, but with a “+.”

You don’t win or lose when this occurs—you receive your original wager back.

The Hook

We’ve made mention of “the added 0.5,” but in sports betting, that added 0.5 is important. So important, in fact, that it has its own term—the hook.

There’ll never be a push with the hook, as teams cannot score half of a point. However, depending on which side you bet, the 0.5 acts like a whole point.

Again, if the spread is +2.5, you need to win outright or lose by no more than two; if the spread is -2.5, you not only need to win outright, but you need to do so by three or more.

Juice

Juice, also known as “vig,” is a price you pay for making a wager through an online sportsbook. The standard betting line, commonly seen in spread betting, is -110. With this betting line, you’ll earn $10 for every $11 wagered.

Think of it this way: If you see a “-” line of anything above -100, each point is the “juice” or the “vig.”

Spread betting is exclusively for sports betting. Thus, this isn’t a bet type you’d find at an online or retail casino.

The closest thing to a spread at an online casino would be the house edge, which is constant with each online casino game. In contrast, the spread is an optional wager in sports betting.

No matter what sport you’re a fan of, there’ll always be good and not-so-good teams.

There’s always going to be a disparity in professional sports.

But that’s where the point spread comes in.

The purpose of a spread is to make the teams as even as possible. The point spread is typically generated by online sportsbooks using algorithms and other mathematical formulas which determine how superior or inferior a team is.

So, when you bet on the point spread, you can look at the favorite and think, “According to this bookmaker, this favored team is considered ‘x’ number of points better than this other team.”

While the spread accounts for the strengths and weaknesses of each team, the moneyline removes all of that.

The moneyline wager is picking which team will win outright, with no strings attached.

While picking a moneyline team may be easier, the conversation around bet value is necessary.

We can all conclude that the Rams are incredibly likely to beat the Jaguars. However, the moneyline in a bet like that could have a -1000 line for the Rams. This would mean that you’d need to wager a hefty sum of $1,000 to profit $100.

The spread counteracts that value disparity but introduces an additional variable.

Say the Rams are -14.5 point favorites. You may conclude that the Rams will win, but will they win by 15 or more?

Generally, a point spread betting line will almost always be roughly -110.

So, you can bet on the Rams to win outright at -1000 ($1,000 to win $100), or you can assess the situation, and whichever side you think will cover the spread will get you $100 on a $110 wager.

Now, there are times when betting on the moneyline makes more sense. That said, there are different strategies for different sports, such as the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA.

NFL

The key spread number in the NFL is -3 or anything less than that. When you see a -3 line, this is typically for when two teams are relatively equal in stature, but this could account for home-field advantage.

When you see a spread less than three, it may be better value, depending on which side you want to wager, to bet the moneyline.

According to Sports Insights, the chances of winning an NFL game by less than three points is minimal.

MLB

The point spread in the MLB is known as the “runline.” Unlike the NFL, the runline will always be 1.5 on each side. The betting line will almost always be different than -110, as 1.5 runs in a baseball game can be substantial.

Also, with the runline of 1.5 being so static, the “favorite” may not be the best candidate for that -1.5 runline.

NHL

The NHL also has an alternate term for the points spread—the puckline. Like MLB betting, the standard puckline is also 1.5. This makes sense, as MLB and NHL scores are far more synonymous than the NFL or the NBA.

NBA

As the NHL and MLB are more similar to one another final score-wise, the NBA and NFL are more on par.

However, the similarity isn’t the final score but rather the margin of victory. NBA games can have high point totals, but you’ll find that the spreads are more “in the ballpark” with the NFL.

It’s more common to find “larger” spread numbers in the NBA, but the betting line of -110 is something you should often expect to see.

You can absolutely win money when betting the spread. However, there are a couple of easy strategies you can deploy immediately to assist in winning cash.

Lines Shopping

If you’re in a state where multiple sportsbooks are available, we recommend looking to see if any offer better value for you, depending on the wager you intend to make.

Whether getting a better betting line or adding 0.5 or a whole point to a spread, this can be a way to find the most attractive bet for you.

Look Toward Alternate Spreads

Alternate line wagers may not be available at all sportsbooks, but it is something to consider. With this type of bet, you can bet on a different spread with the betting line value reflecting that change. You may sacrifice some betting line value for that added point or two.

Leverage Bonus Offers

All online sportsbooks will have some form of a bonus or promotion offer.

Whether it’s no-deposit bonuses, deposit bonuses, free bets, “risk-free” bets or something similar, you can leverage these to explore wagers that you might not have otherwise considered. Some promos are tied to specific bets.

Pros

• Generally have better betting line value than the moneyline
• It can add more value to parlay wagers
• Can have higher maximum bet limits
• Adds excitement to games with a clear better team against a worse team

Cons

• Assessing a wager could take more time
• The winning team in real life doesn’t necessarily win the wager