What is Point Spread Betting?
Point spread betting is a popular form of sports betting that aims to level the playing field between two teams of different skill levels.
In point spread betting, bookmakers assign a point spread to the favored team, which they must overcome to win the bet.
Conversely, the underdog team receives points, allowing them to lose by less than the spread and still win the bet.
This type of betting is particularly common in sports like football and basketball, where scoring is frequent and can vary widely. For example, in NFL point spread betting, a favored team might be assigned a -7.5 point spread, meaning they need to win by 8 or more points for bets on them to pay out.
Point spread bets add an extra layer of complexity to sports betting, as bettors must consider not just which team will win, but by how much.
This creates opportunities for more nuanced betting strategies and can make even lopsided matchups interesting from a betting perspective.
Understanding Point Spreads
Point spreads are the cornerstone of spread betting, serving as the mechanism by which bookmakers balance the odds between two unevenly matched teams. The point spread represents the number of points by which the favored team is expected to win.
This number is subtracted from the favorite's final score or added to the underdog's score to determine the betting outcome.
For instance, if the point spread for a basketball game is -6.5 for the home team, they would need to win by 7 or more points for bets on them to be successful. Conversely, bets on the underdog would win if they either win the game outright or lose by 6 or fewer points.
Understanding how point spreads work is crucial for developing effective spread betting strategies. Bettors must consider factors such as team form, injuries, and historical performance against the spread when making their decisions.
It's also important to note that point spreads can change as betting patterns emerge, reflecting the collective wisdom of the betting market.
Nick has been fascinated with sports since he was first taken to a Toronto Maple Leafs game back in 1998, and he's written about them professionally since 2014.
Nick has covered baseball and hockey for outlets like The Athletic, Sportsnet, and Yahoo Sports, and his sports betting expertise has grown since its legalization in Ontario in 2022.
Between 2022 and 2023 he worked for a betting startup called NorthStar Bets, and in 2024 he contributed to Oddspedia before joining the Responsible Gambling team.