Point spread is a betting option that allows you to bet on the margin of victory between two teams. It’s most often used in football and basketball (both college and professional) but is also available for baseball and hockey games as well.
The way a point spread works is that oddsmakers take into account the expected margin of victory between two teams and then subtract from the favorite’s total to create the handicap. This is why you’ll see a positive number on the underdog side and a negative number on the favorite side.
Oddsmakers are pretty skilled at predicting these margins, so the odds next to each point spread number represent how likely it is that the underdog will cover the spread. These odds can be displayed in American, Decimal, or Fractional format and are always relative to the overall game’s betting line.
Generally speaking, the higher the point spread, the more difficult it is for an underdog team to cover. However, there are a few key strategies that you can use to increase your chances of winning when betting on point spreads:
In most cases, the better you understand the matchup between two teams and how to read a point spread, the more profitable it will be for you. Especially if you focus on finding value and avoid silly theories like “shopping for the best lines” and “watching the lines move.” In fact, some of the most successful bettors in the world don’t even bother with moneylines but instead make their wagers on point spreads only.
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