Point Spread Betting

If you have ever bet on American football or basketball, you will have come across point spread betting. These are the two sports most commonly associated with this type of betting.

Why? because these are generally high-scoring games in which points are scored throughout the game. This makes them good sports to place point spread bets.

If you want to place a point spread bet, it is important first to understand what it means.

In simple terms, a point spread bet is essentially a wager in which punters guess how many points will be won or lost by a team. Sounds simple, right!

However, there are some details about this sports betting system that you will want to know before placing a wager.

This betting tip will discuss this topic at length as we explore how point spreads work.

What is a point spread?

This team will become a favourite for the punters, and they are more likely to bet on them than the underdog.

If everyone ends up betting on the same team, it can lead to major losses for the sportsbooks. Sportsbooks have a method to even the odds to level the playing field.

Point spread, also known as “the spread”, refers to a points difference number decided by sportsbooks oddsmakers.

When there are two unevenly matched teams, point spread is a handicap between them. It helps bookmakers attract more bets on each team and can mean bigger payouts for punters are more likely.

Point spread is an excellent equalizer for comparing teams in sports betting, and over the years, it has also become a part of mainstream sports, especially in the USA.

The assumed favourite team must win by a certain number of goals or points. It also allows punters to bet on the underdogs, even if they lose by a certain number of points.

Used in sports since the early 1940s, point spreads are common in all kinds of leagues like soccer, NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA.

How does point spread betting work?

The primary objective of point spreads is to level the “betting” playing field for the two teams in a match. It also allows sportsbooks to offer higher payouts – as most bets are not placed on one team (often the favourite).

For point spread bets, the oddsmakers (bookmakers) set certain “margins” of loss and victory that both teams should cover if punters are to win their bet.

The point spread bet, which is represented as a number, works in the following ways:

• There will be an actual point spread
• The point spread will add goals or points to the underdog’s final score
• The point spread will deduct goals or points from the point favourite’s final score

If the team chosen by the bettor still wins after the modification of points/goals, the point spread bet will win.

Advantages Of Point Spread Bets

The most obvious advantage of point spread wagers is that they level the playing field for punters. It makes betting on the underdog team just as lucrative as betting on the favourites.

Let’s explain in this example:
Say that you are betting on college football and don’t fancy the Kentucky Wildcats beating the Alabama team. But if there were a point spread odds of +28 for the Kentucky Wildcats, then you might place a wager.

Disadvantages Of Point Spread Bets

While there are advantages of point spread bets, it also comes with disadvantages.

• It can be hard for a team to win by the assigned margin
• There are fewer sports and sportsbooks to wager point spread betting on
• It is not the best option for a long-term betting strategy
• The winnings tend to be less than straight-out winning/losing team bets

Point Spread Strategies

Point spread betting has many opportunities for betting punters who use different betting strategies to increase their profits.

Compared to Moneyline bets (see FAQs below), point spreads are better at levelling the risks and rewards. We explore some ways below that you can gain a competitive edge with this type of betting.

1. Home field advantage

Many oddsmakers take the factor of home-field advantage into consideration when deciding the odds for a point spread.

When teams play on their home field (or home ice advantage in ice hockey & home court in basketball) in front of their fans, they are often said to have a “home advantage”.

This advantage can vary for different kinds of sports. For American football, the home-field advantage generally amounts to 3 points. Basketball home-court advantages are usually between 2 – 7 points.

As a bettor, you should look out for which teams are playing at home, so you don’t lose a bet.

2. Power rankings / Power ratings

Power ratings are, in basic terms, a number intended to serve as an objective assessment of the quality of a team. Power ratings of two teams playing against each other factor in who will win the game and by how much.

They are decided after considering the merits of each team. You can find these power rankings/ ratings posted on the internet. Some handicapping sites also assign a total number to every team, which is often used by most sportsbook oddsmakers when making their odds projections.

3. Recent play

It is a good idea to consider the recent matches and the latest form of the teams when devising a strategy for point spreads.

For example, certain teams might have an unusual play history. They might have started a season by losing four games in a row, but you see that they soon bounced back to win three games.

That is why it is important to take the recent plays into consideration.

4. Statistics

Every punter knows the importance of statistics in any sports bet. If you are interested in developing a point spread betting strategy for football, you should take a look at the stats for:

• Red zone success
• Points or yards (for and against)
• Turnover differential

In basketball, you should take note of the following:

• Rebounding success
• Shooting percentage (for and against)
• Turnovers

What happens if I win a spread bet?

Let’s assume that there is a game in which the Boston Celtics and playing against the LA Lakers. If you had to pick a winner from these two, you would probably choose the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now consider the situation in which the Celtics were given seven extra points before the start of the game.

This should level out the playing field and the betting odds between the teams. The point spread line in this game would be:

• LA Lakers (-7) -120
• Celtics (+7) -120

Point spread allows you to place a bet on both teams at the odds of -120, which means that you can place a £120 bet to win a profit of £100.

If you choose the Boston Celtics to cover a point spread of -7, you can cash out your winnings if the team loses by 6 points or more. Even if the Boston Celtics lose the game, your bet wins. You will get a total of £220 in winnings, including the initial bet amount of £120 and a profit of £100.

What happens if I lose a spread bet?

Let’s say you bet on the Los Angeles Lakers with a point spread of -7. To win the bet, it is important that the Los Angeles Lakers team wins. Suppose we assume that they do end up winning with a score of 117-111. The 6-point win will not cover the spread, and you will lose the bet.

This means that you will lose your entire wager amount of £120.

Handicapping Vs Point Spreads

Handicap bets are very much similar to point-spread bets in the USA. The terminology of handicapping is common in the United Kingdom and some parts of Europe.

There are many different kinds of handicap bets offered by sportsbooks. Here are some of them:

• Standard Handicap Bets: These kinds of handicap bets are pretty straightforward. They usually pay out based on the odds and spreads posted for a team. In this format, any draws are treated as a loss.
• No Draw Handicap Match Bets: Most punters like taking the risk of winning and losing bets. These types of handicap bets are done for matches that will never have a draw or a tie.
• Handicap League Bets: In these bets, punters can wager on the performance of a team in the entire course of a season. The handicap league bets are placed before the start of a season and are paid out only after the end of the season.
• Asian Handicap Bets: This type of bet is very much like the no draw handicap bet, with the only difference being that it has a possibility of a split outcome. Asian handicap bets have been growing in popularity in recent years.

Point Spreads FAQS