What do betting spreads mean

Bettors who choose the favorite win their wager when that team wins by an amount greater than the point spread. For example, if the Colts are favored over the Titans by 5. A favorite is always represented with a minus sign - preceding the point spread.

The underdog is the team considered less likely to win, or put another way, more likely to lose. Bettors who choose the underdog win their wager when that team either wins the event outright OR loses by an amount less than the point spread. For example, if the Seahawks are favored by 5. In such a case, there is effectively no spread or projected margin. You might see both sides listed at for the price, and the side you pick has to win in order for you to win your wager.

Suppose a point spread opens with the Celtics favored by 5 points over the Knicks at If bettors believe the Celtics are going to whoop the Knicks by more than 5, they may collectively place a larger amount on Boston.

And if a lot of people are betting on the Celtics at this number, the imbalance has the potential to change the vig to or , which may dissuade more action on the Celtics.

There is no set rule on incremental increases or decreases in the point spread — the volume of incoming money on a pick is a key determining factor on the movement of the point spread. Lines and prices are not static — they will move in response to betting action, injuries, weather reports, and other factors that impact play on the field. Example : The Bucks are favored by 4.

They have covered the spread, and people betting on the Bucks will win their wagers. Example : The Cowboys are favored by 7. The Cowboys have failed to cover the spread, while the Giants did cover the spread. When that occurs, bettors have the full amount of the wager returned to them. Example: The Ravens are favored by 1 point over the Steelers, and the game is a nail-biter in which the Ravens win , creating a margin of victory of exactly one.

This is because Chicago won by 3, when the Bears needed to win by 4 in order to cover the spread. While a moneyline bet is an entirely separate wager from a point spread wager, the two are connected in terms of how the potential moneyline payout allows bettors to examine perceived gaps in team levels. If you bet on a favorite, they need to win the game by more than their assigned point spread.

For example, if I take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers If you bet on an underdog, they must either win the game outright or lose by a smaller margin than the assigned point spread. Home-field advantage is a huge factor in the point spread. For example, if the Kansas Chiefs play the Denver Broncos at home, the Chiefs would likely be favored by However, if the game were in Denver, the Chiefs would be favored by about 4. The impact of home-field advantage depends on the team playing with it — some teams do not have as favorable a crowd or atmosphere as others.

Denver, for example, is a particularly tough place to play, given the altitude. There are other factors like injury status, current form and overall talent in the game. For example, a team might have a good record but had won numerous close games, so they might not be as good against the spread. This statistic is also worth keeping an eye on. Keep in mind, that there are other types of sports bets worth taking into consideration.

A push is when the final result of the game lands precisely on the number of the spread. For example, if I bet on the Toronto Raptors -4 over the Orlando Magic and the Raptors win by four, I would push my bet, which means that my money is refunded and the bet ends in a tie. Games with halves in their point spreads, like the Dallas Cowboys 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 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. The underdog is the team that is projected to lose the game. In this case, the Panthers would need to lose by five points or fewer or win outright for you to win your bet.

The favorite is assigned a puck line of In this case, if you bet the favorite, they have to win by two or more goals. If you bet on the underdog, this means that they can lose by one goal or win outright for you to win the bet.

The favorite is assigned a run line of In this case, if you bet the favorite, they have to win by two or more runs. If you bet on the underdog, this means that they can lose by one run or win outright for you to win the bet. When it comes to NFL betting , the favorite is assigned a spread for the projected winning margin.

They need to win by more than the spread for you to win your bet. Some factors could mitigate that risk, however, and one of those is the movement of spreads.

Bettors have some control over where these lines sit. Like most other businesses, sportsbooks react to customer behavior. If most of the action goes on one side of a market, the sportsbook will adjust.

One way to do this is by lengthening the odds on the side that bettors are avoiding to entice other bettors to effectively even the action. The action on the market is the primary reason oddsmakers move point spread lines. There are other factors ; however, that could change lines before a game, such as:. Because of these factors, it might be wise to wait until right before a game starts to place your wager. The advantage of doing so is you are working with as much information as possible.

Which method is best depends on the unique circumstances of each market. Many football bettors are eager to bet the spread earlier in the week when uncertainty around a matchup can result in inaccurate betting lines. As the oddsmakers are paying close attention to the news , you should be as well. If a vital update drops, you will be quick to react in your best interest.

Although TN sportsbook apps are happy to take your money on as many individual point spreads as you care to wager on, there could be a better way to place bets on multiple spreads. That method is a parlay bet. Parlaying multiple individual point spread lines into one bet is a way to increase your reward and your risk.

Instead of making each bet separately, you could opt to parlay each as a leg of one bet. The risk increases because you must pick the correct side in each leg.

If your prediction holds in even three of these four legs but not the fourth, your bet is a loss. In exchange for increasing your risk, the sportsbook will give you a better payout than if you had bet on each of the spreads individually. At most sportsbooks, you can parlay spreads with moneyline and point total bets. Although some TN laws and regulations govern these wagers, some aspects will differ from one book to the next.

An example of this is sportsbooks letting you cash out your bet early.