Sports News Blitz betting and casino guide: What is point spread betting?
Point spread betting is a form of sports betting where a sportsbook handicaps the favoured team by assigning it a point spread, which they must win by to ‘cover’ the spread.
Conversely, the underdog is given a point spread that they can either win outright or lose by fewer points than the spread for a bet on them to win.
Here, Sports News Blitz gives a handy rundown of the popular and potentially lucrative strategy.
How point spread betting works
Point Spread: The sportsbook sets a point spread for the game, indicating the number of points by which the favoured team is expected to win. For example, if Team A is favoured by 6.5 points over Team B, Team A’s point spread is -6.5 and Team B’s point spread is +6.5.
Betting on the Favourite (Minus Spread): If you bet on the favoured team (Team A), they must win by more than the point spread for your bet to win. In this case, if Team A wins by 7 points or more, a bet on Team A would be successful.
Betting on the Underdog (Plus Spread): If you bet on the underdog (Team B), they can either win the game outright or lose by fewer points than the point spread for your bet to win. In this case, if Team B loses by 6 points or fewer or wins the game, a bet on Team B would be successful.
Covering the Spread: When a team wins by exactly the point spread, it’s called a ‘push’, and bets are refunded. For example, if Team A wins by exactly 6 points in the example above, bets on both Team A and Team B would result in a push.
Odds: Odds are typically -110 on both sides of the bet, meaning you would need to wager $110 to win $100 (plus your original stake back) on a successful bet. The sportsbook adjusts the odds to balance the action on both sides of the bet.
Point spread betting adds an extra level of excitement and strategy to sports betting, as it’s not just about picking the winner but also considering how many points they will win by.
It’s commonly used in sports like football and basketball, where margins of victory can vary widely.
READ MORE: Sports News Blitz betting and casino guide: A glossary for betting terms and phrases
