Unlike betting moneylines, where the winner must be picked straight-up, point spreads can result in ties (called “pushes” in sports betting lingo). The key to successful betting on point spreads is finding value.
While point spreads are more common in basketball and football, they also exist in lower-scoring sports like baseball and hockey. In those sports, the point spread is called the run line or puck line.
It’s a form of gambling
The point spread is a tool oddsmakers use to level the playing field between teams with varying skill levels. It is based on the oddsmakers’ and betting market’s best guess about how many points the stronger team will win by. The minus (-) or plus (+) number next to the spread indicates how many points one needs to bet in order to win $100. These numbers are often accompanied by the standard vigorish, or betting juice.
Unlike moneyline bets, point spreads can sometimes end in a tie. If a game lands exactly on the spread’s full number, it is called a push and neither you nor the bookie wins. To avoid this, sportsbooks often add a half-point to the spread, which is known as a “hook” in betting lingo. Buying a hook will decrease the spread and increase your payout, or vice versa. However, point spreads aren’t available for every sport, and they don’t include overtime or penalty shots.
It’s a tool for sportsbooks
A point spread is a betting tool that sportsbooks use to level the playing field between teams that are mismatched in terms of skill and performance. It is calculated using the team’s rating plus factors like home-field advantage, rest, and injuries. Once the line is set, bettors can place wagers on either side. The payout for a winning bet depends on the odds listed, which will be displayed as a positive number or a negative one. A negative number indicates how many points a team must win by in order to cover the spread, and a positive number shows how much you’d win if you bet $100.
Point spreads are most commonly used in basketball and football, but they’re also available for lower-scoring sports like baseball, hockey, and soccer. The odds can shift in the run-up to a game for a variety of reasons, including large bets from respected or “sharp” bettors. They can also move in reaction to a key injury or in order to attract action from both sides of the betting public.
It’s a tool for bettors
Point spreads are volatile and can shift in response to a variety of factors, including betting volume. When a lot of action comes in on one side of the line, sportsbooks will often adjust the odds to entice more action on the other side. They may also move the line in response to respected or “sharp” money, which are bets placed by long-term winning bettors that the book respects.
Sportsbooks calculate point spreads by using a combination of data-driven computer formulas and human input, such as injury reports, statistical power ratings (such as KenPom for college basketball), and matchup history. They also consider home field advantage and other factors that affect the relative strengths of two teams. Unlike moneylines, which offer even odds on a single team, point spreads are designed to create balanced bets for both sides of the line. As a result, they make it easier for underdogs to win and harder for favorites to cover the spread.
It’s a tool for rebalancing bets
Point spreads are used to even the playing field for bettors between two teams in a game. They add points/goals to the final score of the underdog team and subtract them from the final score of the favored team. If the underdog team wins by more than the amount added to their score, bettors win their wagers. Point spreads can shift for a variety of reasons. For example, a key player getting hurt may cause the line to shift dramatically. Oddsmakers also may adjust the lines in response to ’sharp’ money, which refers to bets from long-term winning bettors who the sportsbooks respect.
Bettors can place bets on the point spread in addition to placing a bet on the team’s moneyline. However, a bet on the point spread requires more thought than a moneyline bet because it is not always a matter of choosing one team to win. The winning team in a point spread bet must win by a certain number of points/goals/runs to cover the point spread.
