Point spread betting is a type of wagering where the sportsbook will set a line that handicaps one team.
The favorite will have to win by more than the point spread for bettors to win their wager, while the underdog can lose by less than the point spread and still win their bet.
This type of betting is very popular in football and basketball.
There are a couple different ways that point spreads can be displayed.
The most common way is for the favorites to be listed with a minus sign (-) and the underdogs with a plus sign (+).
For example,
Let’s say that the New England Patriots are playing the Buffalo Bills and the Pats are listed at -7.
This means that they are seven-point favorites.
In order for bettors to win their wager on the Pats, they would need them to win by more than seven points.
If the Patriots won by exactly seven points, then it would be a push and all bets would be refunded.
The other way that point spreads can be displayed is by listing both teams with a line of zeroes.
For example, the Pats could be listed as 0 and the Bills as +7.
In this case, the Patriots are still seven-point favorites but bettors don’t have to worry about there being a push.
Point spread betting is a great way to get action on both sides of a game if you are live betting.
It’s also a good way to even out the playing field if you think one team is going to be significantly better than the other.
One thing to keep in mind when betting on point spreads is that the sportsbook will often times move the line in order to encourage betting on both sides. Depending on their volume.
This is known as line shopping and it’s something that all sharp bettors do in order to find the best possible value.
If you’re looking to get started betting on sports, then point spread betting is a great place to start.
It’s simple to understand and there’s always plenty of action to be had.