The point spread is probably the most common bet when you think of wagering on a single sporting event. That is because it's designed to bring the two teams to an even playing field through the use of a handicap installed by oddsmakers.

1. Moneyline Betting Odds Explained. One of the most common types of sports betting lines when wagering on a game is the moneyline. You will see moneyline odds for every game and every sport played for the most part.
2. Our NBA betting expert gives you his best picks against the spread for tonight's basketball action, which gets underway at 7.p.m EST.

Spread betting on golf offers the chance to bet on hundreds of markets for popular golf tournaments and competitions around the world including the Ryder Cup and the US Open. With selected markets traded in-play and cash-out available to lock in a profit or restrict a loss during an event, Sporting Index are proud to offer the most complete. While it makes more sense to have a point spread for sports with a lot of scoring like football and basketball, there are point spread bets for low-scoring sports at online sportsbooks. You may see NHL betting lines with one team favored to win at -2.5 and the same principles for how to cash in on that line are the exact same as other sports.

Without a points handicap, it would not make sense to pay both sides of a wager the same amount when it's clear that not all teams are on equal footing. In fact, it is entirely possible for a team to lose the game in real-life but still win a bet if they only lose by less than a set number of points. Vice versa, a team can win a game, but lose the wager if they do not win by more points than what was predicted.

How Does The Point Spread Work?

When wagering against the spread, you bet on the team that will cover the betting line, and not necessarily win the game. Obviously, by taking the favorite, a bettor believes that a team will not only win the game but also win the game by a certain number of points to cover the betting line. But when wagering on the underdog, that team does not necessarily have to win the game to cover the line. For examples of point spreads and how those bets are won, please keep reading below where we give real-life examples explain betting odds for the spread in detail.

When Can The Spread Be Wagered?

The point spread might be the most common betting line for which people are familiar with. This is where the terms 'favorite' and 'underdog' are derived. But, when exactly can wagers on the point spread be placed? There are actually several points in time, and several different ways that a bettor can put action on the spread in a given matchup.

Obviously it starts with action before the game. Point spreads prior to the game will be available up until the start time before going off. Depending on the sports and league + which online sports betting site is consulted, point spreads can be up for days before the start to a matchup.

One of the nice things about online betting is that point spread wagering doesn't stop at the start of the game. With the advance in technology, bettors are able to place live wagers on the points spread, plus bet different spreads at different intervals in a game.

Beginning with live betting, point spreads are routinely adjusted predicated on the flow of the game, meaning how the favorite and underdog are performing. Live point spreads can come and go very quickly, with the potential for scores to change at any moment.

Betting the spread at different intervals in a game means that adjusted spreads are created during breaks, such as quarters or halves, and halftime lines. Oddsmakers will check out the game and how it went for a quarter or half, and then reinstall overall game lines, as well as point spreads for only that particular quarter or half.

How Do Half / .5 Point Spreads Work?

Oftentimes a point spread will not be a whole number, and will be accompanied by a decimal point and a half number. This can be significant for a point spread. Essentially what it comes down to is that a whole number point spread gives the opportunity for a wager to push. A push means that if the favorite is favored by 10 points and wins by 10 points, bettors get their money back. Just like when betting on the over/under total for points, the spread is a half-point in addition to the whole number, there is no chance to push.

Understanding Payouts When Betting On The Point Spread

The whole nature and goal behind the point spread, is to provide an even playing field for the favorite and the underdog. Obviously not every team is equal, so the point spread adjusts this. As a result, the payouts that are generally seen around a point spread is right around Even.

This is different from a moneyline, where payouts can vary greatly because there is not point spread that is installed. It is simply picking the winner straight up. Therefore, a bet on the favorite would not profit as high as it would betting the spread since no points are given. Payouts on the point spread are not always the same, but they do not vary like a moneyline.

Examples Of How The Point Spread Works

How To Read College Football Spreads

• Florida State Seminoles (-7)
• Florida Gators (+7)

Here in this example, the Florida State Seminoles have been set as seven-point favorites over the Florida Gators. That means, for the Seminoles to cover this spread, they will need to win the game by at least eight points to win the bet for a person who wagered on them.

On the flip side, the Gators are receiving seven points. They could lose the game by six points or less, and still win the betting line for a bettor who placed a wager on them.

If the Seminoles win by exactly seven points, then that would result in a push on the bet, with no payout and the bettor getting their money back.

How To Read NFL Football Point Spreads

Since betting on point spreads in the NFL is the most popular bet that people make, it is probably pretty important that you know what you are doing. The point spreads in the NFL are always alot closer then college football because you are dealing with the best of the best. You will almost never see a team favored by more then two touchdowns in the NFL, and most of the NFL point spreads are less then one touchdown. So, here is are best try at helping you understand how to read point spreads in NFL games.

Take this NFL point spread for example.

• Atlanta Falcons -3
• Carolina Panthers +3

Here in this point spread example for the NFL, the Falcons are playing the Panthers. Atlanta has been set as a three-point favorite on the betting line. That means that for Atlanta to cover the spread that has been set, they will need to win by at least four points. And for Carolina to cover the point spread, they can do so with a loss by two points or less, or obviously a win straight up. If the Falcons win by exactly three points, the bet would result in a push with no payouts.

NBA Point Spreads

• Orlando Magic -5.5 (-110)
• Chicago Bulls +5.5 (-110)

The Orlando Magic are playing the Chicago Bulls in this NBA point spread example. The Magic have been set as 5.5 point overall favorites according to this betting line.

For Orlando to cover the spread, the Magic would need to win by at least six points. For the Bulls to get the win against the spread, a loss by five points or less is needed.

Either the Magic's bettors or Bulls' bettors will get the result they need in order to win this bet because of the half point spread that is in-play; there can be no PUSH in this wager.

Bovada Sportsbook - Best Sports Betting Site For Betting On The Point Spread

The best sportsbook out there has to have a few things for it to be considered as one of the best online sportsbooks and Bovada more than a few. The point spread is just one that raises players' eyebrows and has them think about putting money on the line on these point sports. In both basketball and football and baseball, the point spread is the most important thing to pay attention to when it comes to wagering.

It is hard to say that even with a team be very start that it will be a blowout so most point spread would be pretty close to each other. With that being said, this is why using Bovada point spread is the best place to go. With a team like the Seahawks playing a team that they could easily blow out like the Miami Dolphins have very close point is there is without question an easy bet and easy money for fans to make. These are the kind of bets players need to take advantage of because once the games begin, there is no turning back. Bovada gives players plenty of chances to win big and it starts off with the point spreads offered.

SportsBetting's Sportsbook - Lots Of Betting Odds When Betting On Point Spreads

SportsBetting is the clutch sportsbook that a lot of players like to sign up for. There are so many great things that are offered here but the points spreads are one of the best that players will find if they are shopping for them while looking for an online sportsbook. While there are great bonuses along with great banking methods, the point spreads for all these games are important and are favorable for the players. These bets are the top way that players continue to cash.

The point spread is based on how good teams are and the matchup that is set up. Even those these teams could be a lot better than their competition, the point spread always for the most part are very close. This is great because sometimes this always gives the underdogs to cover with a close game and that could mean big money. Even betting on an underdog to cover the spread doesn’t mean that players pick that team to win the game and that’s why betting on point spreads is so profitable.

BetOnline Sportsbook - Point Spreads The Best On BetOnline

Point spreads are big to a lot of players because these could perhaps be the easier bets to win. This is because to win these bets, players don’t have to pick the actual team to win. With BetOnline, there are many point spread options and that goes through to every game and every sport. Players know that they can pick a team that could lose but cover the point spread and gets a huge payout!

The thing about these point spreads also here on BetOnline is that they don’t move much with the big news coming out for each team. This is why these betting options are the best to go for on BetOnline. The consistency is huge and also knowing that your team could lose but cover the spread is huge. Most of the team there is no major blowouts but when there is and you take a team to cover the spread, cash will be rolling in from BetOnline

MyBookie Sportsbook - Top Sportsbook With Point Spreads

There is no doubt that players like to place wagers on games point spreads which is why MyBookie makes sure to have the best point spreads than any other sportsbook out there. That is important and brings in more traffic for MyBookie. The thing that point spread is about is the hitting on the number the team is expected to cover. Betting point spread doesn’t really have anything to do with betting on a team to win.

Looking at both team's past offense experiences will tell players how to handle the point spread. The Cowboys are always in tight games so the point spread on their games are usually going to be very close. Players would see a game like the high scoring Cowboys game go down to the wire and a touchdown could determine if they hit the spread on not. Although their offense is good, their defense will help the other team cover the spread so betting on the opposite team hitting the point spread could be profitable for MyBookie players.

Point Spread vs. Betting On The Moneyline

Betting on the point spread is completely different from betting on teams to win a game outright. Known as 'betting on the moneyline', instead of using points to handicap each side of the wager, the sportsbook will use greater payouts versus the amount risked to reflect their relative perceptions; teams not expected to win (underdogs) pay more, sometimes exponentially, than when betting on the favorite to win when wagering on moneylines.

While it makes more sense to have a point spread for sports with a lot of scoring like football and basketball, there are point spread bets for low-scoring sports at online sportsbooks. You may see NHL betting lines with one team favored to win at -2.5 and the same principles for how to cash in on that line are the exact same as other sports. Even MLS, Premier League, or other soccer matches come with a point spread. Most of the time that point spread is only a single point but there are times you may also find a team favored at -1.5. If you check out one of the online betting sites we recommend you will surely find point spread bets for these types of sports.

WHAT IS SPORTS SPREAD BETTING?

Sports Spread Betting is without doubt the most exciting form of sports betting available. Here, we address some key topics and answer some common questions; use the list below to jump to the section that you're interested in:
- Sports Spread Betting Explained
- Is Sports Spread Betting Risky?
- How To Place A Spread Bet On Sports
- Sports Spread Betting For Beginners
- How Does Spread Betting Differ From Fixed Odds Betting?
- Sporting Index £50 Welcome Offer

- SPORTS SPREAD BETTING EXPLAINED -

It's important to understand the concept of the terms 'Buying' and 'Selling'. This really is one of those things that sounds complicated but is actually very simple. Fundamentally, the 'spread' is the range within which we believe the result of a given market will fall. This spread is comprised of two numbers - a 'Sell' price and a 'Buy' price. If you think the final result of the market will be greater than the Buy price then you would 'Buy'. Conversely, if you think it will be less than the Sell price then you would 'Sell'.
In football for example, the spread for the Match Total Goals market might be 2.9-3.1 - this simply means that, on average, we think there will be a total of three goals in the game. If you think there will be more than three goals in the game you would 'Buy', but if you think there will be fewer then you would 'Sell'. It really is that simple!

Below, we answer common sports spread betting questions, explain how to place your first spread bet and supply some sports spread betting tips for beginners.

- IS SPORTS SPREAD BETTING RISKY? -

The amount of risk involved is entirely up to you and there are a number of steps that you can take to avoid taking on more risk than you would like.
1: USE SMALL STAKES – You can stake as little as 1p on selected markets. You might not win big amounts with small stakes but you can be confident that the size of any potential losses will be small and your betting bank will go further, allowing you try out a greater variation of our markets.
2: PICKING THE RIGHT MARKETS – The markets we offer have varying degrees of volatility. A market such as Total Goals in a game of football is unlikely to experience a result that is too far from the spread. Total Goal Minutes, however, could well settle a long way from the spread, in either direction. Read more about how football spread betting works.
3: CUT YOUR LOSSES – If you have placed a bet that is clearly going against you, the safe option could be to protect your balance and cash out of the position before it gets any worse. Cut your losses early and protect your betting bank.

- HOW TO PLACE A SPREAD BET ON SPORTS -

Spread Betting Basketball Explained

Placing your first Spread Bet is possibly the most exciting bet you’ll ever place! For some, it’s a daunting prospect but we’re here to explain how to bet on a spread and enjoy it!
As explained above, for your first bet we recommend using smaller stakes and picking a low volatility market – that is, a market where the most likely outcomes are not going to be too far from the ‘Sell’ and ‘Buy’ prices. We’d also recommend that you pick a market that allows you to work out the worst case scenario. For example:
Total Goals in a football match may be priced at 2.8-3.0 and so the worst-case scenario if you place a ‘Buy’ bet is a loss of three times your stake because the lowest possible outcome is a settle price of 0 goals in a match that finishes 0-0. Here, if you had placed a ‘Buy’ bet with a stake of £5 per point the worst-case scenario is a £15 loss, calculated as:

(Settled Price – Buy Price) x Stake
(0 – 3) x £5
-3 x £5 = £15 Loss

Of course, it follows that if the game is a 3-3 thriller then the market would settle at six and the profit would be calculated as:

(Settled Price – Buy Price) x Stake
(6 – 3) x £5
3 x £5 = £15 Profit

Another example could be the Team Total Sixes market in an ODI Cricket match which may be priced at 4-5 and so the worst-case scenario if you place a ‘Buy’ bet is a loss of five times your stake because the lowest possible settle price is 0. Here, if you had placed a ‘Buy’ bet with a stake of £5 the worst-case scenario is a £25 loss, calculated as:

(Settled Price – Buy Price) x Stake
(0 – 5) x £5
-5 x £5 = £25 Loss

Again, it follows that if the Team hits ten sixes then the market would settle at ten and the profit would be calculated as:

(Settled Price – Buy Price) x Stake
(10 – 5) x £5
5 x £5 = £25 Profit

In each of the above cases you are in the position of being able to calculate what your worst possible loss could be whilst knowing that, with spread betting, for every additional goal scored or six hit over the ‘Buy’ price your potential profits increase!

For new accounts: When using your Welcome Offer of £50 promotional betting cash, remember that this does not give you a £50 stake, or 'free bet', on a market, it simply covers any losses that you make up to £50 without requiring you to make a deposit! Using the above Total Goals example, let's look at what would happen if you tried to place a £50 stake on a 'Buy' bet, and then the worst-case scenario happened (a 0-0 result):

(Settled Price – Buy Price) x Stake
(0 – 3) x £50
-3 x £50 = £150 Loss

This is obviously more than the £50 of losses that your Welcome Offer would cover and so, depending on your account type, you would not be allowed to place this bet unless you made further deposits to cover the additional potential losses.
If you are new to spread betting and would like to be in complete control of your risk level then we would recommend that you request a 'Limited Risk' account – this particular account type will display the maximum potential win and loss amounts within the bet slip so that you will know exactly where you stand before placing each and every bet! If you would like to switch to a 'Limited Risk' account please contact our Customer Services team via [email protected] quoting your account number.

- SPORTS SPREAD BETTING FOR BEGINNERS -

If you’re new to sports spread betting then there a few things that you can do to ease yourself into it before you start upping your stakes and trying new markets. Here are the Sporting Index top sports spread betting tips…
1: Start with small stakes. We mentioned this above but it bears repeating! You probably won’t win a lot of money but more importantly, you’ll be in control of your losses. This means you can make your betting bank go further.
2: Stick to markets where you know the worst-case scenario and then build up from there. Good beginners’ markets are those that will not settle too far from the spread price – think Total Goals instead of Total Goal Minutes.
3: Make sure you know exactly what the market is and how the result is calculated. Most of our markets are intuitive but some are more complex; to find out how a market works use the ‘i’ symbol next to the market name.
4: If you’re not sure on anything, don’t get involved in the action – our excellent Customer Services team are always available to answer your questions.
5: Make the most of promotions! Make sure that you are subscribed to receive both emails and texts otherwise you’ll be missing out on our promotions that we send to thousands of clients every single week.
For more information on our markets and some sports spread betting examples you can navigate to the sport of your choice below. Cricket fans can find out how cricket spread betting works whilst if you’re a fan of horse racing you can get the low down on how to spread bet on horse racing here.
Use the grid below to navigate to your favourite sports and find out how to spread bet on them!

- HOW DOES SPREAD BETTING DIFFER FROM FIXED ODDS BETTING? -

Spread Betting Basketball Explained Odds

With spread betting you can make better use of your sporting knowledge than with fixed odds. With fixed odds betting you have a simple 'win or lose' scenario and you know exactly how much you stand to win or lose as soon as you strike your bet. With spread betting, how much you win or lose is determined by how accurate you are. There are a great deal more than just two possible outcomes with spread betting and the more right you are, the more you win. By the same token the more a result goes against you, the more you stand to lose.
Take Batsman’s Runs as an example, with a fixed odds bet you might be offered a market on whether a batsman will reach 100 runs in a game. Let’s say the England captain’s odds on scoring 100 in a one-day game are 4-1 (or 5.0 in decimal odds). Were you to place a £10 bet on this you know that if the player gets his 100 runs you’ll get £50 returned and if he fails to break that mark you’ll have lost your £10 stake.
Now let’s say for the same match the England captain’s total runs spread is set at 60 – 65. Backing him to be a centurion you’d want to buy at the 65 ‘Buy’ price and staking £2 per point you’d be in profit for every run above 65 the batsman scores. Should he reach 100 then that’s a profit of £70 because 35 runs over the buy price multiplied by your £2 stake makes £70. But it doesn’t stop there because if that same batsman beds in and racks up a really meaty Brian Lara-sized total your profits improve yet further. In fact, every single run means more money. If he makes it to 150 runs that’s another £100 on your total win (50 more runs times your £2 stake makes £100) and should he reach 200 you’d find the market now at 135 points over and above the spread, turning your £2 stake into a £270 return.
With your fixed odds bet all that matters is the batsman’s reaching 100 – if he gets there, you get your money, if he fails, you lose. With your spread bet you’re going to be as invested in the batsman’s total runs scored as he is, willing him on to post a higher and higher total with every ball delivered! What’s more, the batsman scoring 99 runs and falling 1 short of a century would see your fixed odds bet lose. But your spread bet still makes a return of £68 because the market has settled at 34 points above the original spread ‘Buy’ price of 65 that you took (34 multiplied by your £2 stake means £68 back for you). Ultimately more runs means more money but of course on the flip side should the batsman post an underwhelming total, or worse yet fail to score at all, your loss is dependent upon just how far below your buy price the final score was. With your £2 staked at the buy price of 65 the batsman being out for a duck would see the market settle at zero and you’d have just lost 65 times your stake. Whereas if he makes just 50 runs, your loss is just 15 times your stake.

Spread Betting Basketball Explained Rankings

Obviously you would want to have heeded our advice above and know that your worst case scenario would be a loss of £170 buying at £2 a point. But as soon as the batsman is off the mark you know that worst case scenario has been avoided and every run scored brings you closer to the point at which you’re in profit and beyond! Additionally, since it is a more volatile market you may want to reduce your stake to 50p, for example.

Spread Betting Basketball Explained Predictions

- DO SPORTING INDEX HAVE A NEW ACCOUNT OFFER? -

How Do Spreads In Betting Work

Indeed we do, and it's certainly one of the more generous offers in the world of online sports betting. New accounts will receive £50 of promotional betting cash to bet with for seven days! Effectively, this money allows you to bet with us knowing that any losses that you do make in the initial seven day promotional period, up to the value of £50, are covered by us! This promotional betting cash is non-withdrawable and any losses that you make over £50 will be your liability to cover. However, any profits that you make on top of the £50 will be credited to your account as real cash at the end of the seven day promotional period. Bet with our money, not yours and learn how to spread bet with Sporting Index today!
Read the Full Terms and Conditions here. This promotion is only applicable to new accounts. Note that account opening is subject to suitability checks.

Spread Betting Basketball Explained Drills

Spread Betting involves risk. Losses may exceed deposits.