This type of betting is probably the most popular in America, and maybe the wider world. Spread betting is simple, once you understand it. Placing spread bets, multiple single bets, and even multi-game parlays can all be a fun way to get in the game. Before diving into placing spread bets though, you should learn more about their mechanics. Get to know your spreads and you’ll take your love of sports games to another level.
The Basics of the Spread
If you’re new to spread betting, you might wonder about its workings and how to win your bets. Fortunately, it’s a straightforward concept that can potentially offer substantial rewards, making it one of the most profitable bet types available on sports betting sites. Here is a hypothetical game and odds to use as an example:
- Seattle Seahawks -9.5
- Arizona Cardinals +9.5
It’s the Seahawks against Arizona, and the odds are in Seattle’s favor this given Sunday. In order to ‘cover the spread’ the Seahawks need to win by at least 10 points. Half-points are included to avoid point ties on the bets. You can’t score half a point so teams are either over or under, and never in between. Finding the best NFL betting lines will help get the highest value odds when you place a football spread bet.
BetUS keeps track of all the online odds movements on the top sports books. Before betting on the spread, check BetUS. If you want to back the underdog, you should definitely seek out the best value odds. The Arizona Cardinals are the underdogs in this tie and provide a better chance of winning depending on how you bet. Betting on the underdog provides two possible ways to win:
- The underdog can cover the spread by winning the game with a margin of 10 points or more, similar to the Seahawk’s requirement.
- Even if the underdog loses, you can still win your bet. Betting on the Cardinals here means you win even if Arizona loses by 9 points or fewer. The Seahawks didn’t ‘cover the spread’, and you still bring home the bacon.
Betting Against the Spread vs. Covering the Spread
If you’ve been around betting or bettors, you have probably heard the terms ‘betting against the spread’ and ‘covering the spread’. Although these phrases hold slightly different meanings, they are often used interchangeably.
‘Covering the spread’ refers to when the favored team wins the game by the given point spread or when the underdog wins by a margin greater than the point spread. ‘Betting against the spread’ or ‘betting the spread’ means placing a wager on the given point spread instead of solely relying on the money line or other forms of betting. People sometimes mistakenly use one phrase in place of the other. However, most of the time, when someone mentions either phrase, they are referring to winning the bet.
Determining The Point Spread
The point spread for any sports game is made to attract bets for both sides of the spread. You will typically find similar betting odds for each team. This approach allows sports books to balance their payouts by collecting wagers from the losing bettors and paying out the winners.
Different sports books offer different point spreads for each game, and the odds can change a lot over time. If a considerable number of bettors seem to favor one team, the online sports book may adjust the spread slightly to entice more bets on the other team. This balancing act ensures a fair distribution of winning and losing wagers, preventing the sports book from suffering significant losses.
Things To Think About Before Making A Spread Bet
Similar to any other type of sports bet, it is crucial to consider various things before deciding which team to bet on, and what bet to place. These are the big three factors of spread betting:
- Game Venue: While home-field advantage does not guarantee a win, it can significantly influence the game’s outcome. Certain stadiums, such as those in Seattle, Denver, and Buffalo, are renowned for creating extremely loud environments. When considering betting on the away team to cover the spread, take into account the challenges they may face in such stadiums, as it can impact their communication and performance.
- Significant Player Injuries: Injuries to key players can have a substantial impact on game outcomes and spread betting decisions. Look at the player injuries list released before games to identify which players are sitting out or likely to sit out. This knowledge can give you an advantage in assessing the point spread and making informed bets.
- Team Strengths and Weaknesses: Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each team is essential when determining if they will cover the spread. Look at a team’s offense and defense, home and away performance, and win-loss records. By analyzing these aspects, you can make more informed spread bets based on your NFL knowledge.
Spread betting offers an exciting way to engage with NFL games on another level, and potentially earn some profits. Take a look at the games coming up and think about what the spread might be, and where you would put your money. And, as always, try to avoid some of the common mistakes made when betting on sports.
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