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- Football and basketball games are mostly bet using a point spread. The less popular major sports, baseball and hockey, are mostly bet using a moneyline. In an effort to make baseball and hockey more appealing to point spread bettors, the sportsbook operators offer run and puck lines, respectively.
- American Football Spread Betting Explained
- American Football Spread Betting Explained Odds
- American Football Spread Betting Explained The Spread
Point spread betting is the most popular form of sports betting. The vast majority of sports wagers use a point spread thanks to the popularity of football and basketball. Even though this type of betting is so popular, it may take awhile to understand.
The point spread is sometimes known as an equalizer for sportsbook operators. All teams aren’t created equally, so sportsbooks can create a point spread for a game so that each team playing has an almost even chance of winning the game. In a way, the point spread will even the field for both teams.
How Does Football Spread Betting Work? In spread betting, the favorite has to win by a certain number of points for the bettors who pick them to cash in. On the other hand, the underdog ‘gets’ points, meaning that bettors who back them will see a profit even if they lose, so long as it’s by less than the spread.
The point spread gives a reason for bettors to risk money on both teams. The better team playing in the game is considered favorite. They have to win by the point spread offered by the sportsbook. The favorite in a game is listed as being minus (-) the point spread.
The worse of the teams playing in the game is called the underdog. The bettor wins if this team wins the game outright or loses by an amount smaller than the point spread. The underdog in a game is listed as being plus (+) the point spread.
Let’s use this past Super Bowl between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs as an example.
Using this example, the Chiefs were 3-point favorites over the Buccaneers. The Chiefs needed to win by 4 or more points to cover the spread.
Likewise, the Buccaneers were 3-point underdogs. That means the Buccaneers needed to win the game outright or not lose the contest by 4 points or more. At Chiefs -3, if they won by exactly 3 points, the betting result would have been a “push” and bettors for both sides would have gotten their wagers refunded.
The Buccaneers pulled off the upset, winning by a score of 31-9, and rewarded bettors who backed them at +3.
Point spread betting odds
Point spreads are usually set with -110 odds, but pricing often fluctuates at online sportsbooks. This is the sportsbook operators’ house edge. The odds guarantee the sportsbook operator will see a little money over time. When the odds are set at -110, the bettor must wager $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10).
The odds on a point spread are most commonly known as the vigorish or “vig” for the sportsbook. You might hear this small profit margin for the sportsbook called the “juice” by some sports bettors.
Point spread FAQs
What does ‘pick em’ or ‘pick’ mean in NFL betting?
A “pick em” (sometimes seen as “pick”) is when the teams have a point spread of zero, meaning neither team is favored. In this instance, you’re essentially picking moneyline and your bet will be determined on the winner alone.
What does -7 and +7 mean in NFL betting?
A spread of minus-seven (-7) means that a is favored to win the game by a touchdown (technically, a touchdown and the extra point). A team favored by -7 must win the game by eight or more points to win the bet. If the team wins by seven, the result is a “push” and the bet is refunded.
A spread of +7 means the team must win the game or lose by fewer than seven points to win the bet. A loss by seven would result in a push.
What does -3 and +3 mean in NFL betting?
A -3 spread means that the favorite must win by more than a field goal to win the wager. A three-point win would result in a push and the sportsbook would refund the wager.
A spread of +3 means the team listed as the underdog must win the game or lose by fewer than three points to cash the bet. A three-point loss would be graded as a push by the sportsbook and the bet would be refunded.
Why are point spreads in the NFL so much lower than in college?
American Football Spread Betting Explained
In 2019, the Baltimore Ravens led the NFL in point differential per game at +13.7 points; the Miami Dolphins ranked last in the NFL in point differential per game at -11.7. Even Kansas City– known for their explosive offense– had an average point differential in 2019 of just 9.7 points. The net point differential in the NFL is -14.1, or -0.9 points per game. Basically, the talent differential in the NFL is so minute that even mismatched teams often draw games within a score of each other.
NFL spreads are most commonly between one point and four, with six being a heavy favorite and extremes coming out around 15-20 point favors. (For those wondering, the 1941 Chicago Bears hold the NFL record of point differential at +15.7 points per game. Conversely, Ohio State had a +33.1 average point differential in 2019.)
Point spread and odds movement
Sportsbook operators often aim to have equal money on both sides of a point spread. When the money is exactly split the sportsbook operator will see the exact vigorish as their profit margin. If all things are equal over time this will maximize how much money the sportsbook operator can make.
In an effort to have equal money on both sides of a wager, the sportsbook operator will move the point spread to attract money on the side that customers aren’t betting on. The odds for a point spread might change before the actual point spread. There are certain point spread numbers, like 3 and 7 in football, the sportsbook operators would like to avoid moving away from since the final score margin falls on these two numbers most often.
For example, if a lot more money is wagered on the New England Patriots -3, the vig may shift from -112 to -115 and -120 before the line moves to -3.5.
Run and puck lines
American Football Spread Betting Explained Odds
Football and basketball games are mostly bet using a point spread. The less popular major sports, baseball and hockey, are mostly bet using a moneyline. In an effort to make baseball and hockey more appealing to point spread bettors, the sportsbook operators offer run and puck lines, respectively.
These alternative lines give point spread bettors a chance to wager on other sports using a more familiar method of betting. Since points (runs and goals) aren’t as easy to come by in baseball and hockey, the odds with the lines may have a wider spread than a football or basketball game.
I’ve been betting for many years now and it’s very ignorant of me but I’ve never bothered to learn how American odds work. As soon as I see the likes of -100 and +150 alongside betting selections on a website I immediately try to find somewhere I can convert the odds to decimals and if I can’t, I usually leave.
Keen to learn more about the great US sports like American Football, Baseball and Ice Hockey though, I thought it was a bout time I found out how American odds work. How can I call myself a betting expert if I don’t know that. Sports betting might well become legal in several US states soon, so who knows, maybe we can interest a few Yanks in our site and teach them about real football.
Anyway, it turns out that they are not as complicated as they look. American odds start with either a plus (+) or a minus (-). Wherever you see a minus figure that is how much you need to stake to win $100 and wherever you see a positive figure that is how much you’d win if you staked $100.
So, in the example above you’d need to stake $132 on Chelsea to win $100. If you stake $100 on Man United, you’d win $418 if they won and $100 on the draw would see you return a profit of $287, if it ended up a stalemate.
Negative American odds profit calculation:
Profit = (100/Odds) x stake
American Football Spread Betting Explained The Spread
Positive American odds profit calculation:
Profit = Odds x (stake/100)
Here is an American odds to decimal conversion table so you can get an idea of the two formats like for like.
American odds | Decimal odds | American odds | Decimal odds |
-101 | 1.990 | +100 | 2.000 |
-105 | 1.952 | +105 | 2.050 |
-110 | 1.909 | +110 | 2.100 |
-120 | 1.833 | +120 | 2.200 |
-130 | 1.769 | +130 | 2.300 |
-140 | 1.714 | +140 | 2.400 |
-150 | 1.667 | +150 | 2.500 |
We’ve also got a very handy betting odds conversion infographic on our site that shows all the key fraction version off the odds alongside the decimal odds and the percentage likelihood of them winning.
It’s sometimes difficult to know if you are getting better odds on betfair exchange after commission has been factored in and so I’ve knocked up an after commission spreadsheet that shows all the odds after the default 5% commission. You can change the commission amount in the top right corner.