Can someone explain point spreads like im 5
ok so i keep seeing stuff like -7.5 and +7.5 next to teams and i genuinely dont get it. i thought you just bet on who wins? why does my buddy keep saying his team won but he still lost the bet lmao. someone help me understand before i waste more money
13 answers
Top Answer
295
honestly took me forever to get this too. so the spread is basically a handicap to make both sides even. if a team is -7.5 it means theyre favoured and they have to WIN by 8 or more for your bet to cash. if you take the underdog at +7.5 they can lose by 7 or less (or win outright) and you still win. thats why your buddys team won but he lost, they probably didnt win by enough. i started tracking my bets on Boomerang Bet and seeing the spreads laid out next to the moneyline really helped it click for me. just start small til it makes sense
7
yep this is exactly it. the half point (.5) thing is actually a blessing too because it means no ties, you either win or lose clean. i remember betting -3 once and the game landed on exactly 3 and got my money back (push) which felt weird. half points avoid that headache
197
to add some context, sportsbooks use the spread to balance the action on both sides so they make money off the juice no matter who wins. the spread isnt really a prediction, its more about getting equal bets on each team. thats why you sometimes see lines move before a game
178
idk this still seems like a way to make you lose even when youre right about the winner. feels rigged tbh. why not just bet on the moneyline if you know who wins
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3
its not rigged, its just a different bet. moneyline pays way less on heavy favourites, like you might risk 300 to win 100. the spread gives you better value because youre taking on the risk that they win by enough. both options exist, pick whatever fits the situation
7
the thing that drives me nuts is when the spread moves AFTER i place my bet and i couldve gotten a better number if id just waited. lost a couple bets by literally half a point because i jumped in too early. line shopping matters more than people think
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127
that happens but you cant time the line perfectly every time. sometimes waiting burns you too because the number moves against you. i just take the number when im confident in the bet and dont stress about chasing the perfect line. drove myself crazy doing that before
6
wait so what does the number like -110 next to the spread mean? i see that on basically every spread bet and have no clue
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127
thats the juice/vig basically. -110 means you bet 110 to win 100. its how the book makes their cut. most spreads are around -110 on both sides but it can shift to like -115 or -105 depending on how the betting is going
76
one thing worth knowing, spreads are bigger in football and basketball where scores are high, but in hockey and baseball they use a runline/puckline thats usually fixed at 1.5 because games are low scoring. so the concept is the same but the numbers look way different depending on the sport
67
ok so if i bet a +7.5 underdog and they straight up win the game do i win more? or is it the same payout as if they just lose by less than 7
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5
same payout. with a spread bet it doesnt matter HOW the result happens as long as you cover the number. win by 1 or win by 50 on a +7.5, both pay exactly the same. if you want to get paid more for an outright win youd bet the moneyline instead
4
can confirm everything in the top comment, that explanation finally made it stick for me too. the favoured team has to win by MORE than the spread, underdog just needs to keep it close. once you get that one concept the rest is easy. start small like they said, i learned the hard way