Arbusers

Spread betting online is one of the most popular ways to bet on American sports, not just stateside but elsewhere in the world, too. NFL and basketball betting, in particular, are key markets for fans of spread betting at leading online sportsbooks. What does spread betting involve, and how can you put yourself in a better position to land a win, though? In this gambling article, we will look at how you can get involved in spread betting, how it works, and more.

What Is Spread Betting?
While most sports bets placed online are so-called matched bets (known as Money Line bets in the US), spread betting is arguably the second most popular way to gamble on sports. At its most basic, a spread bet uses American odds, and it is a wager whereby the punter stakes money on a player or team that they believe will perform better than expected. Unlike Money Line or matched bets, the team or player does not have to necessarily win their match. Instead, they must solely perform above the expectation listed in the bet.

How Does It Work?
A typical spread bet will feature both positive and negative spread numbers and American odds alongside. For instance, Team A may have a spread of -4.5 and odds of -110, while Team B might have a spread of +4.5 and odds of -110. What we are looking at here is too relatively evenly matched teams.
Team A is deemed to be the favourite, while Team B is the underdog. A bet on Team A means that they would need to win by five or more points to see you win your bet. If you wager on the underdog, Team B needs to win or not lose by more than four points. This then brings us to the odds.
The odds showcased involve “juice”, or if you prefer, a 10% commission to the sportsbook. This is done to prevent heavy betting on a favourite. The odds of -110 mean that you must wager $110 to win $100. In most spread betting cases, the odds will be displayed as minus (-) figures. You may see positive (+) odds on rare occasions, as you do with Money Line bets. This tells you (precisely) how much you can win with a straightforward $100 wager. In the end, maybe it worths doing a research on your own and decide if it worths sitting to other types of smart betting that fits you idiosyncrasy and brings more profits. Maybe switching to Value Betting, a type of sharp betting much supported in this forum, pays more?

Let Us See It in Action
The best way to show how spread bets work is to use an example. This is a typical (but fictional) bet you might expect to see at a leading online bookmaker.
The Green Bay Packers are ready and set to take on the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. The Packers have a point spread of -4.5, while the Raiders are at +4.5. The bookmaker clearly believes that the edge is with Green Bay. The odds for both teams are set to -110. You then place a $110 bet on Green Bay to win.
- If the Packers win by 5 points, you will win your bet.
- If Green Bay wins by less than 5 points, you will lose your bet.
Alternatively, let us say that you fancy a punt on the Raiders to win. You bet $110 on the same spread and odds.
- If Green Bay wins by 3 points, they have failed to “cover the spread”. However, as the Raiders have not lost by four points (+4.5), you will win your bet, even though your team lost.
- If the Raiders win (by any margin), you will pocket your prize.
As you can see, a bet on the favourite to win means that they must secure victory by at least the number of points in the spread (-4.5, in our example). However, a bet on the underdog gives you two chances to win, namely either by victory against the favourite or merely by avoiding defeat by the number of points in the spread.

Top Tips for Landing Wins When Spread Betting
There are specific things you can keep an eye out for and do to improve your chances of success when spread betting. None of these will guarantee a win (nothing will), but they can help you get closer. Here are a few things you may wish to consider.
- Some sports work better with spread betting than others. NFL (American football) and NBA (basketball) are the two primary sports. NHL can feature Puck Line and Run Line bets, and it is not impossible to see spread betting available in other sports. However, we would encourage you to stick to American sports, as these are where most spread betting markets lie.
- A push is not common, but it can happen. If the spread features no half points, such as odds of -3/+3 or -4/+4, then it is possible to see your bet push if, for instance, the favourite was to win by 3 or 4 points. Push bets see your stakes returned with no profit or loss either way.
- Odds and spreads can move depending on when you bet. If you were to bet earlier in the week, and the match is on the weekend, you could gain or lose points in a spread, compared to somebody who bet closer to the time of the event. This is known as “Odds Movement”, and you can sometimes choose whether to Accept All Odds Movement at bookmakers when you bet.
- It is possible to find sports sites that offer “reduced juice”. In short, these are bookmakers who do not take a commission from your bets, so it is worth looking around.
- NFL betting can involve so-called “Key Numbers”. Given that field goals and touchdowns (with conversions) are worth three and seven points, respectively, these are often the winning margins in games. For this reason, it is better to have a half-point spread of, say +3.5 rather than +3, to give yourself a slight edge. There is also the possibility to “buy points” with spread bets at some leading betting sites.
All the spread bet tips above should help you stand a better chance of success when spread betting. Of course, there are countless strategies out there, too, each with varying results. However, the key to successful spread betting is all about understanding the types of bets, odds, and spreads, knowing the teams and players, and watching how things pan out. Do that often enough with the advice above, and you will undoubtedly improve your odds of winning.

For me spread betting has certain similarities with middling, which is probably the most difficult form of smart betting. I would prefer value betting instead.