Could you guys explain with simple words what does spread mean in betting? How would you explain this to a high school kid?
Thank you.
What does spread mean in betting?
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arbusers
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Re: What does spread mean in betting?
I will try to make it as simple as possible.
A spread in betting is like a way to make a game fairer for betting purposes. It’s used when one team is much stronger than the opponent. The bookmaker gives a "handicap" to the stronger team (favourite) or a "head start" to the weaker team (underdog). Then, you bet on whether a team will do better than the spread.
How does it Work?
The favorite needs to win by more than the spread for a bet on them to win.
The underdog can either lose by less than the spread or win outright for a bet on them to win.
Example: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
Let’s say the sportsbook sets the spread like this:
Milwaukee Bucks: -6.5
Boston Celtics: +6.5
Here’s what it means:
Bucks are the favourite. They need to win the game by 7 points or more for a bet on them to win.
The Celtics are the underdog. They can either lose by 6 points or less, or win the game outright, for a bet on them to win.
Let’s say the game ends like this:
Bucks 110, Celtics 105
Bucks won by 5 points, but they didn’t cover the -6.5 spread.
A bet on the Celtics (+6.5) wins because they lost by less than 6.5 points.
Bucks 120, Celtics 110
Bucks won by 10 points, so they covered the -6.5 spread.
A bet on the Lakers (-6.5) wins.
In simple terms, the spread is just a way to make the game more exciting to bet on, even if one team is expected to dominate.
Now, once you realise perfectly how spread betting works, you can move forward to middling, which is a type of smart betting, not practised by many due to the knowledge and experience required. But, that's another story.
A spread in betting is like a way to make a game fairer for betting purposes. It’s used when one team is much stronger than the opponent. The bookmaker gives a "handicap" to the stronger team (favourite) or a "head start" to the weaker team (underdog). Then, you bet on whether a team will do better than the spread.
How does it Work?
The favorite needs to win by more than the spread for a bet on them to win.
The underdog can either lose by less than the spread or win outright for a bet on them to win.
Example: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
Let’s say the sportsbook sets the spread like this:
Milwaukee Bucks: -6.5
Boston Celtics: +6.5
Here’s what it means:
Bucks are the favourite. They need to win the game by 7 points or more for a bet on them to win.
The Celtics are the underdog. They can either lose by 6 points or less, or win the game outright, for a bet on them to win.
Let’s say the game ends like this:
Bucks 110, Celtics 105
Bucks won by 5 points, but they didn’t cover the -6.5 spread.
A bet on the Celtics (+6.5) wins because they lost by less than 6.5 points.
Bucks 120, Celtics 110
Bucks won by 10 points, so they covered the -6.5 spread.
A bet on the Lakers (-6.5) wins.
In simple terms, the spread is just a way to make the game more exciting to bet on, even if one team is expected to dominate.
Now, once you realise perfectly how spread betting works, you can move forward to middling, which is a type of smart betting, not practised by many due to the knowledge and experience required. But, that's another story.
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CharlieSheen99
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Re: What does spread mean in betting?
For some reasons, this market is the most difficult to understand for everyone.
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arbusers
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Those being familiarised with Asian Handicaps get the concept easier. But what is really challenging (and it pays) is to find the direction that spreads go. This requires a lot of experience and knowledge of the market.
Re: What does spread mean in betting?
CharlieSheen99 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 1:53 pmFor some reasons, this market is the most difficult to understand for everyone.
Those being familiarised with Asian Handicaps get the concept easier. But what is really challenging (and it pays) is to find the direction that spreads go. This requires a lot of experience and knowledge of the market.
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