What is a Point Spread?
A point spread is a margin of victory that the favored team must win by for bets to pay out. Instead of just betting on who will win the game outright, a spread wager allows you to bet on which team will overperform, given their status as either the favorite or underdog.
When you bet on the point spread, you are betting on which team will cover that margin of victory.
If the New England Patriots are +6 on the point spread against the Miami Dolphins, they are 6-point underdogs. If they win outright or lose by 5 points or less, a point spread bet on the Patriots would be graded a winner.
How Does Point Spread Work?
To make two teams more evenly matched from a betting perspective, Vermont sports betting sites set a point spread on every matchup. It's a way to make the odds on both teams more or less even. The goal of the point spread is to attract equal betting on both sides.
If one team is expected to win by a lot, the spread will get bigger. If the teams are relatively evenly matched, the spread will be smaller. Point spread odds are usually around -110 for both teams.
How to Read a Point Spread
Understanding point spread betting is easy once you know what the different parts of the line actually mean. To read a point spread line, you need to be able to determine the underdog, the favorite, and the spread itself.
- ✅ The Spread: The number of points that one team is predicted to win the game by. The larger the spread, the more uneven the matchup. The spread will vary based on the sport being played and the typical margin of victory in that sport.
- ✅ Underdog: The team that is expected to lose. The positive number represents the number of points the team is predicted to lose by. If you bet on the underdog, they'll need to lose by fewer points than the spread number, or win outright.
- ✅ Favorite: The team that is expected to win. The negative number represents the number of points the team is predicted to win by. If you bet on the favorite to cover the spread, they have to win the game by more points than the spread. If they win the game but fail to cover the spread, your bet still loses.
- ✅ Even or Pick ‘Em: A pick 'em game occurs when two teams are so evenly matched that there is no discernable favorite or underdog. In this case, you might see "PK," "pick em," "evens," or "EV" next to the line for the game. The odds will usually be around -110 or so. Evens are uncommon in higher-scoring points such as basketball and football, but they do occur occasionally in sports like soccer and hockey.
⭐️ MORE: How to Bet on Sports in Vermont
Potential Outcomes of Point Spread Betting
There are three potential outcomes of a spread bet. You can of course win or lose the wager, but you can also tie or "push." I break down what each outcome means below:
- ✅ Win: You can win your spread wager by betting on either the favorite or the underdog to cover the spread. If you bet on the favorite, they must win the game by a margin of victory that is larger than the spread. If you bet on the underdog, they must either win the game outright, or lose by less than the number of points depicted by the spread.
- ❌ Loss: If the team you bet on fails to cover, your bet will lose. If you bet on the favorite, this means that they either lose the game or won by less points than the spread had predicted. If you bet on the underdog, this means that they lose by more points than the spread.
- 📍 Push: A push happens when the final score of the game has a margin of victory that is exactly equal to the original point spread.
Terms Points Spread Bettors Need to Know
There are some common terms that you'll hear often related to point spreads. I explain what they mean below.
Against the Spread (ATS)
Against the spread, which is often abbreviated as "ATS," is a term you will hear quite often in relation to spread betting. When you bet against the spread, you are betting on the underdog to cover, while betting "with the spread" means to bet on the favorite.
You might also hear this term used to refer to a team's record "against the spread." This simply means how many times they have been on the winning or losing side of point spreads this season.
For example, you might see that a college football team is "4-0 against the spread this year." That means that regardless of whether they were the underdog or the favorite, the team has been on the winning side of spread bets for games they have played in 4/4 times this season.
Vig or Juice
Vig is short for vigorish. This term can also be used interchangeably with the term "juice." The vig applies to several different betting markets. In point spreads, it is how the betting operator makes money on this market. You'll usually see odds of about -110 for both sides of a point spread. In this case, the -10 is the vig—it ensures that if even numbers of people bet on the favorite and the underdog, the betting platform still makes money.
⭐️ MORE: How to Read Odds & Betting Lines
The Hook
Sometimes, you will see a point spread bet line that has a half point, such as 5.5, 20.5, etc. This half point is called the "hook", and it changes a spread so that a push is no longer a possible result. You will see a hook often, especially in close matchups between teams when the betting operator wants to avoid a push.
NFL Point Spread
When placing a point spread bet on an NFL game, it is important that you are aware of some key numbers that correlate to common margins of victory in these games.
The most common margin in the NFL is three points, which occurs in 14% of all matchups. This is followed by a margin of seven points, which occurs in 9% of all games. Finally, margins of six and ten happen in about 6% of all games.
You want to find lines that have a hook on either side of these margins, rather than ones that fall on the margins themselves, because this will increase your chances of placing a winning bet rather than a push if the margin ends up being one of these key numbers.
🏒 EXPLORE MORE SPORTS: NHL Betting in Vermont
Comparing Point Spread vs Moneyline
The moneyline is a separate betting market that can give you important information to help you place a successful spread bet. Both bet types rely on the final outcome of a game, but they are quite different.
The moneyline is a straight-up wager on who will win a sporting event. The moneyline odds work to show how likely a team is to win a game. When one team is favored, the odds for that team get shorter while the odds for the underdog get longer.
This means that people betting on the moneyline who take the favorite will have to bet a lot to win a little, while the opposite is true for the underdog.
Although the odds don't change in a point spread, the spread itself does. You can learn to read moneyline odds to give you important information about which side of the spread holds more value.
⭐️ RELATED: 3 Way Moneyline
Tips on How to Bet Point Spread in Vermont
Point spread betting can be a lucrative way to play, but most bettors don't know what to do to increase their odds of winning. Use my tips below to bet the spread like the pros.
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Use Multiple Betting Sites Line shopping is critical. By setting up an account with multiple Vermont sportsbook apps and sites, you can look around for the most favorable line before placing your bet. -
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Take Advantage of Promotions Find the best Vermont sports betting promo codes to maximize your point spread betting. Before placing your bet, check the operator's promotions to see if there are any bonus codes or special spread offers you can use. -
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Understand Home-Field Advantage Home-field advantage is a factor in every sport, at least to some degree. While its importance varies from sport to sport, some teams have a stronger advantage on their home playing field than others. Make sure you are educated on how this advantage could affect the matchup you want to bet on. -
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Understand Key Numbers Certain sports, especially football, have key numbers that will affect the spread. Usually, these key numbers are margins of victory that are particularly common in the sport. In football, margins of three points, seven, six, and 10 are most common. -
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Monitor the Over/Under The over/under betting market can give you important information for betting the spread. The over/under market tells you how many total points are likely to be scored in a game. When the over/under is large, it could indicate that a blowout is more likely. In fact, any time the over/under is high, the spread is likely to be high as well.
Start Point Spread Betting in Vermont
Point spread betting offers an exciting way for Vermont bettors to play. It lets you bet on your favorite teams and win money, even if you don't think they will win the game outright.
People tend the call the spread the "great equalizer" because it offers even odds for both the underdog and the favorite. By understanding the basics of how spreads work and employing some smart strategies, bettors can increase their chances of winning money.
Point Spread Vermont FAQs
Author
Adam Wernham has over eight years of professional copywriting experience. Growing up in the Bay Area, Adam developed strong ties to local teams including the Giants, Warriors, and 49ers. His passion for sports and writing make him a strong voice on all things sports betting and a great asset to the BetVermont staff.
