How Do Spreads Work In the NBA?
Contents
How do points spreads in the NBA work? Here is an explanation of how the point spread works in NBA games.
Introduction
In the NBA, a “spread” refers to the betting line or handicap oddsmakers set for a particular game. The spread is intended to generate interest in both sides of a matchup, as well as create an even playing field.
For example, let’s say the Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to play the Chicago Bulls. Based on each team’s recent performances and public perception, the oddsmakers may determine that the Lakers should be favored to win by 6 points. In this case, bettors who think the Lakers will win by more than 6 points would bet on them “against the spread,” while those who think the Bulls can either win outright or lose by less than 6 points would bet on them “with the spread.”
The actual point spread may end up being slightly different from what the oddsmakers predicted, but as long as the Lakers win by more than 6 points (or lose by less than 6 points), those who bet on them against the spread will cash in their tickets. On the other hand, those who bet on the Bulls with the spread will only cash in if Chicago either wins outright or loses by less than 6 points.
It’s also important to note that you can bet on a team with the spread even if you think they’re going to lose. In this scenario, you’re betting that they will lose by less than the amount of points indicated by the spread. For example, if you think the Lakers are going to lose to the Bulls but want to hedge your bet in case they only lose by 5 points, you would bet on them with the spread.
What is a Spread?
The Spread is the number of points oddsmakers believe a team will win or lose by. The favorite is always indicated by a minus sign (e.g. -5.5) and the underdog is indicated by a plus sign (e.g. +5.5). If you bet on the favorite, they must win the game by more than the assigned Spread. If you bet on the underdog, they can lose the game by up to the assigned Spread, or win the game outright.
The Point Spread
The point spread is the most common type of NBA bet. In a point spread bet, you are wagering on the margin of victory for a particular team. The favored team will have a minus sign (-) next to their odds, while the underdog will have a plus sign (+). The number next to the spread is how many points the oddsmakers think that team will win or lose by.
For example, let’s say the Golden State Warriors are playing the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors are -7 point favorites, meaning oddsmakers believe they will win the game by seven points. In order for you to win your bet on the Warriors, they would need to defeat the Lakers by more than seven points. If they win by exactly seven points, then it is considered a “push” and you would get your original bet back.
On the other hand, if you bet on the Lakers +7, you would need them to either win the game outright or lose by less than seven points.
The point spread is not always -7/+7. It can be any number depending on how evenly matched oddsmakers believe two teams are. For example, if two teams are very evenly matched, then you might see a point spread of only -2/+2.
The Moneyline
The most common type of bet in basketball is the moneyline. This is a bet on who will win the game, regardless of any other factor. The odds will be expressed as either a positive or negative number. A positive number means that the team is an underdog and you will receive that amount for every dollar you bet. For example, if you bet $100 on a +200 moneyline, you would win $200 if the team won. A negative number means that the team is favored to win and you have to bet that amount to win $100. So if you bet $100 on a -200 moneyline, you would win $50 if the team won.
How do Spreads Work?
NBA spreads can be a bit confusing to understand at first, but they are actually quite simple. Thespread is the amount of points that the oddsmakers believe will be scored in the game by both teams combined. So, if the spread is 5 points and you bet on the favorite, they would need to win the game by 6 or more points for you to win your bet.
The Point Spread
The point spread – also called “the line” or “the spread” – is used as a margin to handicap the favorite team. For betting purposes, the oddsmaker predicts that the favored team will win by a certain number of points. This number of points is the point spread. The favorite is given a negative point spread (-5.5, -11, -19.5, etc.), while the underdog is given a positive point spread (5.5, 11, 19.5, etc.). For example:
Boston Celtics -5.5 (-110)
New York Knicks +5.5 (-110)
In this example, the Celtics are 5.5-point favorites (-110), meaning they must win by six or more points to cover the spread and give you the win. The Knicks are 5.5-point underdogs (+110), meaning they can lose by five or less points (or win) and still cover the spread and give you the win.
The Moneyline
The moneyline is the most common way to bet on NBA games, and it couldn’t be simpler. You just need to pick which team you think will win the game outright, no matter by how many points. The odds for each team will be displayed as either a positive or negative number next to their respective names. The favorite will have negative odds (e.g. -200), meaning you need to bet $200 to win $100. The underdog will have positive odds (e.g. +175), meaning a $100 bet would win you $175.
Conclusion
The conclusion is that spreads work in the NBA by providing a consistent level of scoring throughout the game. This ensures that both teams have an equal chance of winning, regardless of how talented either team may be.
