What Is The Point Spread On Today’s NFL Games?
Contents
In American football, the point spread is the difference between the agreed upon number of points to be scored by the favorite team and the number of points to be scored by the underdog.
Introduction
The point spread is the number of points by which the better team is expected to win. In order for a bet on the favorite to win, that team must win by more than the point spread. In order for a bet on the underdog to win, that team must either win the game outright or lose by less than the point spread. The point spread is not related to the final score of the game, but rather how many points one team is expected to score above or below another.
What is 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 always indicated by a minus sign (e.g. -5.5) and the underdog by a plus sign (e.g.+5.5). If you bet on the favorite, you win your bet if the favorite wins AND their margin of victory is greater than the point spread. If you bet on the underdog, you win if the underdog wins, ties, or if the favored team wins but fails to exceed the point spread. It isstandard for point spread bets in most sports that you wager $110 to win $100.
How do point spreads work?
Point spreads are designed to make betting on either side of a game equally attractive. A favorite needs to win by more than the spread to cover, while an underdog needs to lose by less than the spread in order to cover. The most common spread is three points, which is what you would see if one team was favored by three points over the other.
The point spread can also be increased or decreased depending on how much betting action there is on either side of the game. The more money that is being bet on a team to cover the spread, the higher the point spread will be. Conversely, if there is not as much interest in betting on a particular team, the point spread will be lower.
How do I bet on the point spread?
Point spreads are used to even the playing field in a sports contest and create what’s known as betting “sides.” The favorite team is listed as being at -X, while the underdog is at +X. For example, if Dallas is a 7-point favorite over Washington, then Dallas is at -7 and Washington is at +7.
What is the vigorish?
The vigorish, also known as the juice or the cut, is the percentage charged by a bookmaker on a bet. It is generally between 10 and 15 percent, but can be as high as 20 percent or more.
How do I calculate the point spread?
To calculate the point spread, first find the difference in the two team’s scores. For example, if Team A is playing Team B and Team A has a score of 21 and Team B has a score of 14, the difference would be 7. This number is then converted into a “-7” for betting purposes. So if you bet on Team A with a spread of -7 and they win by more than 7 points, you win your bet. If they win by exactly 7 points, it’s a “push” and you get your money back. If they lose by less than 7 points, then you lose your bet.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the point spread is very important to understand when betting on NFL games. It is the difference between the two teams’ scores, and it is used to determine who wins and who loses. Make sure you know what the point spread is before you place your bet!
