What’s the Spread on Tonight’s NFL Game?

Looking for some expert football picks? Check out our blog for a breakdown of tonight’s NFL game, including the spread and our predictions.

Introduction

If you’re new to NFL gambling, you may be wondering what the heck “the spread” is. The spread is simply the number of points that oddsmakers expect one team to win by over another team. In order for a bet on the favorite to win, that team must win by more than the number of points in the spread. In order for a bet on the underdog to win, that team must either win outright or lose by less than the number of points in the spread.

How to Read an NFL Spread

If you don’t know how to read an NFL spread, you’re not alone. A lot of people don’t understand how the point spread works. The point spread is the number of points that the oddsmakers believe the better team is going to win by. In order for bettors to cash in on an NFL bet, the team they bet on must win by more than the point spread.

Decimal Format

The decimal format for an NFL spread is typically used when actual money lines are not available. In this case, bettors simply wager on the final margin of victory. So if the Dallas Cowboys are listed at -7 against the New York Giants, and you bet on Dallas, then they would need to win the game by eight or more points in order for your bet to win. Alternately, if you wagered on the Giants +7, then New York could lose by up to six points and you would still win your bet.

American Format

In American football, the point spread is the difference between the starting bet of the favored team and the starting bet of the underdog. The favorites are given a head start, and they are called “point spread favorites.” The underdogs are called “point spread underdogs.” All other bettors are called “the line.”

For example, in Super Bowl XLIII, the Pittsburgh Steelers were 3-point favorites over the Arizona Cardinals. That means that for every $100 you wanted to bet on the Steelers, you would have to bet $103. On the other hand, if you wanted to bet on the Cardinals, you would only have to bet $97 because they were 3-point underdogs.

The point spread is usually displayed with a “-” sign in front of the favorite’s number and a “+” sign in front of the underdog’s number.

How the Spread is Set

The most common type of bet in American football is the point spread bet. In this type of bet, the bookmaker try to even out the betting by setting a line that will encourage equal betting on both sides. The line is set based on a number of factors, the most important of which are the teams’ records, the quarterbacks, home field advantage, and injuries.

Sportsbooks

At its simplest, the “spread” is the number of points that one team is expected to win by in a given game. The spread (or line) is used in football, basketball, and other sports to indicate how many points one team is expected to win by. The favorite in a game is typically indicated by a minus sign (e.g., -5.5) next to their point spread, while the underdog is indicated by a plus sign (e.g., +5.5). For example, if you bet on the favorite Patriots (-5.5) against the Jets and they win by 6 points, you would lose your bet because they did not win by more than 5.5 points (their margin of victory was only 1 point). On the other hand, if you bet on the underdog Jets (+5.5), you would win your bet as they won the game outright or lost by less than 5 points.

The Public

When oddsmakers release a betting line on a game, the first thing they do is decide which team should be the favorite and which should be the underdog. The favorite is the team that’s expected to win, and they’ll usually have odds that reflect that (such as -110). The underdog is the team that’s expected to lose, and they’ll have odds that reflect that (such as +100).

Once the oddsmakers have set the line, it’s then up to the betting public to put their money where their mouth is by choosing which team they think will win. In order for Sportsbooks to get equal action on both sides of a bet, they will sometimes move the line. This is called “the spread.”

How to Bet the Spread

The spread is the most popular way to bet on NFL games, and for good reason. A bet on the spread carries less risk than a bet on the moneyline, and it gives you the opportunity to win even if your team loses the game. In order to bet the spread, you need to understand how it works.

Moneyline

The moneyline is the most common way to bet on football and basketball, but it’s also popular in baseball, hockey and other sports. Moneylines are available for all major sports. All you need to do is pick the team you think will win.

The odds for a moneyline are usually presented as a positive or negative number. A positive number indicates the amount of money you would win if you bet $100. For example, a +140 moneyline means you would win $140 if you bet $100.

A negative number indicates how much you would need to bet to win $100. For example, a -120 moneyline means you would need to bet $120 to win $100.

If there is no plus or minus sign next to a moneyline, it means that the odds are even (1-to-1). In this case, you would bet $100 to win $100.

Point Spread

In football and basketball, the most common way to bet is against the point spread. The point spread is how many points the oddsmakers believe one team will win or lose by. For example, if the Seattle Seahawks are playing the Arizona Cardinals, and the oddsmakers believe that the Seahawks will win by 10 points, then they would list the Seahawks as -10 point favorites. Conversely, if the oddsmakers believe that the Cardinals will win the game or lose by less than 10 points, then they would list them as 10-point underdogs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you are looking to place a bet on tonight’s NFL game, it is important to understand what the spread is and how it works. The spread simply refers to the number of points that one team is expected to win or lose by. With this knowledge, you can then make an informed decision on which team you think will win or lose. Good luck!