We’re pretty certain you know what betting is. Maybe you’ve got a friendly wager with a colleague or friend over lunch. Or perhaps you’ve placed a bet on the horses. Maybe you’ve even made a few dollars on a game you watched on TV. But, maybe you don’t know how or where sports betting spreads in the first place. Lucky for you, we’re here to answer your questions! In this article, we’ll run down the basics of how sports betting spreads and how to make the most of it.
How Does Sports Betting Spread Work?
The basics of how sports betting spreads should be familiar to you. If not, it’s probably time for an upgrade! When sports fans and bettors have exciting games or events to follow, they’ll often bet on them. So, when one team beats the other, the people who backed the winning team will win. Simple enough, right?
Well, not exactly. Let’s say you put a bet on the New York Knicks and the spread is +3. The sportsbooks will take the point spread into consideration when assigning odds for the game. For example, if you laid out a $100 bet, the sportsbook will probably give the New York Knicks a -3 point spread against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, if the spread were, for example, -5, the New York Knicks would be given a +5 point spread against the Milwaukee Bucks in that same $100 bet.
That’s how sports betting spreads work. However, there’s more than one way to play the game! For instance, if you’re feeling lucky, you might lay a straight up lay bet on the game. In that case, if the spread is +3, you’ll earn a $100 profit regardless of which team wins the game. Of course, if the spread were -3, you’d lose your $100 regardless of the outcome of the game. So, it’s always risk versus reward when it comes to sports betting.
What Is A Lay Bet?
OK, you might be wondering what a lay bet is. Simply put, a lay bet is when you place a bet on an event without necessarily expecting the result to be favorable. For example, maybe you think the New York Knicks will beat the Milwaukee Bucks. But, you also think that the spread will be such that you’ll win regardless of the outcome of the game. In that case, you might lay a $100 bet on the New York Knicks, but you’re not expecting to win.
What’s important is that you understand the spread and whether or not you’ll win your bet. You can’t go forward with a lay bet if you don’t know how or where to put your money. And, you certainly can’t win if you don’t have any money to begin with!
Why Should You Care About The Spread?
One of the most important things to consider when betting on sports is the spread. The spread is essentially the difference between the predicted score and the actual score of the game. So, if you want to win you need to go with the spread in your favor. Why is that?
Sports betting spreads are usually heavily biased in favor of the team with the most betting on them. This is because most people who bet on sports also root for the team with the most amount of backing. So, when a team with a lot of support (in the form of bets) loses, the people who backed them will likely be dissatisfied. And, in some cases, they might even claim the sport is rigged.
On the other hand, when a team with little support (in the form of bets) wins, the people who backed them will be ecstatic and spread the news that their team is the best. So, even if you think your team is mediocre, you might still want to bet on them in order to profit from the bandwagon effect.
To avoid any misunderstandings, let’s say you’ve got $100 to wager on the New York Knicks versus the Milwaukee Bucks basketball game. You might decide to lay a $100 bet on the New York Knicks, but you don’t expect to win. In that case, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by placing this particular bet. You’ll win $100 no matter what!
However, if you were expecting the New York Knicks to win the game and the spread was +3, then you might want to avoid laying this kind of bet. You’ll lose $100 regardless of the outcome of the game!
Betting on sports isn’t something new. People have been betting on sports for years. What’s different now is that with the emergence of the internet and online sportsbooks, information about sports can be found quickly and easily. This makes it easier for someone to research teams, players, and stats before placing a wager.
Additionally, with TV contracts and the rising popularity of fantasy sports, it’s now possible to follow almost every professional sport directly from your phone. This means you can place your wagers while you watch the game! Even if you’re not a fan of baseball, for example, you can follow the Pittsburgh Pirates and place a wager on their games. Or, if you’re a fan of the Boston Red Sox, you can follow their games and place a wager on them.
Some sports are considered more popular than others and attract more people to place bets on them. Most notably, the NBA and the NHL. Professional basketball and hockey have always been popular in North America, but the internet and social media have done a great deal to enhance their appeal.
Since both the NBA and the NHL are largely followed online, it’s now possible to research players, stats and team formulae before placing a wager. Additionally, people can now follow teams and players and keep track of their statistics and recent performance online. These things weren’t possible just a few years ago. So, while the appeal of these sports may not have changed, the methods by which bettors can follow and place wagers on them have greatly improved.
Which Teams Are Popular To Bet On?
Just because a sport is popular doesn’t mean it’s easy money to bet on. It just means it has enough interested parties placing bets on it to keep the books balanced. Let’s take a look at the most popular sports and the types of bets that can be made on them.
- American Football [(NFL)]
- Baseball [(MLB)]
- Basketball [(NBA)]
- Cricket [(ICC)]
- Hockey [(NHL)]
- Racing [(NHRA)]
As you might imagine, the most popular sports to bet on are the ones people are most passionate about. This is especially the case with American Football, where fans can keep up with the games through various online resources and social media. Additionally, the size of the audience determines the popularity of a team and the types of bets that can be made on them. If you want to bet on a certain team, you’ll have to look for venues and online bookmakers that cater to your home country or location.
What Are The Types Of Bets That You Can Place?
Now that you have a general idea of how sports betting spreads work, let’s take a closer look at the types of bets you can make. Remember, not all sports are created equal and different kinds of bets have different payouts and risks. Regardless of which type of sports bet you choose, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you understand what you’re getting into.
Here’s a short list of the different types of bets you can make on a game: