The spread is one of the most important concepts to understand when it comes to sports betting. Essentially, it represents the margin of victory a team or an event is expected to produce once the game has ended. For example, if a team is a −3.5 favorite in a game and it ends up winning by three points, the spread will be +3.5 points.
This is a very simple example, but it illustrates an important point: the spread does not necessarily represent the amount of separation that exists between the two teams. For instance, let’s say that a team is a −3.5 favorite in a game and it wins by seven points. In that case, the spread would be +3.5 points, but the teams might not be that far apart in ability. Essentially, you need to look at a few key stats to get a good idea of how much separation there is between the teams and whether you’ll be able to predict the outcome of a game.
Types Of Spreads
While we’ve established that the spread is extremely important when it comes to predicting the outcome of a game, it’s also extremely important to understand the different types of spreads that are out there. Keep in mind that there is no universal agreement as to what constitutes a true or false or probable spread, so you’ll need to look at each team’s history to determine what kind of betting strategy to use.
To start with, there is the traditional spread, also known as the point spread. As the name implies, this represents the amount of points that will be awarded to the winner of a particular matchup. It’s most often used in baseball and basketball, but it can be applied to any sport. If a team is a −3.5 favorite in a game and it wins by three points, the spread would be +3.5 points.
This kind of betting strategy is extremely easy to understand and it usually attracts both casual and professional gamblers. Essentially, the idea is that you’re taking on the role of a bookmaker, setting the line to represent the spread and making money off of bets where you predict the outcome exactly as it happens. If you’re playing against the spread in a non-exotic game, it’s usually a good idea to do the same thing and look for games where you have an edge. In other words, try to find sports with small spreads, i.e., where the favorite is close to or less than the -3.5 mark.
The Moneyline Spread
Another popular type of spread is the moneyline spread. This type of spread is a little bit more complicated than the traditional one, but it embodies many of the same concepts. For one thing, it’s usually used in conjunction with betting on the actual winner of a game, rather than just a team. A team may win by three points or seven points, but in the case of a moneyline spread, the idea is to try to predict the total amount of money that will be wagered on the winner. This type of spread is used in all sports except football.
When it comes to the moneyline spread, you have to use a strategy very similar to the one you’d use for the traditional type of spread. The main difference is that instead of betting on one team, you’re now betting on the total amount of money that will be bet on the winner of a particular game. If you’re playing against the spread in a non-exotic game, it’s usually a good idea to do the same thing and look for games where you have an edge. In other words, try to find sports with big moneyline spreads, i.e., where the favorite is away from or near the 50 mark.
The Half-Time Spread
Finally, there is the half-time spread. This type of spread is only applicable to certain types of sports, like football and hockey, but it still follows the same basic strategy as the others. Essentially, the idea is that you’re taking on the role of a bookmaker, setting the line to represent the half-time or half-game point spread and taking bets where you predict the outcome exactly as it happens. In other words, you’re placing bets where you think the game will be close at halftime.
Once the halftime break is over, the betting quickly returns to the pre-halftime level, only this time, the spread changes in accordance with the amount of time that’s passed. For instance, if the game is still level at halftime, the half-time spread would be the same as the regular one. However, if your team wins by three points at the end of the first half, the spread would be increased by three points to make up for the time that’s passed. In other words, the half-time spread is the amount of separation that will occur between the two teams, adjusted for the amount of time that has passed since the beginning of the game. Essentially, this type of spread is used in all sports to determine the true half-time result. It’s also one of the more complicated types of spreads to understand, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a very useful tool to have in your bookmaker toolbox. As a general rule, if you’re not sure which type of spread to use, it’s usually a good idea to go with the traditional one. After all, it’s the most used and it probably has the simplest strategy. If you’re playing against the spread in a non-exotic game, it’s usually a good idea to do the same thing and look for games where you have an edge. In other words, try to find sports with small spreads, i.e., where the favorite is close to the -3.5 mark.