The line item in the sports betting exchange rate that stands out is the one that reads, ‘Vegas odds against -3.’ Now, whenever someone bets on the NFL, that number is what they’ll see at the bottom of the screen during the course of the game. It means that the bettor will have to lay 3 points to win the game, or cover the spread (if the game is played on a spread). That’s typically a good thing for the bettor, because if they win, they’ll win by a landslide. If they lose, well, at least they’ll have had a good try.
What does the ‘-3′ mean in betting? Let’s take a quick look.
What does the ‘-3′ mean in betting?
When a sportsbook opens, they’ll often reveal important information about their lines and the betting experience in general, in a press release, or on their website. One of the more popular, and informative, reveals from a Vegas sportsbook came in the form of a press release that was distributed in October 2019:
“Vegas Sportsbook is thrilled to announce the addition of a -3 betting option for our NFL and college football betting lines,” said Joel Kurth, Director of Marketing, Vegas Sportsbook. “The -3 option will add a whole new layer of excitement to the already exciting game of football. Along with our standard -2 and +2 options, our patrons have now got three choices when it comes to betting on their favorite team. It will take some time to get used to, but we’re confident that our players will enjoy the additional choice and will continue to come back for more.”
The spread between the Vegas and -3 lines, at least at first glance, looks a little daunting. For someone who is used to placing a bet on the favorite in an NFL or college game, and wants to place a bet on the under, or against, the spread, it can feel a bit unnatural. However, as we’ve established, being able to lay or take a -3 is typically a good thing for the sports bettor. It means that just about any game, NFL or college game, can be won or lost based on the result. In other words, as long as your team can cover the spread by three or more points, you’ll be able to make money. Whether you like it or not, at least you’ll have the opportunity to try.
Why is Vegas Offering a -3 Line?
The simple answer is that the NBA and most other professional sports leagues don’t have the same overlap in terms of teams that they do in the NFL and college football. This means that there are more options for bettors who want to focus on one sport than there are in the case of an NFL or college football game. You’ll typically see the ‘-3′ presented as part of a prop bet, or as part of a teaser bet (in other words, before the game has been played) in the case of an NBA game. In the NFL, the opposite is typically the case; you’ll see props offered for teams with large spreads vs. underdogs, or a prop bet on whether a touchdown will be scored or not by both teams in a given game. In the case of an NBA game, due to the nature of the sport, there’s more of a prop bet option than there is in an NFL or college football game. For example, will the under or over perform their expectation based on the betting lines, or will the favorite win by more or less than three points?
What Does The -3 Mean In Terms Of Percentages?
A -3 line in terms of percentages is pretty self-explanatory. If you’re used to betting on percentages, or if you’re simply an enthusiast who likes to follow the statistics, then it’s not a hard number to figure out. Just remember that if your team is on a -3 line in Vegas, it means you’re getting 3 points added to your total, on top of whatever else you might already be planning to bet on, making for a total of at least 6 points. Now, you might assume that this would make games less likely to end in a tie, or in a situation where only the winner is decided based on the total points scored, but that’s not necessarily true. In the event of a tie, as long as there are at least two minutes remaining in the game, the officials will typically have the option of awarding the win to either team, or leaving the game scoreless, which is essentially what would have happened if the -3 team had lost.
Why Are NBA and MLB Teams Typically Offered At Different Sportsbooks?
The simple answer to this question is that the NBA and MLB have, generally speaking, a much smaller overlap in terms of teams than the NFL and college football do. This means that there are fewer options for bettors who want to bet on one sport but don’t want to mix it up with the other two. For someone who is used to placing a wager on the favorite in the case of an NBA or MLB game, and wants to place a wager on the under or against the spread in an NFL or college football game, it can feel a bit unnatural, at least at first glance. However, as we’ve established, being able to lay a -3, or take a -3, is typically a good thing for the sports bettor. It means that just about any game, NFL or college football game, can be won or lost based on the result. In other words, as long as your team can cover the spread by three or more points, you’ll be able to make money. Whether you like it or not, at least you’ll have the opportunity to try.
Hopefully, this article will help you better understand what the -3 means in betting. Keep in mind that the odds will always favor the house, and therefore, in the end, it’s all about how well you do, relative to how well the house does, in terms of the numbers that come up. Do your best, and hopefully, you’ll do well enough, so as to create a positive outcome, which, in the end, is what all sports bettors really want to achieve.