When someone bets on sports, they normally refer to the spread as the sum of money they are willing to wager. When placing a wager on a sporting event, the money is spread out over the total amount of points that will be scored by both teams. A spread of 7 points means the sports bettor will win $100 if the favorite team wins by 7 points or more. If the underdog wins by 7 points or more, then the sports bettor will lose $100.
The Spread As A Percentage
Another term for spread is differential. When someone puts a wager on a sporting event, they normally compare the point-spread to a percentage of their bankroll. For example, a $100 bankroll would make a $10 wager on a game with a 7-point spread very expensive, as the bettor would risk losing $87. In this case, the risk of losing $100 is extremely high, but the potential gain is also very attractive. If the game has a 10-point spread, a $10 wager would be a good investment as long as the bankroll is more than $90.
On the other hand, if the bettor had a $50 bankroll and placed a wager on a game with a 2-point spread, the risk of losing $100 is relatively low as the potential gain is only $50. In this case, a $10 wager would be a bad investment because the overall risk outweighs the potential gain.
Odds And Ends
The following list includes some other terms and phrases you may encounter when making wagers on sports. These are simply common phrases used in betting, they are not meant to be taken literally:
- Over/Under
- Point Spread
- Point Total
- Moneyline
- Moneyball
- Free Play
- Hard Strike
- Goodboy
- Badboy
- Big Bet
- Bookie
- Lines
- Shooting Star
- Dragonmouth
- Big Win
- Horseplayer
- Royal flush
- Full House
- Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pair
- Pair of Jacks
- Pair of Tens
- Joker
- Ten of Spades
- Nine of Spades
- Eight of Spades
- Seven of Spades
- Six of Spades
- Five of Spades
- Four of Spades
- Three of Spades
- Two of Spades
- One of Spades
- Spade
- Deuce of Hearts
- Six Hearts
- Five Hearts
- Four Hearts
- Three Hearts
- Two Hearts
- One Heart
- Hearts
- Ten of Clubs
- Nine of Clubs
- Eight of Clubs
- Seven of Clubs
- Six of Clubs
- Five of Clubs
- Four of Clubs
- Three of Clubs
- Two of Clubs
- One of Clubs
- Clubs
- Ten of Diamonds
- Nine of Diamonds
- Eight of Diamonds
- Seven of Diamonds
- Six of Diamonds
- Five of Diamonds
- Four of Diamonds
- Three of Diamonds
- Two of Diamonds
- One of Diamonds
- Diamonds
- One Over Under
- Double Handed
- Wild Pair
- Black Tot
- Red Tot
- Tenacity
- Power outage
- Futility
- Hard Court
- Good Time
- Identity
- Tricky Spot
- Exotic Bird
- Eco-Friendly
- Bingo
- Fractional
As a rule, when someone bets on sports, they will use one of the many online sportsbooks. They will log on to the site, make a deposit if necessary, and then place their wagers. Once the wagers are made, the results will be posted immediately, sometimes even before the end of the game. This ensures fast action and a very competitive environment, particularly around the holidays when there are a lot of online sportsbooks offering special deals to attract customers.