Betting Against The Spread
As you’ve probably already discovered, Betting is full of all sorts of jargon, all important to know if you’re going to come away with a prize pot. Spread Betting is one of those terms that may sound confusing but in reality is incredibly simple and a major part in how we bet.
For those new to betting you’ll find a full guide to Against the Spread below, including what it is and how you play it.
What Is Betting Against The Spread?
No matter what the sport you want to bet on, there will usually be a favorite and an underdog. To combat this and even up the game, bookmakers will tend to offer Spread betting markets to balance the game up.
What Spread betting does is essentially hand out a handicap to the favorite team in which they must then win by in order for you to win the bet, if you back them of course.
Spread betting will look a little something like this on most bookmaker websites:
- San Francisco 49ers: +7.5 (-110)
- New England Patriots: -7.5 (-110)
How To Play Against The Spread (ATS)
Taking the example above, in this instance the Patriots are favorites by 7.5 points. In terms of the game this effectively gives the 49ers a 7.5 point head start and if you were to back the Patriots, they would have to win the game by more than 7.5 points for you to bet.
If you back that and the Patriots won by 10 points, for example, the you will have won “against the spread”.
Alternatively, if you were to bet on the 49ers, you would win the bet if either the team won the game or lost by fewer than 7.5 points.
So, if the score finished 24-21 in favour of the Patriots, if you backed the 49ers you would win as they only lost by three points.
If the Patriots won 30-22, then you would lose the bet backing the 49ers as they had lost by eight points.
What Sports Can I Bet Against The Spread?
The NFL is comfortably the most popular market when it comes to spread betting, however most major online bookmakers will offer a spread across all the most popular sports.
You’ll be able to back the likes of soccer, baseball, ice hockey and basketball with this wager, and ultimately any other market which is scored via points.
Sports where you can play a spread include:
Finding Value Against The Spread
Spread betting is a great way to find value in your betting. It’s ultimately all about finding where you believe the bookmaker has under or over valued the spread.
Studying the odds each weekend will help you spot where the value lies, while keeping up-to-date with the latest news on teams and players will give you a good indication of how certain games may play out.
For example, if a team is in free-scoring mode, then they’re likely going to be high scoring once again, so you may wish to play a higher spread. If a key defensive player is injured, that may play a part in a team conceding more points against them.
Once you have an idea of how a game will play out, you’re primed and ready for spread betting.
Where To Play Against The Spread
Most major online bookmakers will offer spread betting as their main markets, particularly on the NFL.
However, bookmakers will also have different names dependent on the sport you’re betting on. For example, in ice hockey bookmakers will refer to it as Puck Line, while in soccer it’s Goal Line Betting.
You’ll never be short of a fantastic bookie offering this wager though and at Gambler Saloon we work with some of the very best.
Head to our Bookmakers Page now for all our favorite bookies, all waiting for you to get your spread betting careers up and running.
Not only that you’ll find plenty of betting offers to sign up to, perfect for trialling the market before placing your own money on it. So, what’re you waiting for?
