Sports betting is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and one of its most popular forms is betting against the spread. While casual bettors might focus on simply picking a winner, more experienced gamblers may pursue greater risk and opportunity by betting the spread. In this article, we'll look at what that means and how it works.

What Is the Spread?

The point spread is a margin set by oddsmakers to eve🎶n the odds between two teams of different skill levels. Instead of simply choosing the winning team, bettors must decide whether a team will win or lose by ꦜa certain number of points.

For example, if one team is favored by seven points, oddsmakers will assign them a point spread. In this case, it would be (-7). This means this team must win by more than seven points for a bet on them to succeed. On the other hand, the underdog (+7) needs to either win outright or lose by fewer than seven points for its bettors to win. The underdog may lose the match, but those who bet on the underdog can still win their bet if the underdog covers the spread.

In many ways, the spread is like a handicap. It doesn't influence the actual game, and no real points are awarded during the real match. However, it gives the underdog an advantage in the betting world by giving them a head start. In the example above, you could interpret the spread as the underdog starting the match with a 7-0 lead. For the rest of the match, the favorite must outscore the underdog by at least that much to win in the betting world.

How Does Covering the Spread Work?

Covering the spread means that the favored team wins by more🦋 than the assigned spread, or the underdog keeps the game closer than expected. In the example above, if a favorite is given a -7 spread and wins by more than seven points, they have covered the spread. If they win by less than six points or outright lose, they fail to cover. This means the underdog bet wins.

On the other hand, you can cover the spread even if the team loses. In this example we've been losing, the underdog could lose by only six points, in which case they would have covered the spread.

What Happens If the Spread Is Not Covered?

There are two things to consider if a team fails to cover the spread. The first is simply that the team lost their part of the bet. If an underdog's spread is +7 and they lose by 14, they fail to cover the spread. Any bettor that placed money on them to cover the spread has lost.

Another outcome is for there to be a push. A push occurs when the outcome is exactly that of the spread. In the example above, if the favorite wins by exactly seven points, all bets are generally returns and nobody wins. For this reason, oddsmakers try to set spreads that can't be achieved. In the example above, the spread would likely be 6.5 points or 7.5 points.

What Factors Influence the Spread?

Oddsmakers consider a lot of factors when setting the spread. This includes everything from team performance, injuries, weather conditions, and even betting trends. Sometimes underappre🐈ciated aspects of a game such as team fatigue, home-field advantage, and even travel schedules influence how oddsmakers calculate the spread.

Public perception also helps set the spread. If a large percentage of the betting public heavily favors one team, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:sportsbooks may adjust the spread to encourage balanced action on both sidesꦚ. This ensures that the bookmaker minim🍒izes risk while maintaining an even playing field for bettors.

Some sportsbooks offer opportunities for bettors to move the spread in either direction to get better or worse odds. For instance, in the example above, if you were confident the favorite would win by at least 10 points, you could sell points and move the margin that the team would have to cover. To be compensated for this risk, you would face a better payout. Alternatively, if you're less confident, you can buy down the spread say, to four points. However, you'd face worse payout amounts.

Once the spread is set, it can shift based on betting patterns. If heavy action comes in on one team, sportsbooks may adjust the spread to balance the risk. There may always be factors that emerge as the🌳 game gets closer, such as key players needingও to sit or unexpected personnel illnesses.

Example of Covering the Spread

In the 2025 Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs by 18 points. Though the spread would have varied across sportsbooks, one such example was the spread of Kansas City (-1.5) and Philadelphia (+1.5). This means that oddsmakers thought the game would have been much closer than it was, and this sportsbook thought Kansas City was the favorite.

The Philadelphia Eagles could have lost and still covered the spread. For exa♔mple, if they lost by only one point, they would have still covered. However, by winning (regardless of how many points they won by), they covered t🧜he spread and rewarded all bettors who put money on them.

Covering the Spread vs. Money Line Bet

Covering the spread involves wagering on a team not just to win, but to either exceed a predetermined margin if they are the favorite or stay within that margin if they are the underdog. Another popular betting option is a money line bet. This ♊is a straightforward wager on which team will win, regardless of the final score or margin of victory.

Since spread bets account for performance beyond simply winning or losing, the odds are usually set around -110 for both teams, meaning bettors must wager $110 to win $100. Money line odds, however, reflect the perceived probability of a team winning outright. A heavy favorite might have odds of -250 or worse, requiring a bettor to risk $250 just to win $100. Conversely, betting on an underdog on the money line, such as at +200, could yield a $200 profit on a $100 bet if they pull off an upset.

The main takeaway here is that it's generally more difficult to cover the spread as opposed to just picking the outright winner. However, oddsmakers know this, so they adjust payout amounts to reflect the extra amount of risk bettors take trying to cover the spread.

The Bottom Line

Understanding how to cover the spread is essential for anyone serious about sports betting. It adds complexity to wagering, making it more strategic than simply picking winners and losers. By analyzing trends, managing risk, and staying informed, bettors can improve their chances of long-term success.