Betting on the point spread can keep you engaged to a game that you'd normally tune out of like a 24-0 football game. When a point spread is added to the equation, suddenly you’re on the edge of your seat in the 4th quarter despite the 24-point lead as you hold a +24.5 underdog betting slip. That’s the beauty of point spread betting, which is sometimes referred to as betting the "spread" or the “side.”
Point spread betting is one of the most popular bet types especially for football and basketball games which often feature a dominant team vs. a weaker opponent that’s very unlikely to cash a moneyline wager. Keep reading if you're new to sports betting or still wondering "what does spread mean in betting?" or "What is the spread in betting?" or "What does a spread of -7 mean in betting?"
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Terms and Conditions
Must be 18+ (19+ in AL, NE; 19+ in CO for some games; 21+ in AZ, MA, and VA) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. See assets.underdogfantasy.com/
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How Does Spread Betting work?
Simply put, the point spread is a wager on the margin of victory of a particular game. Oddsmakers determine an appropriate point spread based on how competitive the game is perceived to be. For example, when the Chiefs and Chargers play in Week 1 of the upcoming NFL season, it’s expected to be a close game between two potential playoff teams, so the point spread is Chiefs -3. On the other hand, the most lopsided game of Week 1 is expected to be Denver Broncos -7.5 vs. Tennessee Titans.
Betting sites have installed the Broncos as 7.5-point favorites so bettors on Denver -7.5 are hoping the Broncos win by 8 points or more to "cover the spread." Meanwhile, bettors on Tennessee essentially get a 7.5-point buffer (+7.5 point spread) because the Titans are the inferior team, so if Tennessee loses by 7 or less (or wins the game outright), that bet cashes.
| Team | Point Spread | Odds |
| Tennessee Titans | +7.5 (-112) | -110 |
| Denver Broncos | -7.5 (-108) | -110 |
Odds from FanDuel as of August 13, 2025
What Does Spread Mean In Betting?
Favorites (the perceived stronger team) are marked with a minus sign (-), while underdogs (the perceived weaker team) are noted with a plus sign (+) to designate how many extra points a betting site is giving that team. Here's another way to think of this: At the start of the Broncos -7.5 vs. Titans +7.5 game when the score is 0-0 on your television, for the purposes of your bet, the score is Tennessee 7.5-0.
When two teams are evenly matched, instead of a point spread + or - you might see the words “pick” or “pick ‘em” or "EVEN" which means the point spread is essentially zero and the bet is simply who is going to win the game outright.
In the example above, you will either win or lose this point spread bet and can't push (AKA tie) because the spread is a half point. If the point spread was exactly 7, and the Broncos won by exactly 7 then it'd be a push and you'd get your stake back.
How to Read a Point Spread
Next to the point spread is a number like -110 or -120. This number is the odds the betting app is charging to make the bet, often called the “vigorish” or “juice.” Since spread bets essentially level the playing field between two unevenly matched teams, a standard point spread bet has -110 odds for both sides. The vigorish, like the point spread, will fluctuate before the game depending on public betting patterns and other factors.
Understanding how odds work and what -110 means is quite simple. A betting site is saying it’ll cost $110 to win $100 and a -120 price means it will take a $120 wager to win $100. With +105 juice, $100 will win $105 and $500 will win $525. Even in a perfectly even matched situation with no point spread, like a coin flip or two theoretically identical teams, expect -110 vigorish because this is how sportsbooks earn profit.
There is generally a correlation between the moneyline and the point spread. For instance, in our Kansas City Chiefs -3 vs. LA Chargers +3 point spread example, the moneyline is Chiefs -164 and Chargers +138. Notice how the moneyline becomes more dramatic (Broncos -390 & Titans +310) in a game with a higher point spread.
Keep in mind, while full game point spreads are more popular, bettors can also bet the point spread for a portion of the game too such as the first half or the first quarter.
Terms and Conditions
Must be 18+ (19+ in AL, NE; 19+ in CO for some games; 21+ in AZ, MA, and VA) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. See assets.underdogfantasy.com/
Terms and Conditions
Must be 18+ (19+ in AL, NE; 19+ in CO for some games; 21+ in AZ, MA, and VA) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. See assets.underdogfantasy.com/
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
21+ and present in OH.
Point Spread betting & Key Numbers
It's wise to consider "key numbers" when making point spread bets, especially with NFL wagers. Key numbers, as they pertain to spread betting, are the most common margins of victory. For instance, in the NFL, 3 is the most common margin of victory (about 15% of games) and thus the most important key number.
Key Numbers by sport
NFL
The most important numbers to be aware of in NFL point spreads are 3, 7 and 10 (in that order). Because so many games are decided by exactly 3 points, there’s a big difference between a -3 point spread and a -3.5 point spread.
NBA
Key numbers are not nearly as important or helpful in the NBA as they are in the NFL. Key numbers in the NBA are moving target because of how scoring has changed recently, but the numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 have historically been the most common margins of victory.
MLB
Baseball’s point spread, also known as “run line,” is set at -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog. Unlike basketball and football the run line is fairly static while the vigorish on it will change leading up to the first pitch.
NHL
The NHL’s version of a point spread is called the “puck line” and is similar to MLB's run line. Unlike football and basketball, it’s virtually always set at -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog. The juice on these bets is drastically different in each game and will change before the puck drops.
| League | Most Common Point Spread | Avg. Point Spread |
| NFL | -3 (48 times) | -4.9 |
| NBA | -3.5 (84 times) | -6.6 |
| MLB | -1.5 (Run Line) | -1.5 |
| NHL | -1.5 (Puck Line) | -1.5 |
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What does buying points mean?
Most sports betting sites allow you to buy points on a point spread or total. For example, let’s say you want to wager on the Los Angeles Rams at -5 (-110) against the Arizona Cardinals, who are +5 (-110). In addition to just betting the point spread on the favored Rams at -5 (-110), you could also buy a half-point to make the spread -4.5 (-120) or take a full point to make it -4 (-130).
Similarly, you could bet the underdog Cardinals at +5.5 (-120) or +6.0 (-130) by buying a half-point or a full point. Sportsbooks will often allow you to buy up to 3 points on basketball and football lines. Often the price for buying points is more expensive around key numbers.
How are Point Spreads Made?
When deciding a point spread for a particular game, oddsmakers like Caesars Sportsbook or FanDuel consider a number of factors including teams’ strengths, past performance, rest advantages, home crowd influence, momentum, motivation, injuries, weather (for outdoor sports), and much more. Keep in mind these factors are unique to each team’s situation. For instance a starting QB injury might impact an NFL point spread less if the team has a capable backup, and a bookmaker will assign more points to home field advantage for a team like the Seattle Seahawks who play in a loud stadium, compared to the Los Angeles Chargers who have a quieter home crowd.
It’s common for a point spread to change leading up to a game. For instance, in our Broncos -7 vs. Titans example, if Denver QB Bo Nix was injured in practice before kickoff, we’d expect that line to fall to perhaps Broncos -5. If you bet on Broncos at -7 and the line adjusts to -5 right before kickoff, your bet is still for the -7 price (unlike horse racing).
Keep in mind that line movement occurs for various reasons besides injuries or breaking news. For example, oddsmakers could accept point spread bets on Tennessee by respected customers with a history of winning and decide to drop the number from -7 to -6 thinking their original line was off. Or, a betting site will adjust the point spread because the public has bet so much on one team that it’s creating liability and they want to discourage more bets on that same side.
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Betting apps often have different point spreads (and juice) for the same game which is why it’s helpful to utilize multiple sportsbooks and to shop around for the best deal. Click here for a breakdown of the top betting sites.
The two tables below show odds for the same game at two different betting sites. A Chiefs’ bettor should bet the game at Sportsbook A where the line is Kansas City -2.5, but a Ravens backer gets a better deal at Sportsbook B because if Baltimore loses by the key number of 3, they'd push and get their original wager back.
| Team | Spread | Juice |
| Baltimore Ravens | +2.5 | -110 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -2.5 | -110 |
| Team | Spread | Juice |
| Baltimore Ravens | +3 | -110 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -3 | -110 |
What is Alternative Spread Betting?
Alternative point spread wagers, sometimes called “alt spread” bets or "alt lines", work just like standard point spread betting, but with the opportunity to manipulate a point spread while the juice changes to reflect the newly created point spread.
For example, in Week 1 of the upcoming NFL season, you'll find: Chicago Bears -2 vs. Minnesota Vikings +2. Most betting sites will offer standard -110 juice on both sides, but if a bettor thinks the wrong team is favored and the Vikings can beat the Bears by more than four points, one sports betting strategy would be to create an alternative point spread of Vikings -4 which will pay a tempting +170 price. When manipulating the line in this manner so the underdog is laying points, as in this example, remember to compare the +170 price with the Vikings moneyline bet to see which offers better value.
Using our Bears - Vikings example, if a bettor thinks Minnesota will blowout Chicago, they could take an even more extreme alt spread like Vikings are -6.5 and that new line might pay around +200. The further a bettor deviates away from the original point spread set by the oddsmaker, the more extreme the odds will get. It’s also an option to bet alt over/unders AKA "totals" set by betting apps in a similar manner.
Is it better to bet The Spread On favorites or Underdogs?
While there are various trends in different sports to suggest short-term success rates for betting on underdogs or favorites, there is no blanket answer to this question. While favorites are more likely to win, they don't pay as handsomely as dogs.
Beginner bettors have a tendency to pick favorites and shy away from underdogs and, in general, sharp bettors are comfortable betting underdogs in the right spots. Our top pick sites page can help you find sources for winning wagers. If you're placing a wager with a bonus bet, betting on underdogs is generally your best bet because of the + money odds.
compare sports betting sites
Our 
FinCertified betting sites all take pride in offering fair point spreads, as well as alternate lines to meet your betting needs. Compare the top betting sites below to see where you'll place your first bet against the point spread!
| Top Operators | Current Bonus | Promo Code | Bonus Type | Bonus Amount | Wagering Period | Minimum Deposit |
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Image  | Bonus is not available in your region | No Code Needed | Bet and Get | $200 | 7 Days | $10 |
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Image  | Bonus is not available in your region | No Code Needed | Bet and Get | $150 | 7 Days | $10 |
Betting App Comparison Report Updated on: October 16th, 2025
