Ask most experienced sports bettors where they polish up their betting facts and strategies and Betastic is sure to get a mention. One particular subject that we know confuses gamblers sometimes is spread betting in sports and that’s the reason we’ve created this guide.
While straight moneyline bets are easier to understand, many bettors tend to favor betting on the spread. If you’re looking to spice up your sports betting exploits, spreadbetting is an excellent option. In this article, we’ll go through the basics and then move on to the more complex side of the spreadbetting on sports.
Spread betting is where you bet on the possible outcome of a sporting event. The more you’re right, the more money you win. And the opposite applies. You don’t necessarily have to be on the side that winds up winning the match, and neither does the possible outcome have to be the game’s result. It can be any outcome within a specified buy-sell range. A simple example is if the Lakers are playing against Miami Heat in an NBA playoff, and the bookie offers a spread of 220-231. You have to predict whether the result will be less than 220 or more than 231. If you think it’ll be higher, you buy. On the other hand, if you think it’ll be lower, you sell. It’s really that simple.
If you’re new to the concept of spread betting in sports, you’re probably wondering what perks, if any, come with this type of wager. To answer your question, there are several advantages involved, starting with being rewarded for your knowledge and judgment. In other words, the more correct your predictions are, the more rewards you win. Also, you can use this strategy on a wide range of sports betting markets, as most bookies offer the option.
In addition, you can also enjoy in-play bets to make your betting experience even more exciting. With in-play spreads, you can even go as far as changing your mind about the bet minutes before the game ends and completely go the other way with your bets. For instance, where you were predicting underdogs to win by a certain margin, you can decide that they’ll lose by a certain margin. As opposed to only betting on a specific match or race, you can bet on certain players, jockeys, or a tournament.
With fixed odds betting, you win or lose a specific amount if your predictions are correct or not. However, in spreadbetting, the amount you win or lose is determined by how accurate your predictions are. As we said, the more right your predictions are, the more you win.
Another difference associated with fixed odds betting and spread betting is the risk is a little higher with the latter. As such, it’s possible to lose more than your stake, given the volatile nature of some sport betting markets.
Because some sport betting markets are more volatile than others, there are few tips you can keep in mind to overcome the hurdles associated with spread betting. Understanding the markets you’re betting on will be to your advantage. It’s vital to study the markets to ascertain their volatility. Volatile markets have a wide range of possible outcomes, while non-volatile markets have limited outcomes.
Also, consider establishing your worst potential outcome for a realistic betting experience. Make sure you manage your stakes effectively. Lower your stakes if the risk is higher and vice versa. Also, place small wagers whenever possible to play it safe. Anything less than 5% of your total bankroll is a good start. Lastly, try and quit while you’re ahead. If you place a bet that you feel isn’t favorable for you anymore, it’s prudent to cut your losses to protect your bank balance.
In spread betting, a sports point spread has three possible outcomes namely: win, lose, or push. In the case of a win, a bettor wins by selecting a team that ends up winning by a margin greater than the point spread. You lose if the team wins by a margin less than the point spread. Bettors who chose the underdog win if the underdog wins or loses by a margin less than the point spread. A loss, in this case, is when the underdog loses by a margin more than the point spread. A push or tie is when a team wins by a result that falls within the point spread margin. In which case, you receive your entire wager back—something most sportsbooks aren’t too thrilled about.
No sports betting how to guide would be complete without fully explaining the basic concepts. To help you understand the intricacies of spreadbetting, we’ve outlined how you can bet on three components. Let’s briefly examine each of them.
A sports point spread often referred to as just the “spread” is the number of scoring points of a game representing the estimated margin of victory for the favorite over the underdog. The sports betting point spread margin differs from one sport to the next. And in most cases, the bookie integrates the home advantage into the point spread.
In the sports betting world, a favorite is deemed the team more likely to win, or the better team. So when you’re betting on a favorite, you’re essentially betting on a winner. And, you can usually identify a favorite with a negative or minus sign in front of the sports point spread. You win if the favorite team wins by an amount greater than the point spread.
In spread betting in sports, it follows that the underdog is the team perceived as less likely to win a match or event. And you can identify this team with a positive or plus sign preceding the point spread. You’ll win if the underdog wins the event or loses by an amount that is less than the betting line.
Generally, in the sports betting world, bettors must familiarize themselves with the odds offered by the bookie before placing wagers. Spread betting in sports is no different. Bookies usually set a spread, in an attempt to level the playing field for the odds between two unevenly matched teams. And when it comes to a spread bet, the odds differ from bookie to bookie. For instance, if you bet on the Chicago Blackhawks with odds +3 and New York Rangers with odds -3 and win, your payout will be the same.
It’s not uncommon for teams to be closely matched during an event. When that happens, the sportsbook usually lists the game as a Pick’em. What this simply means is that the point spread isn’t incorporated in the game and doesn’t come into play. So for you to win your bet, your team must win the game. If the team you wager on loses, you lose the bet. In this case, Pick’em means the betting line is even.
You might be familiar with the term vigorish in sports betting, also known as vig. That is the commission or cut a bookie incorporates into their odds to make a profit. The term has a more or less similar meaning in spread betting. It generally refers to the house advantage in betting odds the sportsbook creates to profit. As such, the vigorish is incorporated into the betting line by the bookie in each game. The goal is for the sportsbook to make money regardless of the outcome of a sporting event or match.
Given how football goes hand in hand with betting on the spread, we thought it necessary to dedicate a football point spread explained section for fans. To place your bet in football, check out the prediction or market in question listed by the bookie. Decide if you think the outcome will be higher or lower than the spread specified. If it’s higher, you buy. If it’s lower, you sell. Whether you receive a loss or profit depends on how the final outcome is different from your buy and sell levels.
Despite often being misconstrued as a complex concept by some bettors, spread betting is pretty simple to comprehend. Spread bets are easy to place, and you don’t need to be on the side that ends up winning. As opposed to fixed-odds characterized by a win or lose scenario, the simple spread betting meaning is that bettors have a wider margin to work with. The bookie offers a betting line. And you predict whether the outcome will be higher or lower than the specified range. You can win, lose, or tie. When a tie happens, you receive your stake back. Visit Betastic.com if you need more information on how the sports gambling world works.
If you’re familiar with fixed odds betting, you’re aware of how you know exactly how much you’ll win or lose if you predict the outcome of a sporting event correctly or incorrectly. Spreadbetting isn’t as cut and dried and throws an interesting dimension into your betting experience. Go through our guides if, among other things, you’re looking to get spreadbetting explained.
All teams aren’t created the same in sports betting. As such, you’ll find some that win while others lose. However, if you only bet on the winning team, it would make the concept of sports betting less interesting, which is where other types of bet like parlay betting and spreadbetting can really spice it up. As a result, bookies try to even out the playing field by offering multiple bet types, as we explain in our guides.
Many bettors find sports betting pretty interesting thanks to the various bet types you can place, which include moneyline, teaser bets, over/under, spreadbetting or Against the Spread (ATS) betting. If you find any of these bet types difficult to understand, then you need Betastic. Head over right now and check out our selection of sports betting guides.
Betting on the spread comes with several advantages that many bettors new to sports betting might not be aware of. We make it a point to outline the pros of spread betting in sports and how you can make the experience count in your favor while wagering on your favorite sports online.
The concept of spread betting is quite different from traditional fixed odds betting, which encompasses a win or lose scenario. You know exactly how much is at stake. Things play out a little differently when you discuss point spread football. Instead of betting on a binary outcome, our football point spread explained sections in our guides unpack the concept a bit deeper and provides numerous examples.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
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