What is a Point Spread? Sports Betting Explained

How Does a Point Spread Work?

Point spread allows you to back the favourites or the underdogs, with respect to the winning margin in the match. The winning margin is the difference in points or goals between the winner and the loser. 

A negative point spread indicates the favourites, while a positive indicates the underdogs. For instance, a +7.5 point spread in the NFL means that you're backing the underdog to either win or lose by 7 points or fewer. On the other hand, a -7.5 point spread means the favourites will win by 8 or more points. 

In football, point spreads are usually presented as handicaps for goals, corners or cards. For goals, you can find a -1.5 handicap for the favourites, indicating they'll win by 2 or more goals. Hence, a 2-0, 3-1, or 4-2 score will suffice. On the other hand, a +1.5 handicap indicates the underdogs will win or lose by fewer than 2 goals. Hence, a 1-0, 2-1, or 3-2 score will allow you to win your bet.

Point Spread vs Other Betting Markets

Before the point spread started to become popular in the UK betting scene, punters generally wagered on other betting markets. Here is how the point spread compares to markets such as match winners, over/under, and handicap.

• Match Winner: This is the simplest market in the betting space. You'll wager on the team that will win the match or select if it will be a draw. It's usually common across sports like football, cricket, boxing, rugby, and hockey.

• Handicap betting: Handicap betting follows the same concept as point spread. It evens the field for both favourites and underdogs. In the UK betting space, handicap betting is usually considered the same as point spread, but it’s more available for football, rugby, and tennis. However, while point spreads eliminate the possibility of a draw like Asian handicaps, European handicaps allow for a draw.

• Totals (over/under): The totals market allows you to bet on the total number of goals or points in a match. This is different from point spread, as you don't need to worry about whether a side will win or lose the match. You only need to predict if the number of goals will be over or under a particular mark set by the bookie. You could wager on over 4.5 to indicate that 5 or more goals will be scored in the match.

Why Do Bookmakers Use Point Spreads?

There are always favourites and underdogs for every sports contest. However, there are times when there are clear favourites with the underdogs having only a slight chance to triumph. In such cases, the odds on the favourites to win the match are usually small, leaving the contest less competitive. To encourage more engagement in these matches, bookmakers provide the point spread market to make the underdogs more attractive to bet on. 

Additionally, the point spread market balances actions between the favourites and the underdogs, helping to even the playing field. It also allows bookies to protect their profit by preventing all punters from backing the favourites and getting a payout.

Example of a Point Spread Bet

Placing a point spread bet is easy once you understand how odds are presented. Follow the simple steps below. 

• Choose a fixture: The first step is to select a fixture on a UKGC-regulated bookmaker. Let's say you chose Aston Villa vs Brentford in a Carabao Cup match.

• Interpret the odds: If you found handicap options like -1.5 or -2.5 for Aston Villa and +1.5 or +2.5 for Brentford. The negative odds mean Aston Villa are the favourites, while the positive ones back Brentford as the underdog.

• Work out your wins/losses:  If you back Aston Villa with -2.5 goals, they must win the match by 3 or more goals for you to payout your bet. On the other hand, if you back Brentford at odds of +2.5, they must either win or lose by two goals or fewer. Hence, a 2-0 or 3-1 loss will suffice.

Pros and Cons of Point Spread Betting

Despite improved engagement, point spread betting comes with a significant level of risk. We've provided a list of the pros and cons below.

Point Spread Betting in the UK

While the concept of point spread betting is the same everywhere, it is used in the UK differently from how it is perceived in the U.S. Point spread is one of the most popular betting options alongside moneyline and totals in the U.S. Even casual players betting on the NFL, NBA, or NHL understand how it works.

On the other hand, most UK punters wager on 1x2, both teams to score, correct score, and over/under. However, some players wager on the handicap betting market, which is closely related to the point spread market. With Asian or European handicaps, the favourites and underdogs also get an even playing field. It's common for matches in football, tennis, basketball and rugby.

Nevertheless, more UK bookies now offer odds on American sports and present point spread options to punters. Hence, the betting market has continued to become popular in the UK.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The complexity surrounding point spread betting makes it easy for beginner bettors to make mistakes. If you're just starting, here are the pitfalls you want to avoid.

• Ignoring form: Like match winner and over/under betting markets, the form of each team is crucial. Therefore, we encourage doing proper research, including checking head-to-head and statistics, before placing your bets.

• Misunderstanding half-points: Half-points eliminate the possibility of a tie, draw, or push in the point spread market. If you assume pushes are possible when they're not, you'll lose your bet. For instance, your wager on -3.5 needs 4 or more points to win. You will lose the bet if your team wins with only 3 points.

• Chasing losses: Chasing your losses will lead to losing your entire bankroll. You need to set up deposit limits to safeguard your bankroll.

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• Click here for more information on What is a Parlay?

• Click here for more information on What are Risk Free Bets?

Responsible Gambling 

The UKGC is strict with responsible gambling, and they ensure that all UK-regulated bookmakers adhere to responsible gambling policies. Hence, all betting sites will request your identification documents to verify your identity and age to help them prevent underage gambling and internet fraud.

Remember that gambling is for fun and not a way to financial freedom. If you ever feel pressured to wager more than you can afford to lose, kindly opt in for GamStop self-exclusion to stay away from betting for up to 5 years.