Point Spreads Explained

If you’ve ever heard anyone talk about betting on football, you may have heard them ask “what’s the line?” or “what’s the spread?” What they are referring to is the point spread, a method for evening things out among sports teams so an individual can bet on either team and hope to win.

Why Point Spreads Exist

It’s a maxim in football that “any given team can win on any given day.” The problem is that while this is true, it is usually the case that one team is much more likely to win than the other. If the New York Giants play the Detroit Lions, it will be very difficult to get anyone to bet on Detroit no matter how long the odds the bookmakers offer.
However, if the Giants are required to win by a certain number of points, the situation changes dramatically.

Point Spread Example

Let’s say that instead of the Giants just having to win, they have to win by 14 points. This is a very different situation. People who are sure that the Giants will win the game may not be so sure that they can win by more than two touchdowns.
Suddenly some of the action may go to Detroit. If it doesn’t, the bookmakers can make it 15 points, and so forth. All in the purpose of getting their betting partners to place bets on both sides.

Reading Point Spreads

Point spreads are usually not this large. A typical line will look something like New England +6 Carolina. This means that if you take New England, you get six points. If Carolina wins the game 21 to 17, bets on New England win. If Carolina wins 21 to 14, bets on Carolina win.
If the final score is Carolina 20, New England 14, it is a push and no one wins. Of course, if the underdog wins, all bets on the underdog win. Keep in mind that the line may move over the course of the week depending on how people are betting.

Taking Advantage of Point Spreads

To win against the spread, you need to be able to make an accurate assessment of how much better one team is than the other. It’s a bit like in poker, when you can call without the best hand, if the pot gives you a good enough price.
This can be done through analysis of previous results, injury reports, and other statistics.

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