When it comes to sports betting lines, you probably are wondering what the lingo of lines, odds, and spreads really mean. Understanding what these terms mean is essential to making proper picks on your favorite teams. For the most part these rules apply to all the main sports such as football, basketball, soccer, and hockey. But there are some key differences when betting against the big leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
Sports Line Betting
Super Bowl and Stanley Cup Betting Odds
This is a simple wager on which team will win a particular game. Odds compilers will weigh up the relative strengths and weaknesses of each team, factoring in head-to-head records. How to Bet NBA & College Basketball - Basketball Betting Explained Single Bet (or Side) The single bet option is done with a point spread. Sports books determine a favorite and an underdog, then assigns each one with a point total. Money line betting is the most common type of basketball bet. Money line betting is especially popular in NCAA basketball games. It is considered to be straight betting. In money lines you are simply betting on who will win the match; it is very straightforward, it does not even matter what the score is, what matters is who wins – period.
A betting line is another terminology for point spread, which is tied to the outcome of the event. It is a forecasted prediction of how many points an anticipated stronger team will win by against a weaker team. In the betting world the stronger team is referred to as the favorite, and the weaker team is referred to as the underdog. These collectively are referred to as spreads.
NHL, Baseball, WNBA Playoffs Betting Picks
In a point spread, you have to bet against the forecasted outcome one way or the other, you cannot just pick a team to win lose or it without laying down a lot of money or it would be too easy to beat a highly likely winner. Instead if a team is predicted to win by 7 points, the spread would be -7 towards that team. You then must place on a bet on whether you think the favorite would beat the underdog by at least 7 points, or if you think the underdog could cover and lose by less than 7 or win. Sometimes a game is considered highly contested and balanced that you might have what is called a pick-em where you simple pick which team will win. Point spreads are common in the NFL.
NBA Point Spreads and NCAA Lines Reviewed
After point spreads are established, you can then look at the moneyline bet. This is generally correlated to the point spread except it shows how money you can win based on your wager. Some sports do not use a point spread but rather just stick to a moneyline bet. For example, a team that was a -7 favorite would likely have a moneyline negative as well, say -200. That means, you would have to bet $100 to win $200. Alternatively there is a plus bet that goes with the underdog, say at 250. That means if you bet 100 and the underdog wins, you can win $250. Moneyline bets generally involve a higher wager to make money as opposed to point spreads. Moneyline picks are the most common wager instrument in the major sports of NBA, MLB, hockey, and soccer.
Nascar, PGA Golf and MMA UFC Betting Lines
In unique situations, where a game has a lot of prestige such as the NFL super bowl , NBA playoffs, or the Stanley Cup, you can bet on prop bets which are bets on specific things that could happen during a game. This is a play strictly based on odds of something happen against it not happening. An example might be whether a field goal would be the first type of score in the football game. At any time as people are betting one way or the other, the odds will adjust as people make picks one way or the other.
Premier League, British Open Championship and College Football Odds Every Week
Opening lines generally come out a week before an event but for major events like the Superbowl, it might be out for two weeks once the matchup is established. Football events opening lines generally come out on a Tuesday after all the previous weeks games have been played and is usually the sport most heavily used to gamble on. Basketball and MLB have games more frequently and usually the opening line might only exist for the day of an event.
What Is Line Betting?
Line betting is a form of betting where the market is handicapped to make both betting outcomes equal. The bookmakers achieve this by giving both teams a margin, known as a line. If the bookmakers believe that one side is 12.5 points better than their opposition, you can back them to win by 13 or more points. Alternatively, you can back their opposition to either win the match or lose by less than 13 points. This gives you the chance to back a team at healthy odds, no matter how short or long they are on the Head to Head (H2H) market.
The example below shows the market for a game of AFL between GWS and Port Adelaide. GWS are the heavy favourites on the H2H market, paying $1.30 to win. The bookmakers have declared that in order for the odds to be even, GWS need to start 24.5 points behind their opposition, or Port Adelaide need a head start of 24.5 points.
| Team | H2H Odds | Line | Line Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Western Sydney | $1.30 | -24.5 | $1.91 |
| Port Adelaide | $3.50 | +24.5 | $1.91 |
How Do I Know If My Line Bet Is a Winner?
Working out the result of a line bet is relatively simple – just add or subtract the line from your team’s score and if their score is higher than their oppositions, it’s a winning bet.
For example, if you backed GWS at the line of -24.5, and GWS ended up winning 102-90, your bet would be unsuccessful because their adjusted total is less than Port Adelaide’s score of 90. Alternatively, if you backed GWS at the line of -24.5 and GWS ended up winning 150-90, your bet would be successful because their adjusted total is greater than Port Adelaide’s score of 90.
What Sports Is Line Betting Available On?
Basketball Spread Betting Explained
Line betting is available on most sports, including AFL, Basketball, NRL and Tennis.