The point spread is the most common bet type in American sports betting. Instead of just picking who wins, you're betting by how much they win or lose.
How Spreads Work
A spread has two sides:
The favorite is listed with a negative number: Chiefs -7. They must win by more than 7 points for your bet to win. Win by exactly 7 = push (tie, stake returned). Win by 6 or fewer, or lose = you lose your bet.
The underdog is listed with a positive number: Eagles +7. They must either win outright OR lose by fewer than 7 points for your bet to win.
Standard Spread Pricing
Most spread bets are priced at -110. This means you bet $110 to win $100. The extra $10 is the sportsbook's cut (the vig or juice).
At -110, you need to win 52.38% of your bets to break even. This is why you can't bet spreads blindly — you need genuine edge to overcome the vig.
Line Movement
Spreads move from when they open to game time. If a team opens at -7 and moves to -9 by kickoff, it means more money came in on the favorite. The book moved the line to attract more action on the other side.
Understanding why a line moved — sharp money vs. public money — helps you bet smarter. A line moving against public betting percentages (reverse line movement) often signals sharp action.
Key Numbers in Football
In the NFL, certain margins of victory are far more common than others. The most important: 3 (field goal) and 7 (touchdown). A team favored by -3 is in a very different position than -2.5, because a huge percentage of games end with exactly a 3-point margin.
[See live spread odds and line movement across all books with Oddible →]
