Covering the spread is the central concept in point spread betting. Simply: if you bet a team with a spread and your bet wins, they covered.
How Covering Works
Betting a favorite: You bet Chiefs -7. They need to win by 8+ points for you to win (cover). Win by exactly 7 = push. Win by 6 or fewer, or lose = your bet loses.
Betting an underdog: You bet Eagles +7. They cover if they win outright OR lose by 6 or fewer points. Lose by exactly 7 = push. Lose by 8+ = your bet loses.
ATS Records
"ATS" stands for "against the spread." A team's ATS record tells you how often their games have resulted in covering bettors winning — regardless of who bet which side.
- Chiefs are 9-5 ATS means their games have resulted in the spread being covered by favorites 9 times and underdogs 5 times.
ATS records matter for analysis, but context matters enormously. A team going 8-2 ATS in games where they were -3 to -7 favorites is meaningful. A team going 8-2 ATS in random spots is less significant.
Why the Vig Means Covering 50% Isn't Enough
At standard -110 pricing, you need to cover at a 52.38% rate to break even. Not 50%. The extra 2.38% is the sportsbook's edge built into the price.
This means a bettor who correctly picks the side that covers 50% of the time is still losing money. You need to be right more than half the time.
[Track your ATS win rate by sport and bet type in Oddible →]
