A spread bet in basketball is a wager on whether a team will win by more (or fewer) than a set margin of points. It's the most common way to bet on NBA and college basketball games.
How Basketball Spreads Work
The favorite has a negative number (gives up points); the underdog has a positive number (gets points).
Example:
- Lakers -5.5 vs. Clippers +5.5
If you bet Lakers -5.5, the Lakers must win by 6 or more for you to win. If you bet Clippers +5.5, the Clippers can lose by up to 5 points and you still win.
Why Spreads Are Popular in Basketball
Moneyline favorites in basketball can be -300 to -600 in blowout matchups. Spread betting brings the odds back to near -110 on both sides.
Key Numbers in Basketball
Unlike football (where 3 and 7 are key), basketball margins are more evenly distributed. The most common margins of victory in the NBA are:
- 1-3 points (very common — close games)
- 5-7 points (moderate frequency)
Half-points are valuable at 1, 2, 3, and to a lesser extent 5 and 6.
Scoring Totals vs. Spreads
Basketball spreads are closely linked to total scoring — a game expected to score 230 points has a different spread dynamic than one expected to score 210.
[Track your NBA spread performance vs. totals in Oddible →]
