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- Spread bets are one of the most common across NBA betting online. A spread bet intends to “level the playing field,” so to speak. When a bookmaker offers you a bet on.
Point spread betting is the most popular form of sports betting. The vast majority of sports wagers use a point spread thanks to the popularity of football and basketball. Even though this type of betting is so popular, it may take awhile to understand.
NBA betting remains one of the most popular forms of sports wagering, with the popularity of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and other stars driving the interest and the. The Sacramento Kings (3-3) visit the Golden State Warriors (3-3) Monday at 10 p.m. Below, we analyze the Kings-Warriors NBA betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions. Sacramento is coming off back-to-back losses at the Houston Rockets, falling 102-94 Saturday and 122-119 New Year’s Eve.
The point spread is sometimes known as an equalizer for sportsbook operators. All teams aren’t created equally, so sportsbooks can create a point spread for a game so that each team playing has an almost even chance of winning the game. In a way, the point spread will even the field for both teams.
The point spread gives a reason for bettors to risk money on both teams. The better team playing in the game is considered favorite. They have to win by the point spread offered by the sportsbook. The favorite in a game is listed as being minus (-) the point spread.
The worse of the teams playing in the game is called the underdog. The bettor wins if this team wins the game outright or loses by an amount smaller than the point spread. The underdog in a game is listed as being plus (+) the point spread.
Let’s use the upcoming Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an example.
Using this example, the Chiefs opened as 3-point favorites over the Buccaneers (currently Chiefs ). The Chiefs need to win by 4 or more points to cover the spread.
Likewise, the Buccaneers opened as 3-point underdogs. That means the Buccaneers would need to win the game outright or not lose the contest by 4 points or more. If the line is Chiefs -3 and they win by exactly 3 points, the betting result is a “push” and bettors for both sides would get their wagers refunded.
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Point spread betting odds
Point spreads are usually set with -110 odds, but pricing often fluctuates at online sportsbooks. This is the sportsbook operators’ house edge. The odds guarantee the sportsbook operator will see a little money over time. When the odds are set at -110, the bettor must wager $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10).
The odds on a point spread are most commonly known as the vigorish or “vig” for the sportsbook. You might hear this small profit margin for the sportsbook called the “juice” by some sports bettors.
Point spread FAQs
What does ‘pick em’ or ‘pick’ mean in NFL betting?
A “pick em” (sometimes seen as “pick”) is when the teams have a point spread of zero, meaning neither team is favored. In this instance, you’re essentially picking moneyline and your bet will be determined on the winner alone.
What does -7 and +7 mean in NFL betting?
A spread of minus-seven (-7) means that a is favored to win the game by a touchdown (technically, a touchdown and the extra point). A team favored by -7 must win the game by eight or more points to win the bet. If the team wins by seven, the result is a “push” and the bet is refunded.
A spread of +7 means the team must win the game or lose by fewer than seven points to win the bet. A loss by seven would result in a push.
What does -3 and +3 mean in NFL betting?
A -3 spread means that the favorite must win by more than a field goal to win the wager. A three-point win would result in a push and the sportsbook would refund the wager.
A spread of +3 means the team listed as the underdog must win the game or lose by fewer than three points to cash the bet. A three-point loss would be graded as a push by the sportsbook and the bet would be refunded.
Why are point spreads in the NFL so much lower than in college?
In 2019, the Baltimore Ravens led the NFL in point differential per game at +13.7 points; the Miami Dolphins ranked last in the NFL in point differential per game at -11.7. Even Kansas City– known for their explosive offense– had an average point differential in 2019 of just 9.7 points. The net point differential in the NFL is -14.1, or -0.9 points per game. Basically, the talent differential in the NFL is so minute that even mismatched teams often draw games within a score of each other.
NFL spreads are most commonly between one point and four, with six being a heavy favorite and extremes coming out around 15-20 point favors. (For those wondering, the 1941 Chicago Bears hold the NFL record of point differential at +15.7 points per game. Conversely, Ohio State had a +33.1 average point differential in 2019.)
Point spread and odds movement
Sportsbook operators often aim to have equal money on both sides of a point spread. When the money is exactly split the sportsbook operator will see the exact vigorish as their profit margin. If all things are equal over time this will maximize how much money the sportsbook operator can make.
In an effort to have equal money on both sides of a wager, the sportsbook operator will move the point spread to attract money on the side that customers aren’t betting on. The odds for a point spread might change before the actual point spread. There are certain point spread numbers, like 3 and 7 in football, the sportsbook operators would like to avoid moving away from since the final score margin falls on these two numbers most often.
For example, if a lot more money is wagered on the New England Patriots -3, the vig may shift from -112 to -115 and -120 before the line moves to -3.5.
Run and puck lines
Football and basketball games are mostly bet using a point spread. The less popular major sports, baseball and hockey, are mostly bet using a moneyline. In an effort to make baseball and hockey more appealing to point spread bettors, the sportsbook operators offer run and puck lines, respectively.
These alternative lines give point spread bettors a chance to wager on other sports using a more familiar method of betting. Since points (runs and goals) aren’t as easy to come by in baseball and hockey, the odds with the lines may have a wider spread than a football or basketball game.
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How to read NBA Las Vegas Money Line Odds
All you need to do is pick is the winner!
If you’re placing NBA money line wagers then you’re rooting for one team to grab a straight-up win. The betting term Against the Spread (ATS) doesn't matter for these types of bets since the point-spread doesn’t come into play.
Similar to our Spread and 1st Half Odds, every matchup is listed in order of Rotation and those numbers are preceded by the Date and Time of the NBA game.
Every game has a Favorite and Underdog associated with the Money Line Odds and the plus (+) and minus (-) symbols are used to differentiate the teams. For NBA money line odds, it’s a simple math formula that’s based on $100 wagers.
Nba Point Spreads
Toronto -400 (Bet $100 to win $25)
San Antonio +300 (Bet $100 to win $300)
In the above example, Toronto is the favorite (-) while San Antonio is the underdog. If a bettor wanted to back Toronto, who is expected to win, they would only win $25 on a $100 wager since they are minus -400. Some books will provide an extra option to view their betting odds in Fraction format and Toronto would be a 1/4 favorite in this matchup. If you prefer Decimal format, which is very common overseas, Toronto would be 1.25 on the betting board.
Since Toronto is the favorite, San Antonio is the underdog and bettors would receive a positive return greater than their initial stake. In this example, a $100 winning wager on San Antonio would net $400 and that includes your $300 win and $100 stake. The fractional odds for this example would be San Antonio at 3/1 and the Decimal conversion would read 4.0.
How to Bet NBA Money Line Odds
A majority of NBA games involve point-spreads of single-digits, while games that see a favorite of 10 points or more is not usually the norm, although it happens.
The VegasInsider.com Parlay Calculator is a great tool to see what kind of return you can create while avoiding the pitfalls of risk.
In the NBA playoffs, there is no single-elimination rounds. Each round is a best-of-seven series with the first team to four wins advancing to the next round.
Nba Spread Betting Example
Picking a straight up winner seems easy and if you don’t want to lay the points, then betting money line wagers is for you. Underdog winners aren't as easy to find in the playoffs as the team with the higher seed usually advances, but straight up 'dogs sometimes come through in the postseason.