What Is a Spread in Sports Betting?
The spread is one of the most popular bet types in sports, and understanding it is essential for any bettor.
By
Eric Pauly
Feb 8, 2026
6 min read
What Is a Spread?
A spread (also called a point spread) is a number set by oddsmakers that represents the expected margin of victory in a game. The favorite gets points subtracted from their final score, and the underdog gets points added. You are not just picking who wins; you are picking whether a team wins or loses by a specific margin. This is what makes spread betting different from a simple moneyline wager where you only pick the winner.
When I started betting five years ago, the spread was the first concept that clicked for me because it turned lopsided matchups into competitive bets. A game between a dominant team and a weak opponent is not interesting on the moneyline, but a 10-point spread creates real tension. If you are exploring how does betting work for the first time, the spread is one of the foundational concepts worth learning well. This guide covers how spreads work across different sports, how to read them, and what it means to cover the spread.
article Summary
A spread is a points handicap set by oddsmakers to even out a matchup. The favorite gets a negative number (e.g., -7) and the underdog gets a positive number (e.g., +7). You win a spread bet if your team "covers" the spread after the points are applied. Spreads are the most popular bet type in football and basketball.
How Spreads Work
Favorites and Underdogs
Every spread has two sides. The favorite is the team expected to win, and their spread is a negative number. The underdog is the team expected to lose, and their spread is a positive number. If the Chiefs are -7 against the Broncos, Kansas City needs to win by more than 7 points for a bet on them to cash. If you take the Broncos +7, Denver can lose by up to 6 points and your bet still wins. A loss of exactly 7 is a push, and your stake is returned.
How the Number Is Set
Oddsmakers set the opening spread based on power ratings, recent performance, injuries, home-field advantage, and other factors. The line then moves based on betting action. If sharp bettors hammer one side, the sportsbook adjusts the spread to balance its exposure. A line that opens at -6.5 might move to -7 or -7.5 by game time. Understanding how to read betting odds helps you interpret what the spread and its movement are telling you about the matchup.
The Juice on Spreads
Both sides of a spread typically carry odds around -110, meaning you bet 10 to win 00. That extra 0 is the sportsbook's commission, known as the vig or juice. The juice can vary by sportsbook, and finding -105 instead of -110 saves you money over time. After placing over 1,500 spread bets across three NFL seasons, I can confirm that small juice differences compound into meaningful savings when you are betting consistently. This is one reason line shopping matters even on standard spread bets.
Spreads Across Different Sports
NFL Spreads
NFL spreads are the most popular spread bets in American sports. Lines typically range from PK (pick 'em) to around 17 points for extreme mismatches. Key numbers in NFL betting are 3 and 7, because those are the most common margins of victory (field goal and touchdown). When a spread sits on 3 or 7, even a half-point movement is significant. For a deeper look at how NFL spreads specifically work, the spread betting explained guide goes into more detail on key numbers and line movement.
NBA Spreads
NBA spreads are generally larger than NFL spreads because basketball is higher scoring. A typical NBA spread might range from 1 to 15 points, with some blowout matchups reaching higher. Unlike football, where 3 and 7 are critical numbers, NBA margins are more evenly distributed. The pace of each team and whether starters rest in blowouts are important factors when evaluating NBA spreads.
Other Sports
In baseball, the spread equivalent is called the run line, and it is almost always set at 1.5 runs. In hockey, the equivalent is the puck line, also typically 1.5 goals. Soccer uses its own spread system through point spread meaning and Asian handicaps, which can include half-goal and quarter-goal increments. Each sport has its own nuances, but the core concept is the same: a points handicap applied to level the playing field.
What Does Covering the Spread Mean?
Covering as the Favorite
When a favorite covers the spread, it means they won by more than the spread number. If the Packers are -4.5 and win 31-24, they won by 7, which is more than 4.5. The Packers covered. If they won 28-24, a margin of 4, they did not cover because 4 is less than 4.5. For favorites, covering requires winning by a wider margin than the spread dictates.
Covering as the Underdog
The underdog covers the spread by either winning outright or losing by fewer points than the spread. If the Jaguars are +6.5 and lose 20-17, they lost by only 3 points. Since 3 is less than 6.5, the Jaguars covered. If the Jaguars won 21-20, they also covered because any outright win beats a positive spread. Underdogs do not need to win the game to cover; they just cannot lose by too much.
Pushes on Whole Numbers
If the spread is a whole number (like -7 instead of -7.5) and the favorite wins by exactly that margin, the bet pushes. Both sides get their stakes returned. Sportsbooks often use half-points to avoid pushes, but whole-number spreads still appear. Understanding that a push is possible on whole numbers helps you evaluate whether paying a half-point in either direction is worth it for your bet.
Tips for Betting Spreads
Pay Attention to Key Numbers
In the NFL, 3 and 7 are the two most important numbers because games most commonly end with a margin of exactly 3 or exactly 7 points. A spread of -2.5 versus -3.5 crosses the key number of 3, and that half-point can significantly change the outcome frequency. In my experience tracking three full NFL seasons of results, roughly 15% of games land on a margin of exactly 3. That makes the difference between -2.5 and -3.5 meaningful in a way that, say, -5.5 versus -6.5 is not. Learning about types of bets and how each one interacts with key numbers is part of becoming a sharper bettor.
Line Shopping for Spreads
Different sportsbooks often post slightly different spreads on the same game. One book might have the Chiefs -6.5 while another has -7. If you want to bet the Chiefs, taking -6.5 is clearly better. If you want the other side, +7 is better than +6.5. Shopping the spread across 5 to 10 books before placing your bet is standard practice for serious bettors. This is especially valuable around key numbers.
Spreads and Totals Are Connected
The spread and the total (over/under) on a game are related. If a game has a high total and a large spread, it suggests one team is expected to score heavily while the other is not. If the total is low and the spread is tight, it projects a close, defensive game. Considering both numbers together gives you a fuller picture of how oddsmakers expect the game to unfold, which helps you spot value on either side of the spread.
Final Thoughts
The spread is one of the most fundamental concepts in sports betting. It turns every game into a competitive proposition by applying a points handicap to the favorite. Whether you are betting NFL games at -3 or NBA games at -8.5, the mechanics are the same: your team needs to cover the number for your bet to win.
If you are just getting started, focus on understanding how key numbers affect NFL spreads, how to read the spread and juice together, and why line shopping across sportsbooks gives you an edge. The spread is where most serious bettors spend the majority of their time, and building a strong foundation here pays off across every other bet type you explore.
Spread Betting FAQ
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