The favorite, or the team that is expected to win the game, will have their point spread shown with a minus sign (-).

If the Terrapins win by exactly 4 points, it's considered a push, and you are returned your money. If you think that Ohio State will come within that many points, then you should bet that side. If you thought that Maryland would win by more than 4 points, you should bet on that side. The way that this is denoted is through a number that will be placed beside the two team names on the sportsbook board.Ī good example of how this would look like for college basketball when you check your sportsbook is like this:

Point Spreads Work?Īs mentioned above, the purpose of point spreads is to handicap the stronger team while providing the underdog team with a chance to win their spread bet despite not winning the game. If the Steelers came within 5 points, for example losing by 3, their spread bet would win. The Ravens might be favored by 5 points, so they would need to win by at least 5 for their spread bet to win. One team will have to win the game by a certain number of points while the other team will see their bet win as long as they come within that number of points.įor example, let's say there is a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. The spread will be larger if there is a bigger difference between the talent levels of the two teams. It's used across virtually every sport though there are some slight differences in how it's applied.Įvery game will have a point spread applied. Point spread betting is one of the most common ways to gamble on games and one of the first things that new gamblers are introduced to. Best Sites for Point Spread Betting In Maryland From the very basics to more advanced concepts, continue reading to buff up your knowledge on point spread bets and win some more money. This guide will cover everything there is to know about betting on point spread lines in the state of Maryland. When two teams face off against each other and there is a large difference in skill, sportsbooks will handicap the better team and then let gamblers choose if they think that team will still win when the handicap is taken into consideration. The point spread is a tool used by sportsbooks to even the field between two teams of unequal strength. No matter which best describes you, you're in the right place. Have you ever looked at a sportsbook and wondered what all the different numbers meant? Ever heard your friend talking about how he needed a certain team to cover the spread and been confused? Maybe you're a gambling veteran just looking for an edge on the sportsbooks.

Betting odds explanation point spread