Point spread in betting

The point spread is the margin of victory a favourite must exceed for a bet to win. It is the dominant market in NFL and NBA betting.

Both sides are usually priced at -110 in American odds (1.909 decimal), so the operator's margin comes from the pricing rather than from the line. The line itself is set to split action as evenly as possible, and in American football key numbers — three and seven, the most common margins — make half-point moves unusually valuable.

Break-even at -110 is 52.4%. Compare spreads across books before taking a price.

A team is -6.5 at -110. They win 27-20, a seven-point margin, so the bet wins. At -7 the same result would push; at -7.5 it would lose. That single point of line is worth several percentage points of win probability in NFL markets.

Spread betting rewards line shopping more than almost any other market, because half-points around key numbers move win probability sharply.

NBA and NFL interest is growing fast in Nigeria and overnight kick-offs suit local schedules. Spreads are sharply priced, so the practical edge comes from shopping half-points, not from picking winners.

• Ignoring key numbers in NFL, where three and seven dominate margins.
• Taking -110 when another book offers -105 on the same side.
• Confusing the spread with the moneyline when reading a betslip quickly.