In many cases, you will see point spreads that are denoted as +/- half increments (EX. If Seattle wins by 6 points exactly, it’s called a “push”, and your original wager is returned to you. If you bet on San Francisco +6, they would need to lose by 5 points or less to “cover” and thus you would win your bet. If you bet the spread on Seattle -6, they would need to win by 7 points or more to “cover” and thus you would win your bet. The odds board shows Seattle is a six-point favorite against San Francisco. If a minus (-) is present that team is considered the favorite and if a plus (+) is shown that team is considered the underdog. Covering the spread means the chosen team must win or not lose by a predetermined margin of points.Īdditionally, each team in the contest is accompanied by a +/- next to the spread number. To win, just bet on the team that will “cover” the spread. Most common in football and basketball, a spread bet is a wager on a single game with a point spread.
