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【stake sports betting】Spread Betting Guide
Join me as we learn the answer to what the spread means in betting and stake sports bettingsee how spread betting works with real examples.
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T&Cs and 21+ applyTable of Contents- Spread Betting Explained for 2025
- A Real-world Example of Spread Betting
- Introducing Half-point Betting into the Spread
- Pros and Cons of Betting the Spread
- Find the Best Sites for Betting Against The Spread In Every State
- Tips for Responsible Spread Betting Explained
- The Use of Betting Calculators
- Concluding This Spread Betting Guide
- Spread Betting Explained FAQs
Spread Betting Explained for 2025
Instead of sticking to plain old win/lose, spread betting lets you predict not just outcomes but whether a team will surpass or fall short of a spread set by the bookies. Even if your team loses, you could still win your bet if it’s within the margins.
A Real-world Example of Spread Betting
One of the best ways to explain this method is to use real-world examples. We will pretend you are playing at one of your favoriteNFL betting sites. You are betting on an NFL game between the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs. This particular betting spread type will be based on the number of points scored; the sportsbook sets the following spread:
- Chiefs: -7
- Patriots: +7
Here, the Chiefs are the favorites to win, and the Patriots are the underdogs. This is similar to moneyline betting, whereby the “-” is represented as the favorite, and the “+” represents the underdog.
If you placed your bet on the Chiefs, they would need to win by 8 points or more to win the bet. If you bet on the Patriots, your bet would still pay out if they were to lose; however, they would need to stay within 6 points of the Patriots.
Wondering why you don’t win if it’s 7 points in either situation? In these instances the bet would be a tie and the money is returned to the bettor, this is typically known as a ‘push’ in spread betting. So, if the Chiefs win by exactly 7 points or the Patriots lose but within exactly 7 points of the Chiefs, the stake is returned to the bettor, but no winnings are paid.
Introducing Half-point Betting into the Spread
Half-point betting involves the bettor buying or selling a half-point on the spread to ensure there are no ties. As it is not possible to get half-points in most sports, it forces a bet to be won or lost.
Depending on which way you move the spread, it will also increase or decrease your odds and implied probability of a win. If you buy a half point, you increase the probability of winning but decrease the betting odds. Selling a half point decreases the probability of winning but improves the betting odds.
If we look at the previous example with the half-point betting strategy implemented, the spread could be changed to the following:
- Chiefs: -7.5
- Patriots: +7.5
In this new example, the Chiefs would need to win by more than 8 points, and the Patriots can lose as long as they are within 7 points of the Chiefs. As you can see there is no longer the potential for the bet to be tied, so it guarantees a win or loss.
The Half-Point Betting Calculator
To better determine the value and impact of buying or selling half points on a spread in betting, players can make use of thehalf-point calculator. This tool will highlight the changes in odds and the potential payouts you could receive.
The half-point calculator is a universal tool that is applicable for any spread betting sports. So, if you’re looking to use it while visiting the bestcollege football sportsbooks, you can do that with no problems.
Pros and Cons of Betting the Spread
Here’s a short list of pros and cons for this method:
- Variety of bets
- Strategic betting
- Exciting betting type
- Enhances the live experience.
- More complex than typical win/loss bets
Find the Best Sites for Betting Against The Spread In Every State
Depending on where you’re based, the choice of sportsbooks offering ATS markets can vary widely. Some states have licensed dozens of online betting sites and apps while others may only have a handful to choose from. The good news for bettors is that spread markets are amongst the most common in the US sports betting landscape, it really shouldn’t matter which site you choose, there should be basic ATS lines there.
However, the more you look into the topic, the more than where you bet can matter significantly when it comes to the spreads. With alternate lines, varying limits and different odds available depending on where you go, choosing the best site in your respective state is a good move. Don’t settle for lines that have way higher juice than needed or where alt lines aren’t available.