Exotic bets are there to make for a more entertaining betting experience, but they work somewhat differently compared to the straight bets. But, the original point spread is still used in all these bets no matter how you look at it. The Patriots defeated the Browns 45-7 as 2.5-point favorites last week, winning their fourth straight game and covering the spread in each. On the other hand, the Falcons got crushed by the Dallas Cowboys 43-3 as 7.5-point underdogs to fall to 4-5 both outright and against the spread. One matchup to watch for will be Patriots wide receiver Nelson Agholor against the Falcons’ secondary. The Falcons have allowed the second-most receiving touchdowns per game to opposing wide receivers (1.4), while Agholor has averaged the second-deepest depth of target in the NFL .

If a bettor wants to bet $50 dollars, the values are halved accordingly. What Do Plus And Minus Signs Mean In Sports Betting? Without odds, bettors wouldn’t be able to bet on anything at all. And that would defeat the purpose of the very principle of betting. Moreover, their importance to betting underpins why knowing how to read betting odds is crucial to long-term success in betting.

How Are Point Spread Bets Paid Out?

Decimal and fraction odds might seem confusing, especially if you’re not familiar withonline sports informative post bettingand all thebetting terms and types. This handy guide is ideal for anyone new to betting, or if you’re struggling to read the odds. In college football, there are well over 100 in the top division alone. Since more teams are present, the talent level between the top and bottom teams is greater so point spreads in college are often higher.

How To Read Odds: Sports Betting Lines Explained

In the case that you see a plus sign and a number, that side is the underdog in the matchup. The minus sign means that the final score will have the spread number subtracted from it. The plus sign means that the team’s final score will have the spread number added to it. Although each team may roster the same number of players, play by the same rules, or even run some of the same plays, the two sides are almost never equal in skill. To account for that inequality between the two teams, a point spread is used to handicap the two sides of a matchup.

Slotegrator Integrates Gamebeat Studio’s Slots Portfolio

Sports bettors can place their bets in a sportsbook or online. Just make sure you understand the rules in the state where they are in. A sportsbook makes money through the cuts that are charged to the bettors like you for their service. The number of sporting events or the different features provided to bet on each game really depends on the sportsbook. Sportsbooks are persons or companies that accept and pay off bets made by bettors on professional sports and other events at agreed-upon odds.

Goal line betting is also commonly referred to as over/under or totals betting. Taking the Milwaukee Bucks as an example, you might see their playoff odds before the season starts somewhere around -350. This means they Bucks are heavy favorites to make the playoffs and you would need to bet $350 on them to make $100 in profit. The odds on these types of bets aren’t like the odds you see on a moneyline, spread or total. Yes, the numbers do mean the same in terms of payouts but they are calculated differently and set up differently as well.

There’s nothing more gratifying than correctly predicting a butt-kicking — and backing it up by betting on the favorite to cover the spread. You get to tell all your friends how you knew the Buccaneers would beat the Lions by at least 15 and that taking the Bucs minus 7 points was a lock. Besides bragging rights, betting the spread in this instance earns a lot more than the moneyline. If the odds of the two teams are close (e.g., -110 and +110, -120 and +120) that means the favorite doesn’t have a huge advantage over the underdog and the game is expected to be close. If you’re new to sports betting we recommend reading our guides on how to read odds, where sports betting is legal as well as sports betting for beginners.

Bet Responsibly

You can bet on the favored team to win by +2 goal difference (read over 2.5 goals or under 2.5 goals articles), or the underdogs to either win or lose by only 1 goal, or for the match to tie. A parlay bet is a group of spread, moneyline, or total bets combined into one bet to increase the payout odds. In order for the parlay to win, each separate bet has to win. Parlay odds offer bigger payouts than normal odds because they are riskier since each individual bet has to win. The odds are essential when selecting a sportsbook because they affect your money.

Bets placed on an individual player to be the Most Valuable Player over a season or series throughout a competition . A bet that focuses on the performance of two variables against each other within an event (e.g. which of two horses will finish first). A selection with long odds suggesting it an unlikely to winner, but offering a proportionately high return.