Bet the under if you think the final score will be less than that number. The total is the projected total amount of points, goals, runs, etc., scored in a game. Term 3: Total (over/under)Īnother simple mechanism. Like in horseshoes and hand grenades, “close” doesn’t count you’ve gotta win the game outright. A +350 line means not many people think the underdog has a chance, but if they pull it off you’d pocket an extra $350 for your faith. The number is different for the underdog it’s an indicator of how much you’d win with a $100 bet. A -400 favorite means you’d have to plunk down $400 to make a $100 profit in victory - much worse odds, but you also don’t have to worry about the spread. For favorites, it tells you how much you’d need to bet in order to win $100. The money line for each team is a three-digit number. The profit you’d return for betting on straight up wins and lossesīetting the money line is less common since the odds for the favorite are less profitable than the spread. Betting the underdog at +7.5 means they could still lose on the scoreboard but win at the sportsbook, but only if the final margin is fewer than eight points. That means they’d have to win by at least eight points to cash that bet. In our scenario, the favorite would be listed at -7.5. 5 even though there’s no way to score half a point in most sports. Since whole numbers leave the possibility for ties, most spreads end in. Their opponent, the underdog, would be listed at +7. This is the bettor’s answer to “how many points would you have to spot this bad team in order for them to beat a better team?” Let’s say the favorite in an NFL game is favored to win by a touchdown they’d have a -7 distinction on the betting line. Let’s discuss the terms you need to know:Ī number created for every betting matchup the goal is to have an equal amount bet on each side

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with some basics that can offer betting insight beyond smiling and nodding when your friends bring up overs, unders and the spread. That can be overwhelming if you’re new to the game.

Suddenly there’s a new angle to primetime NBA games and NFL Sundays beyond wins, losses, and playoff races.

What was once limited, legally, to Nevada has taken root in states across the country as sportsbooks open up shop wherever legislation allows. Sports betting has exploded across America following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.

Sports bets for dummies