Even if you are new to sports betting, you may have heard about a team “beating the spread”. You may even have a vague idea of what it means. But if you are looking to throw your hat into the world of sports spread betting, then you need to get serious and know exactly what you’re getting into before you lay your money down.
Sports spread betting was invented so that interesting and profitable bets could still be made in games where one team is a clear favorite. Without spread betting, unevenly matched games would be unprofitable for bettors and booking agents alike.
Read on to find out exactly how it all works and how it can make you a bundle of money!
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How It Works
Sports spread betting works by adding or subtracting imaginary points to a team’s final score. The number of imaginary points is generated based on the odds of a team winning or losing.
For example, if there was a football game and team A was a clear favorite, you might put a three-point spread in place. This would subtract three points from team A’s final score while adding three points to the score of team B, the underdog.
So let’s say the final score is 21 to 17. If you bet on team A to win, congratulations! Even after subtracting the spread, your team still won.
Giving this extra challenge to team A’s score makes the odds less likely for them to beat the spread, making your bet more profitable.
On the other hand, if you bet on team B, then you are out of luck. Even after adding the three imaginary points, they couldn’t surpass team A’s score. That’s gambling for you!
Don’t Forget The Push
What if there’s a tie? It’s not an uncommon situation, but it’s frustrating for everyone involved with the bet. Booking agents must return all the money from the bet, and while bettors get their money back, they make no profit.
Luckily, most booking agents have a simple way of making sure the push never happens and that each bet results in a clear winner.
They do this by adding half a point to each team’s spread. Since there are no half points in popular sports, the final score will always be at least a half-point above or below the spread. It’s a simple but ingenious way to make betting efficient and profitable.
Know Your Odds
If you want to make some real money off of sports spread betting, you need to do your research. You may get lucky once in a while, but in the world of elite sports betting, anyone will tell you it pays to follow the numbers and not your whims.
It is key to have a reliable source for your numbers. Not every website that claims to provide you with sports betting odds is going to give you the right information. Since every operator is working with the same statistics, you would think that everyone would come up with the same odds.
But you would be surprised at how much the odds vary from site to site. Everyone has their own recipe for coming it with winning odds. Once you find a website that gives you the best odds, stick with it. It is now your secret weapon!
Keep the Human Element in Mind
When you start learning about betting, odds, and probability, it’s easy to get so wrapped up in the numbers that you forget that there are actual people involved in your bet.
People are unpredictable. Even if a player has a great record, they can always have an off day. That’s why it’s important to keep tabs on all the teams you want to bet on leading up to the day of the game.
Did someone get injured? Maybe a player just got dumped by their girlfriend and went a Twitter rant about it. Can rely on that player to play their best today? These small details can give you the edge you need over other bettors who only focus on the numbers.
Focus on One Sport When You Start
Every sport is completely different. The way they are scored, how long the seasons last, and the current quality of teams in each league are just a few factors that make the approach to betting on each sport completely different.
To be successful, you have to know the ins and outs of all the teams and how to apply the statistics at your disposal. It can be tempting to throw your hat into every ring you can, but a successful bettor must be patient. Once you have gotten a solid foundation in one sport, then you can move on to others.
Public Teams
One other important thing to know when placing bets is whether you are putting money on a “public” team. Public teams have an enormous amount of fans, all ready to bet on their favorite team to win. Examples of public teams would be the Dallas or the Los Angeles Lakers.
Because so many people bet on them, bookmakers will often add an extra point to their spread to make things a little harder for that team. This makes it more likely for the bookies to keep your money. So if you want to bet on a popular team, be warned that the odds may be stacked against you.
Entering the World of Sports Spread Betting
Now you know the basics of how sports spread betting works. There’s a lot more to learn, and don’t expect to be raking in money overnight. It takes skills and patience to make it.
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