How many of you have heard someone say a team “covered” or “covered the spread”? Those phrases refer to spread betting — one of the most popular bet types in all of sports wagering. But what exactly does it mean?
Spread betting is designed to create an even playing field when one team is favored to win. To do that, bookmakers apply a handicap to the favorite, forcing them to win by a certain margin. That’s the general idea, but in this guide, we’ll explain the concept in detail — including how to bet the spread, how payouts work, and what affects the line.
By the end of this article, you’ll understand how to bet the spread, how to read the odds, and how to use our other betting guides to build a solid foundation for smart against the spread (ATS) betting.
When you bet ATS, you’re backing the underdog with the points. For your bet to win, the underdog must either win outright or lose by fewer points than the spread. Here’s an example:
In this case, the Saints are the favorite, shown by the minus sign. The Ravens, shown with a plus sign, are the underdog. Bookmakers often use half-points to avoid ties (known as “pushes” — see our betting glossary for more).
If the Saints win by 8 or more points, they’ve covered the spread. If the Ravens lose by fewer than 8 points — or win outright — they cover. The actual game result matters less than whether a team beats the point spread.
Now let’s look at how payouts work. Similar to what we explained in our matched betting and arbitrage betting guides, we’ll use examples for clarity.
Consider this line:
The three-digit number in parentheses shows how much you must wager to win $100. For example, a -115 line means you’d need to bet $115 to win $100. Even though both teams have a spread of 4 points, the odds differ slightly based on how much action each side receives.
Spread betting is largely dictated by the amount of money being wagered on the lines that week, as well as injuries or big news items.
If most bettors are taking one side — say everyone piles on Dolphins -3 — sportsbooks may shift the line to Dolphins -4.5 to attract wagers on the opposite side and balance their liability.
Injuries also have a massive impact. If Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or Joe Burrow were ruled out before a game, you’d immediately see Kansas City, Buffalo, or Cincinnati’s betting lines swing dramatically. These players are so crucial that even small news updates about them can move a spread.
The NFL dominates when it comes to spread betting — no other league comes close. Still, spread betting exists across other major sports like the NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS, as well as international soccer.
You’ll need to recognize different terminology, as it is not referred to in the same way in every sport. For example:
Because scoring is lower in those sports, the spread is usually set around 1.5 rather than the higher numbers seen in football or basketball.
Whatever the sport, understanding how spreads and handicaps work gives you a better sense of value — and a stronger foundation for all your future wagers.
