Photo: Jill Burrow

What does a +12.5 spread mean?

betsmart.co - What does Cover the Spread Mean? - BetSmart.co

Are sports 90% mental?

“Baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical.” Most athletes, and even casual sports fans, have heard this famous Yogi Berra quote at one point or...

Last updated May 11, 2018

What will life expectancy be in 2070?

It is expected that by 2070 life expectancy at birth will increase to 89.8 years for women and 87.7 years for men – an increase of about 5 and 6.5...

Last updated Aug 18, 2018

Make Your Bookie Cry And Pull The Hair By Generating $23,187

Promotion

The point spread is an estimate of the final point difference between the teams in an event. A handicap of the point spread value is given to the favourite team so bettors can choose sides at equal odds. “Cover the spread” means that a favourite wins an event with the handicap taken into account or the underdog wins with additional points. The spread goes beyond classifying a team as the favourite or the underdog and assigns a numerical value to the perceived difference between teams. Take a matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the Charlotte Bobcats. The Spurs are clearly favoured to win as they are a much stronger team, making betting on the matchup lackluster at best. But what if the Bobcats were given an extra 4 points? A few more people would bet on the Bobcats. What about 12? Sportsbooks set a spread at a value which accurately represents the perceived difference in value between the teams.

Say the sportsbook set the line at:

San Antonio Spurs -12.5 1.91

Charlotte Bobcats +12.5 1.91

Oddsmakers have assigned a “point spread” to the matchup, which basically gives the underdog team an artificial “head start”. The Point Spread is +12.5 for Charlotte, which means that when they start the matchup and the real score is 0-0, Charlotte will actually be leading 12.5-0 for the purposes of picking a winner. Say at the end of the matchup, the real score is Charlotte 100 and San Antonio 109. If you picked San Antonio on the moneyline, you would have picked correctly because they won the matchup.

But with the point spread, it’s a different story.

Because the Bobcats started with an artificial 12.5 point lead, it gets added to their real score at the end of the game. Adding the 12.5 points to their real score of 100 gives them an adjusted score of 112.5, which is now better than the Spur’s real score of 109! In this scenario, the Charlotte Bobcats are said to have covered the spread, meaning that they won the game with their head start. On the other hand, if the final score at the end of the game is Charlotte 80 and San Antonio 98, then Charlotte’s adjusted score is 92.5 (12.5-point head start plus a real score of 80). However, even with the head start, Charlotte’s adjusted score (92.5) is less than San Antonio’s real score of 98.

This time, the San Antonio Spurs have covered the spread.

Of course, if the Charlotte Bobcats won the matchup outright, then they automatically cover the spread. While sometimes a source of confusion for people new to making picks, all the point spread really does is makes picking either team equally attractive!

Why Do Some Spreads End In .5?

There is no such thing as a half point in sports, but there is in sports betting! The half point ensures that a side will win and that the match will not end in a push, where the spread equals the actual difference in points between the two teams. In a push all bettors get their money back, which is no good for the oddsmaker! Half points also give oddsmakers more control over lines, allowing them to set more specific values.

How do you fix a weak mentality in tennis?

And here's how you do it. Envision Being Strong. The first tip for mental toughness is to envision yourself being strong. ... Have a Ritual. ......

Last updated Oct 26, 2022

How to predict football jackpot?

ANALYSING A JACKPOT Read the rules of the jackpot. The less the number of matches the better. Consider head to head past results. Consider the...

Last updated Jun 24, 2020

Promotion

Are 5 to 1 odds good?

Are 5/1 Odds Good? 5/1 odds are great because for every £1 winning bet you will return £5 profit. The 5-1 odds reflect the chances of your...

Last updated Jul 9, 2021

Why is 7 on a slot machine?

Due to its associations with good luck and fortune, it's unsurprising that the number seven has infiltrated the world of online slots and casino...

Last updated Nov 8, 2021

Promotion

What does a handicap of 5 mean?

A player with a handicap of 5 means that the average of this player's previous rounds was 5 over par (criteria changed from 5 rounds to 3 rounds...

Last updated Nov 11, 2018

Promotion

What is a minus 5 spread?

For example, if a spread is (-7.5) points, your team needs to win by eight or more. If you bet on an underdog, they can lose by fewer than the...

Last updated Oct 7, 2022