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The more you’re right, the more you win; the more you’re wrong, the more you lose. This is what sports betting site, PointsBet, says about their exclusive point spread betting product.
If you bet on the better team, they should win by more points than what is marked on the bet slip. On the other hand, if you wager on the Underdog, they can lose by fewer points than indicated, and you’ll still win your bet. This is how staking on the point spread works.
Let’s say we have a bet where the winning team needs to win by 10 points to cover the spread. If they covered the spread with 9 points at the final horn, bettors who placed this wager before the game began would lose their bet.
And the same goes for bettors who bet on the weaker team (Underdogs). If they are down 9 points at the end of the game and you bet on them, you will win outright.
This is what PointsBet says about their high-risk, high-rewards point betting offer.
Point spread betting is growing in popularity. You can win or lose your bet more than the traditional 1-point margin. However, you must keep track of the line movement to know how many points the margin of victory requires.
How Does Points Betting Work?
According to the PointsBet house rules, when you bet on the spread, your profit or loss on the game is based on the number of points your pick wins or loses by. Here’s how you earn (or not) from point spread bets:
When your bet wins by one point, you earn your stake x 1. If your bet wins by 2 points, you get 2 x your bet amount. It goes without saying that if the winning team wins by 10 units (points), you win 10 x stake.
On the other hand, if your bet loses by 1 unit, you bow out 1 x bet amount. So when you lose by 10 points, you lose 10 x the stake.
So, there’s a fine line between winning and losing in point spread betting. Moneyline bets are at the highest risk. Even a half-point above or under the spread bets may rock the playing field.
PointsBet sports betting will offer you the max win and loss numbers depending on your bet type. But you can set your preferred bet amount.
The bet slip for points betting has different options than the traditional bet slip. The bettor can choose how much they want to risk per point. For instance, you could decide to bet $5 per point, so you reduce your losses. Doing so, however, limits your winnings as well!
Baseball and Points Betting
There is no better place to use point spread betting than on the baseball field. The margin of victory in baseball can be as low as one run line. So, there are a lot of close games where the winning margin is only 1 to 3 runs.
This makes for numerous opportunities to win (or lose) your bet by just a few points.
Suppose the Yankees play the Red Sox, and you bet on the Yankees -1.5. This means the Yankees must win by two or more runs to win your bet. If they win by one run, it is a push (a tie), and you get your money back. If they lose, you lose your spread bet.
Suppose the Yankees are up 5 – 3 in the bottom of the 9th with two outs. The Red Sox has a man on first. The next batter hits a single, and the runner on first scores. The final score of the game is 5 – 4.
You would have lost your bet by just 1 point!
What if you had wagered Yankees -1.5 on the point spread? This means that your bet would have been multiplied by 2.5x. So, if you had bet $100, you would have won $250.
Of course, if the Red Sox had scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th, you would have lost your bet.
Points Betting in Basketball
In sports betting, once the oddsmaker determines the point spread (number of points the favorite among the two teams will win), the bettor can bet on the choice to win by more units or the Underdog to lose by fewer points.
For example, if the sports betting site has the Chicago Bulls as a 3-point favorite (-3) against the Brooklyn Nets, with NBA games points betting, you could choose to bet on the Bulls to win by more than 3 points or the Nets would be the losing team by 3 points.
If the game’s final score were Bulls 103, Nets 100, your bet on the Bulls would be a winner. Likewise, if the final score were Nets 110, Bulls 108, your bet on the Nets would be a winner.
You can also bet on the favorite to cover the point spread or the Underdog to cover their point spread bet.
In our example, if you bet on the Chicago Bulls to cover the spread, they would need to win the game by 4 or more points. On the other hand, if you bet on the Brooklyn Nets to cover the spread, they could lose by 2 or fewer points or win the game outright.
Points Betting with Football
A point spread wager in football involves the same concepts as point spread betting on any other two teams anywhere. Here is an example of how point spreads work in a football game.
Suppose the Kansas City Chiefs are playing the Miami Dolphins, and the NFL point spread betting odds stand at Chiefs -3. This means that the Chiefs are favored to win by three points, or the Dolphins are predicted to lose by three points.
If you bet on the Kansas City Chiefs, they would need a winning margin of 4 or more points for you to win your bet. However, if you bet on the Dolphins, they could lose by 2 or less points or win the game outright, and you would still win your bet.
In college football, point spread lines are usually set at 2.5 or 3 points because the home field advantage is not as strong in college football as it is in the NFL.
In the NFL, point spreads are often set at 4 or more points. The point spread bets for a Super Bowl game, for instance, may be set at 6 or more points.
What Is Buying Points and How Does it Work?
By buying or selling points, you can bet on the point spread lines in football and basketball.
Buying Points
When you buy points, you pay extra money to move the point spread line in your favor.
For example, let’s say the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins, and the point spread is 3 points.
If you place a points spread bet on the Patriots and they win by 3 points, you will push (neither win nor lose).
However, if you buy 1 point and bet on the Patriots, they now only need to win by 2 points for you to win your bet.
In short, buying points can benefit if your betting strategies indicate that the favored team will win.
Alternate Point Spreads
An alternate point spread bet uses a half point instead of the whole point. The puck lines in hockey are the most common alternate point spread betting type. To win a bet on the puck line, the team must win by 2 or more goals.
Imagine the Chicago Blackhawks are playing the New York Rangers and the Blackhawks are -1.5 on the puck line.
This means that the Blackhawks must win by 2 or more goals for you to win your bet.
If the Blackhawks were to win by 1 goal, it would be considered a push, and you would get your money back.
The favorite (-) will always have to win by more than the Underdog (+) for you to win on the spread betting line.
The opposite is also true. If you bet on the Underdog, they would only have to lose by 1 goal (or win outright) for you to win your bet.
Pros and Cons of Buying Points
Advantages of Buying Points
Buying points allows you to receive a more favorable point spread.
For example, if the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins and the Patriots are -7 point super bowl favorites. For you to win your bet on the Patriots, they must win by 8 or more points.
However, if you bought 0.5 points and bet the Patriots -6.5, they would only need to win by 7 or more points for your ticket to win your point spread bet.
In other words, buying points gives you a better chance of winning your bet.
Another reason to buy points is if you believe the favored team will win by a narrow margin.
If you think that the Patriots will only win by 3 points, you may want to buy points so that if they only win by 2 points, you will still win your bet.
Disadvantages of Buying Points
Buying in point spread betting also has its downside. The first is that it costs more money (a house edge).
For instance, if you want to bet $100 on Kansas City -7 and buy 1/2 point, it will cost you an extra $10. It may not seem like a lot, but it adds up over time.
Secondly, buying points can sometimes backfire.
Take the above example; if the Chiefs only win by 6, you wouldn’t have a winning ticket even though you bought points.
Finally, the last disadvantage of buying points is that it takes away from the value of a moneyline wager.
You are a winner if you bet Kansas City -7, and they win by 7 or more.
But if you bet Kansas City -7 and they win by 8 or more, you lose your moneyline bet even though you bought points.
In essence, buying points can be profitable if done correctly, but it’s essential to understand the risks involved, especially when multiple bets are concerned.
Find a Points Betting Site
Of all online sportsbooks, PointsBet is the only one that offers points betting action. So, if you want to enjoy this popular form of wagering with the best betting odds, visit their website today.
You may have to create an account and make a deposit before you begin line shopping for competitive odds. It would be best if you observed the betting rules. The point spread betting faq section provides all the guidance you may need.
Unlike most sportsbooks, PointsBet has a free online tool that lets bettors calculate how much they can earn with an actual point spread bet. So, you can check how your point spread betting lines in baseball, hockey, football, and basketball will perform.
Maximum win and maximum loss values are shown on the bet slip at the time of betting. You always know what your potential profits are, as well as what your losses may be if your bet goes the other way.
Bettors have access to a comprehensive range of exclusive US sports betting. They are top in NFL, NBA, and MLB betting, with up to 500 markets every game. Ultimately, PointsBet offers hundreds of betting options and American odds not found anywhere else.