The point spread is one of the easiest bets to understand and make. So if you’re a sports betting beginner, it only makes sense to start here. This article will cover the basics of point spread betting, including what an NCAA football point spread is, what the numbers (odds) mean and how you win or lose.
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First Things First: What is a Point Spread?
A point spread is the number of points a team is favored to win by. Take the following lines, for example:
- Cincinnati: -5.5 (-110)
- Connecticut: +5.5 (+120)
Cincinnati is the favorite to win this game, and in order for this bet to win, Cincinnati needs to win by 5.5 points. In other words, if the final score is 26-19, you’d subtract 5.5 points for an adjusted score of 20.5-19 Cincinnati, which means the bet wins. However, if the score is 22-19 Cincinnati, then the adjusted score would be 16.5-19 and the bet would be a losing one. If the score was 24.5, making the adjusted score a tie, then all bets on the spread would be returned.
On the other hand, you can bet the +5.5 point spread on Connecticut, and win, even if they lose, so long as they lose by 5.5 points or less.
That’s all there is to it. The point spread is simply the difference between the two scores.
What Do The Other Numbers Mean?
The numbers next to the spread can cause some confusion at first, but these are just as simple, if not more so, to understand as point spreads.
These numbers are the odds or payouts on your bets. All numbers with a minus sign in front of them are for the teams favored to win, and all numbers with a plus sign in front of them are the underdogs.
In the case of the favorites, the number shown is the amount you pay to win $100. So in my example above, you’d pay $110 to win $100.
It’s the polar opposite for the underdogs. The amount shown is the amount you stand to win for ever $100 you bet. Using my example above, you would win $120 for every $100 you wagered.
These amounts can be broken down, too. In other words, you can bet $1.10 to win $1, or $.55 to win $.50. You don’t have to bet $100. That’s just the standard way of displaying it.
Note: I should point out that there may be minimum/maximum amounts that you can wager on any one line.
And that’s all there is to point spread betting in NCAA football, or any other form of sports betting, for that matter. As you make your bets, you’ll notice that the spread and odds will be different for each game, but the underlying principals will always be the same.