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Spread betting is a popular way to bet on basketball, from college games to the NBA. It is a form of betting that adds a strategic element, as it involves wagering on the margin of victory in a basketball game, rather than simply picking a winner. Bettors predict whether the favourite will win by a certain number of points (the point spread) or whether the underdog will lose by fewer points than the spread or win outright. The point spread is set based on an analysis of the teams' statistics, including defensive and offensive information, previous head-to-head results, injuries and roster changes, and home advantage. Spread betting can be profitable but it is also risky and time-consuming, requiring research and analysis to be successful.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of bet | Spread betting is one of the two primary ways to bet on a basketball game, the other being moneyline. |
| What is it? | Spread betting allows bettors to wager on the margin of victory in a basketball game. |
| How does it work? | Bettors bet on how many points one team will win or lose by. The favourite must win by more than the specified number of points (the spread) for bets on them to pay out, while the underdog can lose by less than the spread and still win the bet. |
| How to place a bet? | Step 1: Choose a spread market on a match. Step 2: Decide if you think the final outcome will be higher or lower than the spread. Step 3: If higher, you would buy. If lower, you would sell. Step 4: Your profit or loss depends on the difference between your buy or sell level and the final outcome, multiplied by your stake. |
| Default wager amount | $5.00 |
| Pros | Spread betting can be a great way to add an extra level of excitement to a game. It can also be a good way to potentially win more money in the long run. |
| Cons | Spread betting can be very risky, and if one doesn't know what they're doing, they could lose a lot of money. It can also be very time-consuming, requiring a lot of research and analysis. |
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How to place a spread bet
Spread betting is a popular way to bet on basketball, especially in the NBA. It allows bettors to wager on the margin of victory rather than just which team will win the game. The point spread is the number of points made by an oddsmaker that separates the two teams in a given matchup to handicap a game. The favourite is indicated by a negative value, while the underdog has a positive value.
Choose a Spread Market on a Match
Firstly, you need to select a sportsbook and navigate to their basketball betting section. Here, you can choose the game you want to bet on and look for the point spread option.
Understand the Spread
The spread will be displayed next to each team, with the favourite usually indicated by a negative value and the underdog by a positive value. For example, if the spread is Raptors -8.5, it is expected that the Raptors will win by 9 points. If their opponents lose by less than 9 points, they would 'cover' the spread.
Decide on Your Bet
If you think the outcome will be higher than the spread, you would buy on the spread. If you think the outcome will be lower, you would sell. For example, if the spread is 230-234 and you think there will be more than 234 points scored, you would buy at that price.
Place Your Bet
Now, you can place your bet. Remember to only bet what you can afford to lose and stick to a budget.
Calculate Your Profit or Loss
Your profit or loss depends on the difference between your buy or sell level and the final outcome, multiplied by your stake. For example, if you bought at 113 and the final score was 123, your profit would be (123 – 113) x your stake.
It is important to note that spread betting can be risky, and you may lose more than your initial stake if you are incorrect. It is also crucial to stay informed and responsible when placing bets, as the betting landscape is constantly evolving.
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Point spreads
Let's use an example to illustrate how point spreads work. Suppose we have a fictional basketball game between the Toronto Titans and the Montreal Mavericks. The oddsmakers have set the point spread for this game at 6.5 points, and it looks like this: Toronto Titans -6.5 vs. Montreal Mavericks +6.5. The negative value indicates the favorite, while the positive value indicates the underdog. In this case, the Titans are favored to win by 6.5 points. So, if you bet on the Titans, they need to win the game by 7 or more points for your bet to pay off. If you bet on the Mavericks, they either need to win the game outright or lose by 6 or fewer points for your bet to win.
The point spread is designed to attract bettors to potential underdogs and give them a more level playing field. Without a point spread, most people would simply bet on the favorite to win every game. Point spreads encourage bettors to consider other factors, such as how well a team performs on the road or how they match up against their opponents. It adds an extra layer of strategy and analysis to sports betting.
The point spread can also move after it has been set by oddsmakers. This movement is often in response to betting action, injuries, or other factors that could impact the game. For example, if a large number of bettors are taking the favorite, you might see the point spread increase by a point or two to encourage more action on the underdog. Sharp bettors pay close attention to line movements as they can provide valuable insights into how the public is betting and any new information that could impact the outcome of the game.
Lastly, it's worth noting that point spreads are not limited to the full game. You can also bet on point spreads for individual quarters or halves, which adds even more excitement and betting opportunities to a single basketball game. These are often referred to as "quarter lines" or "half lines." Understanding point spreads is crucial for successful basketball spread betting, and it allows bettors to find value in games beyond simply picking the winning team.
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Quarter/half bets
Quarter and half bets are a type of prop bet specific to sports with four quarters, such as basketball. They allow bettors to wager on individual quarters or halves, rather than the entire game. This means that the moneyline, spread, and total refer to that quarter or half rather than the full game.
For example, if Team A is a -7.5-point favourite over Team B for the entire game, the point spread for the quarter would be closer to -2.5. Similarly, if Team B is +250 on the moneyline to win the game, their moneyline odds for the first quarter would be closer to +115. This is because, over the course of the game, Team A is expected to beat Team B, but in a single quarter, there are more variables that could give Team B a better chance of winning.
Quarter and half bets are offered for the moneyline, game total, and point spread. Bettors can wager on which team will win a quarter by scoring more points than their opponent in that quarter (moneyline). They can also bet on which team will cover the spread created by the sportsbook in that quarter (spread). Additionally, bettors can wager on the total number of points scored by an individual team or combined between the two teams in that quarter (total). These bets are offered for each quarter (first, second, third, and fourth) and can be placed before the game starts. After the game begins, these bets are usually replaced with live bets, where real-time action impacts the odds.
It's important to note that quarter odds are usually not exactly one-quarter of the full-game betting lines. For example, if a team is a -1.5-point favourite in the first half, they need to be leading by at least two points at halftime for the bet to be successful. Second-half bets do not consider the score from the first half. Instead, only the score from the third and fourth quarters is used to determine the second-half spread.
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Moneyline bets
When looking at the moneyline, each team will have either a positive or negative number next to it. The underdog will generally have a positive number, indicating the potential payout. For example, a $10 bet on a team with odds of +108 would win $10.80. The favourite will generally have a negative number, indicating how much money you would need to wager to win $100. For example, odds of -125 mean you would need to wager $125 to win $100. In games expected to be close, both teams may have negative numbers, with the team closer to zero being the slight favourite.
Moneylines change based on the amount of money coming in on either side. Sportsbooks want equal money on both sides, so they will adjust the odds to encourage betting on the team with less money. This can happen from hour to hour, and the odds can vary between sportsbooks, so it is worth shopping around to find the best moneyline. Once you have placed your bet, any further changes to the odds will not affect it.
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Parlay bets
Spread betting in basketball involves placing a wager on a spread or predicted range of outcomes in a basketball game. For example, the spread on total points for a game may be 230-234. Bettors can then decide whether the final outcome will be higher or lower than the spread. If a bettor predicts that the final score will be higher than 234 points, they would buy. If they predict that the score will be lower than 230 points, they would sell. The profit or loss from the bet depends on the difference between the buy or sell level and the final outcome, multiplied by the stake.
In addition, parlay bets have been associated with scandals in college and professional basketball. In one case, unnatural betting action moved the line on a Temple-UAB conference tournament game in March 2024, leading to a federal investigation. Another scandal involved a player, Porter, who was banned from the NBA for manipulating his own stats during Raptors games and betting on NBA and Raptors games through another person's gambling account.
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