A accurate way of referring to spread betting in sporting events is to refer to it as “sports spread betting” (just to clear any ambiguity), although it can still be called spread betting. Sports spread betting is not often engaged by newbie bettors or punters with not capable of taking calculated risks that fall a little above the margin of fair.
It is most often overlooked by these categories of bettors. Experienced bettors and Pros are the one that often use sports spread betting more. The simple reason for this is because sports spread betting is extremely volatile.
Spread Betting Explained
While sports spread betting is not often the first choice or a go-to preference of majority newbie punters and those that are risk averse, experienced punters and punters alongside some other punters that cannot yet be qualified with these statuses prefer spread betting because of its awesome potential for reasonably big returns. It is important to know, however,
that this quality operates like a two-edged sword.
What is Spread Betting?
You can use our sports betting comparison page to find suitable bookmakers and online betting sites to make your spread bet. Betting the spread (or as some will put it,
betting against the spread) is actually not that different from traditional sports betting, there is just one significant difference between the two. In sports spread betting, bookmakers are the one who set spread according to what they believe is the mostly likely result. Thus, it is now up to bettors to make their decision whether they think the actual result will be above or below the spread set by bookmakers.
Against this background, everything in sports spread betting is always done on a higher or lower basis (just like a two-way market that we discussed under
tennis betting
and
rugby betting). It is for this reason that spread betting sports are more peculiar to certain betting markets. Among these markets where spread betting is commonly used include total number of goals scored in a Soccer game, total number of runs scored in a Cricket match, or total number of points scored in Basketball game.
We always try to simplify these so-called complex bets by using simple, straightforward examples. For the case of
betting against the spread, let’s use an example:
Let us use one of the easiest markets that can be obtained in
spread betting sports. We are going to use the total number of goals scored in a Soccer game. Your chosen bookmaker has offered the following spread for an upcoming game:
From the above, two numbers are displayed: 1.9 and 2.1. The lower number 1.9 is what we refer to as the sell price. The higher number 2.1 is what we call the buy price. This means that the spread is put at 1.9 – 2.1. For you as an interested bettor in this spread bet that has been offered by the bookmaker,
your decision is between two choices (two-way market):
you can decide that there would be less than 1.9 goals, or you can decide that there would be more than 2.1 goals. Now, you should know that definitely the actual number of goals to be obtained in the game we be a whole number and not a decimal (we explained this at length in our articles on
goal bet
and
over under bet). Adding these decimals is important when wagering as it makes computation of outcome relatively easily.
So, if you want to bet that there will be more than 2.1 goals, you will
buy
the spread. On the other hand, if you want to bet that there will be less than 1.9 goals, then you will
sell
the spread. In the discourse of
betting against the spread, anytime you are buying or selling a spread, you are essentially “opening a position”. The moment you reach this stage of opening a position, i.e. you have opened a position (you’ve decided whether you are buying or selling a spread), the next thing for you to do is determine the amount you want to stake on your spread bet.
The total number of goals obtained by end of the game will determine the outcome of your wager:
whether you’ll win it or lose it. If you end up buying the spread, then the total number of goals to expect by game end must be more than 2.1 goals to make return and win your bet. Essentially, that will translate to three or more goals. If you end up selling the spread in this our spread bet example, then the total number of goals to expect by game end must be less than 1.9 in order to win your bet.
This means one goal or a tie.
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Betting the Spread: Calculating Payouts and Losses
Let’s continue with the example we used above:
Let’s again assume that you bought the spread at 2.1 for a stake of $10 and three goals were eventually scored, this means that you’ve won your bet. You will then deduct your buy price of 2.1 from the final total of 3, which will give 0.9. This outcome of 0.9 will then be multiplied by out stake of $10 to give $9. Impliedly, in this bet, you have made a profit of $9. Let’s draw some other total number of goals scenario:
- If four goals were scored, you’d win $19: 4 minus 2.1 gives 1.9; multiplied by $10 gives $19.
- If five goals were scored, you’d win $29: 5 minus 2.1 gives 2.9; multiplied by $10 gives $29.
- If six goals were scored, you’d win $39: 6 minus 2.1 gives 3.9; multiplied by $10 gives $39.
Let’s repeat the calculation for when fewer goals than 2.1 result:
- If one goal was scored, you’d lose $11: 1 minus 2.1 gives –1.1; multiplied by $10 gives – $11.
- If no goals were scored, you’d lose $21: 0 minus 2.1 gives –2.1; multiplied by $10 gives –$21.
In the case that you sell the spread,
this calculation is reversed. Instead of deducting the buy price from the final total, we’ll deduct the final total from the sell price, which in this case is 1.9:
- If no goals were scored, you’d win $19: 1.9 minus 0 gives 1.9; multiplied by $10 gives $19.
- If one goal was scored, you’d win $9: 1.9 minus 1 gives 1.9; multiplied by $10 gives $9.
- If two goals were scored, you’d lose $1: 1.9 minus 2 gives –0.1; multiplied by $10 gives –$1.
- If three goals were scored, you’d lose $11: 1.9 minus 3 gives -1.1; multiplied by $10 gives –$11.
Which Bookmakers Offer the Best Sports Spread Betting?
The biggest advantage that betting the spread offers punters is that a large sum of money relative to your stake can be won. In fact, punters can win their stake over with the right prediction made; we demonstrated this in the example shown. So, what are you waiting for? By now, you already know that
while making correct prediction is one half of a coin as far as winning in sports
betting goes, making those bets with the right bookmaker is the second half. Punters familiar with spread betting know that
one major disadvantage of it is that there are fewer places to make spread betting.
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Conclusion: Spread Betting is Worth Your Consideration
If you’ve read our article on
over under bet, you will see that on a theoretical and ideological level, sports spread betting shares some fundamental principles with over under bet, there are much more benefits to enjoy,
this kind of betting can give you winning of a lifetime.
Make the first step; visit our sports betting comparison page today to find the perfect bookmaker for your next sports spread betting.
