What is Against the Spread Betting
Betting against the spread, usually known as ATS, is one of the most prominent sports betting methods. The point spread is a figure, often known as the “betting line,” set by bookmakers at the sportsbook to level the playing field between two teams and provide bettors with a reason to wager on either side of the game. The betting favorite is the superior team and is denoted by a Minus (-), whilst the underdog is denoted by a Plus (+). A gambler wins his wager on the “Favorite” if the team wins by more points than the “spread or line,” while an “Underdog” bettor wins if the team completely wins the game or loses by less than the spread. There are two sorts of against the spread wagering: betting with the spread and betting against the spread.
Betting with the spread
When you bet against the spread, you bet on the favorite to win and cover the spread. In the NFL, for example, the Dallas Cowboys are favored by three points over the Philadelphia Eagles. Taking the Dallas Cowboys -3 means you’re betting against the spread and expecting the Cowboys to win by more than three points.
Betting against the spread
When you bet against the spread, you are wagering on the underdog and the game’s points. To win, the “underdog” must either win outright or lose by less than the provided “Point Spread.” As an illustration, consider the following. The New England Patriots (-7) take on the New York Jets (+7). In this case, the underdog is the New York Jets (+7 points). One of two things must happen for you to win your bet. First, the Jets must win the game, or the Jets must lose the game with a final score of fewer than 7 points. If the final score is 7 points, the game is a tie, and your wager is reimbursed.
What is ATS Betting
ATS is an abbreviation for Against The Spread. It is a word that refers to the performance of a team when the point spread is used instead of their straight up wins and losses in a game.
What if I win my wager against the spread?
You receive your initial stake as well as your winnings. For example, if you bet $110 against the spread to win $100, you’d get back $210.
What if the point spread bet results in a loss?
You lose your full first wager. For example, if you wager $110 to win $100 and your team fails to cover the spread, you will lose $110.
What if the point spread results in a tie?
This is regarded as a “Push,” and you get your initial stake back. For example, if you bet $110 against the spread to win $100, you’d get your $110 back.
How Do You Bet Against the Spread?
The point spread was invented to level the playing field for both sides of a wager. The odds of a conventional moneyline wager in games involving two uneven teams may be excessive. Gamblers dislike having to wager $900 to win $100 on an NFL game. However, the wager would be tempting if the game’s point spread was 13.5 points and a gambler only had to risk $110 to gain $100. To demonstrate further, consider the odds for an NFL game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NY Giants -5.5, -110
Pittsburgh Steelers -110, +5.5
Like a moneyline wager, a point spread wager has a favorite and an underdog. You are, however, betting on the difference in points between the match’s final result. That means there are two possible outcomes for this bet:
The NY Giants must win by more than 5.5 points to cover the spread.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must either win outright or lose by fewer than 5.5 points to cover the spread.
When one of these teams covers the spread, it implies they have won “against the spread,” or ATS. If it had been the season’s opening game, their ATS record would have been 1-0 ATS, implying that they covered the spread once and never failed to do so. The statistics show season records such as 7-2 ATS for a specific team, such as a college football team. During the season, a club like this would have covered the spread seven times and failed to cover the spread twice.
Examples
NFL – Football
Atlanta Falcons -2.5
Arizona Cardinals- +2.5
In this example, the Atlanta Falcons are the favorite with -2.5, and they must win by more than three points for your bet to win. The cardinals are the underdog team with +2.5, and they must win the game or not lose by over three points for your wager to win.
NBA - Basketball
The same standard principles of betting against the spread are the same in the NBA and NFL. When you bet against the spread of a basketball game, you are betting on how many points the team will either win or lose by. NBA betting lines can be identified with (+) or (-) symbols. For instance:
Toronto Raptors -7
Indiana Pacers +7
In this example, the Pacers must win the game or lose by six points or less to cover the spread. The Raptors must win by at least eight points to cover. If the Raptors finish the season at 50-32 against the spread, this would mean they covered the spread 50 times and failed to cover it 32 times.
Betting Against the Spread in Other Sports
Point spread betting is most prominent in football and basketball since these are the highest-scoring major sports. In comparison, there aren’t many runs scored in a baseball game, nor many goals scored in a hockey or soccer game. As a result, betting against the spread is less common in those sports than betting on the moneyline. You can, however, wager the spread in any sport in which one team competes against the other. In those other sports, however, they are referred to as “run lines," “puck lines,” and “goal lines” rather than point spreads. However, the mechanics of wagering the spread in these sports are identical. In most cases, bookmakers will install the preferred side as a 1.5-run favorite in baseball or a 1.5-goal favorite in hockey or soccer, then place the bet and then adjust the moneyline odds from there.
How to Calculate Payouts Against the Spread?
For many people, ATS betting is something they do for fun. When evaluating the odds at several sportsbooks, you must evaluate which bookmaker offers the greatest odds for your specific stake. The example below will help you determine your payout:
-6.5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-115)
+6.5 for the San Francisco 49ers (-105)
The Buccaneers are the point spread favorite, while the 49ers are the underdog, according to the betting lines above. However, the odds for both teams are slightly different, as the bookmaker has altered the moneyline odds away from the regular -110 odds in an attempt to draw more money on San Francisco. This results in two possible results for you: You can place a $115 bet on the Buccaneers to cover the spread. The final result is 24-13 in favor of the Buccaneers, who cover the spread. You win $100 for a total payment of $215. You can bet $105 on the 49ers to cover the spread. The final result is 20-19 in favor of the Buccaneers, meaning they failed to cover as a 6.5-point favorite. This means you’ll gain $100 if the 49ers cover the point spread. Your total winnings would be $205.
Terms to Know in Spread Betting
Against the spread: This refers to the statistic that reflects a team’s ATS record. The ATS record comprises the win/loss record in games with a point spread.
Cover the spread: This covers when a team’s margin of victory or defeat in the game exceeds the point spread anticipated by the oddsmaker.
Handicapping: This is calculating a team’s scoring advantage or deficit to forecast how much a team may win or lose. Handicappers are bettors who participate in the handicapping process.
Line changes: As soon as a game opens for wagering, you’ll see a point spread for both sides. The line can vary over time when bettors place money on one side, or another or major players are ruled out of the game due to injury. Line movement refers to the movement of numbers.
