Point Spread Betting
The point spread is the dominant betting market in the NFL and NBA. Instead of picking the outright winner, you pick whether a team will beat or fail to cover a sportsbook-issued handicap.
How a Spread Works
Example: Packers -7.5 vs. Bears +7.5.
- If you bet Packers -7.5, the Packers must win by 8 or more.
- If you bet Bears +7.5, the Bears must either win outright or lose by 7 or fewer.
Standard pricing on both sides is -110 (the “juice” or “vig”); you risk $110 to win $100. That ~4.5% house edge is how the book makes money on balanced action.
Pushes and Hooks
- Push: A spread of an exact integer (e.g. -7) that lands on the number returns the bet. Bet $100 on -7 and the team wins by exactly 7 → push, stake refunded.
- Hook: A half-point (.5). Spreads of -7.5 cannot push.
Key Numbers (NFL)
NFL games are decided most often by 3 and 7 points. A line of -3 carries very different value than -2.5 or -3.5 because of how many games land on exactly 3. Sharp NFL bettors will pay extra juice to get the right side of a key number.
Buying / Selling Points
Most sportsbooks let you adjust the spread up or down for a price. Buying a half-point (e.g. -3.5 → -3) might cost an extra 20¢ of juice. Selling points works the reverse direction for better odds with a worse number.
Hockey & Baseball Equivalents
- Puck line; always ±1.5 goals in hockey
- Run line; always ±1.5 runs in baseball
These fixed-margin spreads convert plus-money favorites into bigger payouts and shorten plus-money dogs.
Wisconsin Availability
Standard at every Wisconsin retail sportsbook: Oneida, Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk.