The Basics of Sports Betting 6n406p

Key 612o63

  1. Handle aka “Turnover” or “Drop” 6v4l1q

    The total amount of money bet on a game or event. Handle does not represent the amount won by the house, or the public. 6q5bh

  2. Hold 5l1f3m

    A sportsbook or casino’s winnings after payouts to successful bettors, but before taxes and other deductions.

  3. Point Spread aka “The Line” 3l5j5x

    The predicted scoring differential between two teams in a game, used by bettors to pick a side in a game. Bettors will traditionally bet either on the point spread or the moneyline odds.

  4. Moneyline 664za

    A number representing the odds that a team will win a contest as well as the amount that a bet on that team will pay out.

  5. Over/Under aka “Total” 6q2gk

    The predicted total amount that two teams will score in a game, combined.

  6. Legal Market 4b2e3r

    The regulated, legal market consists of sportsbooks that are licensed in the U.S. on a state-by-state basis.

  7. Wager 6d1r6q

    The amount you choose to risk on a single bet. To keep betting fun, it’s important to establish an overall budget at the outset and only wager a small percentage on each bet.

Moneyline vs. Spread Betting 6q2o1j

A point spread is expressed in plus (+) or minus (–) with the favorite, the team “giving” the points expressed as “–” and the underdog, the team “getting” the points expressed as “+”. For example, in this line New England is favored by 7 points over Las Vegas:

New England (–7) Las Vegas (+7)

A bet on New England would pay out if they won by more than seven points, while a bet on Las Vegas would pay out if they won, or if they lost by fewer than seven points. If New England won by exactly seven points, the bet would be a push.

While point spread bets require a certain margin of victory, moneyline bets are straight bets on the winner of the contest. For example, if Boston were listed as –200, a player would have to bet $200 on the favorite, Boston, to win $100. Meanwhile, if the underdog New York were listed at +185, a $100 bet would pay out $185. In some locations, most notably Europe, moneyline odds are expressed as fractions or decimals.