The favorite is -7. The underdog is +7. You've seen these numbers everywhere in your sportsbooks, but what do they actually mean for your payout?
If you've looked at a sportsbook and felt confused by the plus and minus numbers next to team names, you're looking at point spreads. The spread is one of the most popular ways to bet on sports, and understanding how it works is essential for any bettor.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about point spread betting: how spreads work, why they exist, and strategies to bet them profitably.
A point spread is a number set by oddsmakers that creates a handicap between two teams. Instead of simply picking which team wins, you're betting on the margin of victory.
The spread levels the playing field. Without it, betting on heavy favorites would offer terrible odds, and underdogs would rarely get action.
Example: In a Week 1 NFL matchup, the Lions might be -6.5 against the Chiefs. This means the Lions must win by 7+ points for a Lions spread bet to win, while the Chiefs can lose by up to 6 points (or win outright) for a Chiefs spread bet to win.
The spread creates two roughly equal betting options, regardless of how mismatched the teams appear.
When you bet on a point spread, the spread number is added or subtracted from the final score to determine if your bet wins.
When you bet on the favorite, you're "laying" points. The favorite has a minus sign (-) next to their spread.
Lions -6.5 means you subtract 6.5 from the Lions' final score. If the Lions win 27-21, their adjusted score is 20.5. Since 20.5 is less than the Chiefs' 21, the Lions didn't cover the spread.
When you bet on the underdog, you're "taking" points. The underdog has a plus sign (+) next to their spread.
Chiefs +6.5 means you add 6.5 to the Chiefs' final score. In the same 27-21 game, the Chiefs' adjusted score becomes 27.5. Since 27.5 beats the Lions' 27, the Chiefs covered the spread.
If the spread is a whole number (like -7) and the favorite wins by exactly that margin, the bet is a "push." You get your money back. Half-point spreads (like -6.5) exist specifically to prevent pushes.
Here's how a typical spread looks at a sportsbook:
The negative number indicates the favorite. The Lions are expected to win, so they must overcome a 6.5-point handicap. The positive number indicates the underdog. The Chiefs get a 6.5-point head start.
Oddsmakers don't predict exact outcomes. They set lines to attract equal betting on both sides. When too much money comes in on one team, the spread adjusts:
Tracking line movement can reveal where sharp bettors are placing money. Pikkit's CLV (Closing Line Value) tracker helps you see if you're consistently beating the closing line, a key indicator of long-term betting success. For a full breakdown of how CLV works, check out our guide on how to track closing line value.
Spread bets typically come with odds of -110 on both sides. This means you risk $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10).
The extra $10 you're risking is called the "juice" or "vig." It's the sportsbook's commission for taking your bet.
At -110 odds, you need to win 52.4% of your bets to break even:
Break-even % = Risk / (Risk + Win) = 110 / 210 = 52.4%
That extra 2.4% above 50% is what makes spread betting challenging — but it also creates opportunity for skilled bettors who can find edges.
Sportsbooks adjust odds when they can't move the spread further. You might see:
Here, the Chiefs are getting extra juice because the book wants more action on the Lions side without moving off the key number of 7.
In football, certain margins of victory occur more frequently. These are called "key numbers" and understanding them is critical for spread betting.
The difference between -6.5 and -7 is significant. Games landing exactly on 7 occur roughly 6% of the time in the NFL. Paying extra juice to get the better number is often worth it.
Basketball has less pronounced key numbers due to higher-scoring games. 5 and 7 are common margins, and 3 matters in close games. Half-points matter less than in football because games rarely land on exact numbers. For more on NBA-specific strategy, see our guide on how to bet on the NBA.
Different sportsbooks offer different spreads. A half-point difference can significantly impact your win rate over hundreds of bets.
Example: You like the Lions. Book A has Lions -7 (-110), Book B has Lions -6.5 (-115). Taking -6.5 at worse odds is often the smarter play because 7 is a key number.
Pikkit's BookSync connects to 30+ sportsbooks so you can compare lines across all your books in one place.
A team's win-loss record doesn't tell the whole story. Their ATS record shows how they perform against expectations.
A 10-6 team that's 7-9 ATS has been overvalued by oddsmakers. A 6-10 team that's 11-5 ATS keeps games closer than expected. ATS records help you find value where the public isn't looking.
When a line moves significantly, ask why:
Lines often move toward the sharp side early in the week, then back toward the public side by game time.
Most sportsbooks let you "buy" half-points for extra juice. This is usually a bad deal except when you're moving off key numbers. Buying off 3 in the NFL (moving from +2.5 to +3, or -3 to -2.5) and buying off 7 are the two spots where the math works in your favor.
When a popular team plays on national TV, public money floods in on the favorite. Contrarian bettors look for spots where the public is overreacting and take the other side.
Track directly on the Pikkit App where users and sharps are betting to understand market sentiment.
A team that won big last week isn't automatically a lock this week. Oddsmakers already factor recent performance into the line. By the time you've seen the highlight reel, the line has already adjusted.
Underdogs don't need to win to cover. A +7 underdog that loses 24-20 still wins your bet. Many bettors overlook dogs because they focus on picking winners instead of finding value against the spread.
After a bad beat or losing streak, the temptation to bet bigger is strong. This is how bankrolls evaporate. Stick to flat betting (same amount per bet) or a percentage-based system. For a full breakdown on keeping your bankroll in check, read our guide on bankroll management.
If you don't know your historical ATS performance, you can't identify what's working. Pikkit's bet tracker automatically calculates your ROI, win rate, and performance by sport, bet type, and sportsbook with no manual logging through BookSync.
While the concept is the same, spread betting has different names across sports.
Standard point spreads. Key numbers (3, 7) dominate. Half-points are common.
Point spreads with less emphasis on key numbers due to higher scoring. Lines move frequently based on injury reports and rest days.
Baseball uses a fixed spread, almost always set at 1.5, called the "run line."
The favorite must win by 2+ runs. The odds adjust to compensate for the fixed spread unlike football, where the spread itself moves.
Hockey uses a fixed spread, almost always set at 1.5, called the "puck line."
Like baseball, the spread is fixed and odds adjust.
Soccer uses goal lines or Asian handicaps, often including quarter-goals (+0.25, +0.75) that split your bet across two outcomes.
Covering the spread means the team you bet on performed well enough against the handicap. A -6 favorite covers by winning by 7+. A +6 underdog covers by losing by 5 or less (or winning outright).
Neither is inherently better. Spread betting offers close to even odds on any game. Moneyline betting lets you simply pick the winner but with worse odds on favorites. Many sharps prefer spreads because they can find value on both sides.
Overtime counts for spread bets. The final score after OT determines whether the spread was covered.
Yes, this is called a "pick'em" or "PK." Neither team is favored, and you're simply betting on which team wins. Similar to a moneyline but with -110 odds on both sides.
Compare your bet to the closing line (the final spread before the game starts). If you got better numbers than the closing line, you got CLV (Closing Line Value). Consistently beating the closing line is one of the strongest indicators of sharp betting.
Understanding point spreads is fundamental, but applying that knowledge requires discipline, tracking, and access to good information.
Pikkit helps you track every bet, measure your closing line value automatically, and compare lines across 30+ sportsbooks with BookSync.
Download the app to start betting smarter.
