The minus sign means that the final score will have the spread number subtracted from it. In the case that you see a plus sign and a number, that side is the underdog in the matchup.
If you look at the odds board and see a team’s or individual’s name followed by a minus sign and a number, that reflects that side is favored by that number of points. To account for that inequality between the two teams, a point spread is used to handicap the two sides of a matchup. It’s the number of points one side is giving or receiving as compared to the other.Īlthough each team may roster the same number of players, play by the same rules, or even run some of the same plays, the two sides are almost never equal in skill. The point spread is how teams or sides of varying skill levels are handicapped against one another. This is one of the most common questions in sports betting, especially to new sports bettors.
What Is A Spread? Point Spread Betting Explained, Examples
