Getting familiar with these terms will make your betting experience more strategic
In basketball spread betting, knowing the key terms helps you make better decisions and avoid costly mistakes. The point spread is the number set by oddsmakers to even the odds between two teams. Instead of simply betting on who will win, you’re betting on the margin of victory. For example, if the Celtics are listed at -5.5 against the Knicks, they need to win by at least six points for your bet to win. If the Knicks are +5.5, they can either win the game or lose by five or fewer for that bet to pay.
When a team “covers the spread,” it means they’ve performed better than the line expected. If you bet on a team at -4 and they win by 10, they’ve covered. If they only win by two, they didn’t. Sometimes you’ll see spreads that are whole numbers. If a team wins or loses by exactly that amount, it results in a push—your original stake is returned, and there’s no win or loss.
You’ll also come across the terms favorite and underdog. The favorite is the team expected to win and is shown with a minus sign next to their spread. The underdog is less likely to win and is listed with a plus sign. Understanding this is important when comparing matchups.
Another important detail is the juice, also called the vig. This is the cut the sportsbook takes, often shown in the odds as -110. It means you have to wager $110 to win $100, and over time, this cost can add up.
You may also hear about a team’s record against the spread, or ATS. This stat shows how often a team has covered the spread and is a helpful metric for evaluating betting value.
