However, understanding these odds and making practical use of them, is a different thing altogether. Besides learning these betting terms, a bettor has to do in-depth research and accumulate a lot of knowledge to be successful in the betting industry.
Simply put, the point spread is a handicap, placed on the anticipated winner of a football or basketball game in points. If the Cavaliers are expected to convincingly beat the Rockets, the point spread on the game could be as high as 20 points. That basically means 20 points are subtracted from the Cavaliers score or added to the Rockets score for betting purposes. If a bettor places a wager on the Cavaliers, they must win by 21 or more points for the bettor to have a successful bet. Those placing bets on the Rockets will win if they win the game or lose by 19 points or less.
The main principle of the point spread bet is to help the oddmakers balance their books. They do not want a huge number of bettors placing a wager on the same team, what they want is more bets placed on both teams. This is done so that the bookmakers make the bettors risk $11 to win $10; a balanced wager guarantees the bookmaker a profit, regardless of which team wins the game.
Bookmakers have quickly realized the more betting lines opportunities they give to the public, the more bets will be placed by the public. That sort of a mindset led to the creation of totals. Totals, or over/unders, are a betting proposition where bettors bet on the combined final score, without any regard to the winner of the game.
Sportsbook betting lines are constantly altered to suit the whims of a bookmaker; they try to get the maximum profit for themselves with every bet that is placed by the bettor. Betting on the point spread, the money line or on totals are the three most popular forms or sports betting odds that take place today. In recent years, bookmakers have continued to come out with additional betting opportunities, such as parlays and teasers. Thus, it is important to know where to bet to maximize your profit.
