Stepping into the world of sports betting is very intimidating initially. Like anything in life it’s best to be prepared beforehand. Sportsbetting is not an industry that you want to train on the job as doing so could cause you to become broke and miserable.
Rather, let me explain the basics of betting to you. There are three main types of bets: moneyline, ATS (against the spread), and Totals (Over/Under). We’ll dig deep explaining each and how they are scored.
For all of the betting types we’ll use the below sample.
Example odds for a typical NFL game
| Teams | Moneyline | ATS | O/U |
| Buffalo Bills | +130 | +4.5 (-110) | O38.5 (-110) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | -125 | -4.5 (-110) | U38.5 (-110) |
Moneyline
It doesn’t get any simpler than the moneyline bet. A moneyline bet is a wager placed on a team to win. In any sport other than soccer, someone wins and someone loses. With a moneyline bet we don’t care how they win as long as they are the winner at the end. Since moneyline is picking a winner it doesn’t get any simpler than that.
Using our example, the Steelers are favored to win over the Bills. We know that because our ROI (return on investment) on the Steelers is lower than the Bills. A $100 wager placed on the Steelers nets $80 while the same bet on the Bills nets $130.
There is one piece of strategy with moneyline wagering. The general consensus is that the majority of the time the betting public supports the favorite. That makes sense as the favorites SHOULD win. With NFL games being played on Sundays sportsbooks usually make opening lines available the Tuesday beforehand. If you believe the Steelers will win it is wise to bet the odds of -125 while you can. Once the volume of bets placed on the steelers significantly outweighs the volume on the Bills the Steelers will become -135 to deter bets. This is all part of the line movement process which we discuss in another one of our guides.
For those interested in betting the Bills it is advised to wait. Odds of +130 could become larger later in the week.
Why do sportsbooks use point spreads?
Sportsbooks use point spreads to make the game even and they’ve become very popular amongst bettors. Moneyline odds of -600 is very hard to establish long-term success because the winning payouts are small and one loss could eliminate any positive gains. The same -600 moneyline will have ATS odds of -110 which is more attractive to a bettor.
The point spread is added to (the team getting points) and subtracted from (the team laying points) teams once the game is final to determine the winner.
From our NFL sample, you can see the Bills are getting 4.5 points while the Steelers are laying 4.5. Next to the point spread are the odds which both are at -110. Odds of -110 is pretty common, but sometimes you can find a sportsbook with reduced juice.
Scoring ATS
For a WIN
Bills would need to lose by four points at less. Once the game is final you would add 4.5 points to the Bills total and if higher than the Steelers total an ATS bet on the Bills wins
For a LOSE
Bills would need to lose by five points or more. If after adding 4.5 points to the Bills total it doesn’t reach a higher total than the Steelers then an ATS bet on the Bills loses.
For a TIE
In our example there wouldn’t be a tie, but sometimes the line will be four and not 4.5. In the scenario of a tie, if adding the four points to the Bills equals the Steelers then a tie is scored and the wagered amount is returned to the bettor.
How to read point spreads
If you are betting the Bills then the term is referred to as getting the points. Some might refer to it as catching the points also. A bet on the Steelers is referred to as giving the points or more commonly laying the points.
Changes in the point spread
As moneyline odds change as previously mentioned, so does ATS lines. Once the sportsbooks receive more money on the Bills the line will be shifted down to deter additional bets on the Bills. The sportsbook might drop it to 4 or even 3.5. Likewise, if more money is being placed on the Steelers the spread will increase to 5 or 5.5. The shift is because the sportsbooks need to balance out the money wagered between the two sides. There are no limits or restrictions on how often a line can move. Lines can also move in both directions as sportsbooks might change the Bills, +5.5, and Steelers, -5.5. That movement could entice Bills bettors and with enough money bet on the Bills the line could return to +4.5 and -4.5 respectably.
Use of ATS Across the Popular Sports
Point spreads are used in most sports. Hockey and baseball always use +1.5 and -1.5. Very very rarely do those sports post different ATS spreads. Basketball, football and soccer are dependent on the matchups. In basketball and football you can see point spreads into the double digits.
Pick’em
If a matchup is between two competitive and even teams sometimes there won’t be a point spread which is referred to as a pick’em. In this scenario the point spread isn’t in play and a bettor would place a moneyline wager on the desired winning team.
What does the over under mean?
If you think not only you know who will win, but how the game will be played out then an over/under bet would appeal to you. Sportsbooks will set the total number of points scored thus allowing you to determine if more or less will occur. The over/under can change leading up to the game for the same reasons as moneyline and ATS move. Similar to ATS, the odds for over/under are usually -110.
Over/Under Prop Bets
In our example of 38.5, if you think the total points scored will be higher than 38 then you’d place a wager on the over. For that bet to win 39 points would have to be scored. For those thinking less than 38 points will be scored a wager on the under would be more to your liking. Since it is a bet on the total points scored it is irrelevant how many each team scores. Over/Under bets are not just limited to total points scored as below are some of the most common you’ll see.
- Over/Under on 1 particular team’s score (example Bills 17.5)
- Over/Under on 2.5 TD passes thrown by Bills quarterback
- Over/Under on 78.5 rushing yards by Bills running back
- Over/Under on 3.5 total turnovers
Overtime
A dream scenario for over bettors as overtime means more time to score points! When a game is tied after regulation and extra time is needed to determine a winner this is music to the ears of over bettors. Meanwhile, the under bettors are left sweating the extra time.
Moneyline & Over/Under
A common parlay which provides value to the bettor is to combine the moneyline with the over/under. A parlay of Bills and the under means the Bills must win and the total be under 38.5 for a successful bet.
Now that you understand the basics to betting you can succeed! As with most things, consider starting off slow while getting yourself familiar with the industry. Starting with these three basic bets is a great way to start. Soon you’ll want to expand on the basics to ensure a long-term successful betting experience and for that check out our full compliment of guides!
