Point Spread Betting – Best Guide

Point spread betting is available at many online sportsbooks in the Philippines. Learn all about how it works and get pro tips with our full guide.

Online sports betting is very popular not only in the Philippines but across many Asian countries. There are many betting systems you can use and point spread betting is one of the most common ones. Moreover, you can apply point spread betting to different types of sports, including football and basketball. 

But although it’s popular, point spread bets have their intricacies. Like other sports betting options, you must consider several factors to benefit from using them. Continue reading our complete guide to learning everything about point spread betting. Everything you need to know, including how it works, is here in one place.

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So What is Point Spread Betting?

Point spread betting is a common system for sports betting in online sportsbooks, especially in the Philippines. This bet is designed to create a balance between the underdog and the favorite teams. Though it is commonly used in football and basketball, you can apply it to other sports as well.

How to Bet on Point Spreads

Before you start betting on point spreads, it is essential to understand that there are three possible outcomes. You can either end up with a win, loss, or push. Of course, if you win in point spreads betting you will get to profit. But how much exactly depends on the price of the wager.

Unlike with Moneyline bets, here when you wager you don’t really pick a team to be the outright winner. This is because the outcomes in point spread betting do not reflect the final results. Moreover, a losing team may still provide a win. So, the goal of point spread betting is to help create an equilibrium between two teams with different strengths.

An Example in Practice

For instance, let’s say Chelsea FC is playing against Leeds FC in the Champions League finals. Most likely you will bet on Chelsea in this case. But what will happen if Leeds are awarded 2 free points at the beginning of the game? 

Here is where the point spread betting comes to your aid. It creates an even playing ground for both teams. In addition, it evens the odds as well. The point spread lines in the above example will be as follows:

  • Chelsea FC (+5) -110
  • Leeds FC (-5) -110

If you choose point spread betting, you wager on both teams at -110 odds, whereby you will profit $100 from your bet ticket. The -110 odds are commonly used by bookmakers to create a house edge. Also, it profits the betting site if both sides are played evenly.

Point Spread Betting in the Philippines

Point Spread Betting Glossary

Here are some of the common terms you will come across in point spread betting:

  • Stake: Money that determines your win or loss.
  • Spread: It’s the difference between the selling and buying price of a market.
  • Betting Strategy: It’s an approach to betting used to increase the odds of winning.
  • Buy Points: When you accept inferior odds in exchange for a bigger point spread advantage.
  • Favorite: The team with higher chances of winning in a game.
  • Underdog: A team with low chances of winning.
  • Draw: When the game ends without a winner.
  • Hook: A half of a point.
  • Run Lines: It’s a point of spread for baseball games based on the number of runs scored.

How and Why the Line Moves on a Spread Bet

When it comes to sports betting, line movement determines when the odds or point spread for a game from the beginning to the end of a bet. Many bookies set lines with the intention of increasing their profits. This happens by moving lines when the bets are placed. Moreover, sportsbooks do this to balance the amount placed on each line by bettors.

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Point Spread Betting Odds

The odds here are very easy to read and interpret on virtually any sportsbook. It is essential to understand that there are betting odds that are associated with each point spread. Here, we’ll show you how to read the spread odds and how you can calculate them. We are going to use our previous example:

  • Chelsea FC +5 -110
  • Leeds FC -5 -110

You can see that the odds have been added at the end. If you were to bet on Chelsea or Leeds with -110 odds, you win PHP100. The negative sign (-) in the case indicates the amount you must wager to win PHP100 and the positive (+) sign shows what you could win if you staked PHP100. Nevertheless, it is vital to pay attention to how much you are charged for the point spread. The standard charge across top sportsbooks in the Philippines is -110.

Point Spread Bet Outcomes

There are three possible results in point spread betting:

  • Win: In this case, you win with a margin bigger than the point spread by betting on the favorite team. A win can also occur when you bet on the underdog team and it wins outright or loses with a margin that is less than the point spread.
  • Push: In push-in spread betting occurs when a favorite team wins by a margin similar to the point spread. In this case, the bookmaker will return the full amount of the wager.
  • Loss: When you place a point spread bet but it does not succeed – the outcome is a loss.

What Does PK or Pick’em Mean?

As you are aware, point spread betting strikes a balanced line as compared to Moneyline or any other types of bets. This is one of the major reasons why many bettors love it. However, there may be no favorite team. In that case, the game is listed as PK. In other words, the game has no point spread. 

A bookmaker will set the game as pick’em when the playing teams have equal chances of winning. But this does not mean that the teams will be 100% equal. There are factors that are used to determine the equilibrium, such as player injuries, previous performance, weather, or the overall capabilities of the teams.

Summary

At this point, you can consider yourself an expert in point spread bets. Learning what point spread betting is, how to place bets, and how it works will increase your chances of winning big. Nonetheless, you should never allow the simplicity of this bet to fool you. 

Even though point spread bets are common for football and basketball, you can apply them to other sports, too. But to do that you’ll need a sports betting platform that offers these bets. Check out our sportsbook reviews to find out which of the top sites in the Philippines suit your needs.

FAQ

Point spread betting can be applied to all sports but it is most commonly used for football and basketball bets.

A push is when a game or event ends without a winner and point spread was involved.

If you lose your point spread bet, you will forfeit your stake.

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