In other words, if it’s 21-17 Cincinnati, a bet on Pittsburgh would win by a half-point. For Cincinnati to win, they must win the game and do so by a number greater than 4.5. For a bet on Pittsburgh to win at +4.5, they can either win the game outright or not lose by an amount that surpasses 4.5. Pittsburgh is +4.5, with Cincinnati at -4.5, which means Pittsburgh is a 4.5-point underdog and Cincinnati is favored by 4.5 points. Cincinnati Bengals -4.5Ībove is an football point spread.

The point spread is applied to the standard form of football wagering, where you pick one of two teams to “cover the spread.”Ī number is applied to a game, with one team favored by that many points, while the opponent is an underdog by that same number of points. Those two things are the point spread and the money line. NFL and College Football: There are two things you need to understand in order to bet on football at the professional and college level. Let’s break it down by sport and give you the lowdown on how betting odds work for all the different major sports. At the same time, there are some principles that apply to all aspects of sports betting. The odds and how odds apply to betting may vary slightly from sport-to-sport. You may think “if these guys can understand sports betting odds, so can I.” You would be right.

But rest assured, you’re never that far from gaining total comprehension.

Sports betting odds may seem foreign at first for the beginning sports bettor.

What does plus mean in sports betting