Table of Content

Sports industry is broad, flooded with a wide range of sports including horse racing, cricket, football, NFL, MLB, and many more. And betting on such sports is not a new thing in this industry. Bettors and even sports enthusiasts take part in sports betting activity.

Sports betting features a various wagering options for such enthusiasts. There are various types of wagering options but Point Spread and Moneyline are the most common types of wagers. Whether it's cricket or NFL, these bet types are always available in the betting options.

Point Spread bets serve as a handicap between two opponents. Moneyline bets, on the other hand, are straightforward in which players wager on which team will win.

Both point spread and moneyline are the most common wagering options in the betting market, but understanding them is crucial to making informed betting decisions. While one bet type is suitable for particular sports, it's ultimately up to the bettor to decide which bet makes the most sense for their strategy.

But what do these terms actually mean, and how do they work? Whether you're just getting started or looking to refine your betting strategy, understanding the differences between moneyline vs. spread betting is crucial.

Read More: What is Retail Sports Betting?

In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down both betting types in detail, explaining how each works, how to read the odds, and when to use each type of bet. By the end of this post, you'll have a solid foundation to start making informed betting decisions with confidence.

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰!

What is Point Spread Betting?

Point spread betting is one of the most popular ways to bet on sports, particularly in American football and basketball. Oddsmakers set a number to level the playing field between two teams, and these numbers are known as point spread bets.

The Point Spread bet is built to make the betting more competitive accordance of how strong is one team from other one.

In simple terms, the point spread bet “gives” or “takes” points from a team to make balance between their winning chances. Below is the example of how it actually works:

Favorite Team: This is the team expected to win the game. The favorite is assigned a negative number next to their name (e.g., -7). This number indicates how many points they need to win for the bet to be successful. If the spread is -7, the favorite must win by more than 7 points for a bet on them to win.

Underdog Team: This is the team expected to lose. The underdog is assigned a positive number (e.g., +7). This number represents how many points the underdog can lose by (or win outright) for a bet on them to win. If the spread is +7, the underdog can either lose by less than 7 points or win outright for the bet to be successful.

Example of Point Spread Betting

Let’s say you’re looking at a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. The point spread might look something like this:

Dallas Cowboys -7
New York Giants +7

If you bet on the Cowboys, they need to win by more than 7 points for your bet to be successful. If you bet on the Giants, they need to either win the game outright or lose by fewer than 7 points for your bet to win.

Read More: Cockfight Betting App

How to Read Point Spread Odds

Point spread odds are typically shown as -110 or -105 next to the spread that provides you information about the amount of money you need to wager to win $100 on them. So, if the spread is -7 with -110 odds that mean you’ll need to place bet $110 to win $100.

Pros and Cons of Point Spread Betting

Pros

Point Spread offers more attractive odds than Moneyline, especially when the teams are unevenly matched.
It offers better payouts on underdog bets if they keep the game very close.

Cons

It’s more complex and comes with high risk since the favorite team has to win by a set margin.
Half point spreads can cause losses even when the favorite team won the game.
Requires deeper team performance analysis.

What is Moneyline Betting?

Moneyline betting is another very common form of betting, particularly in sports like baseball, hockey, and soccer. Unlike point spread betting, where the team needs to cover a specific point margin, a moneyline bet focuses solely on which team will win the game, regardless of the score. In moneyline betting, a negative number is assigned to the favorite team, and a positive number is assigned to the underdog team.

For instance, if the moneyline for a game between Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants is -120 for Dallas Cowboys and +110 is for New York Giants, a bettor would need to wager $120 on the Cowboys to win $100 and a $100 bet on the Giants to win $110.

Moneyline betting is available for all types of sports, whether it's cricket, hockey, MLB, or tennis. In addition to bets, odds significantly differ depending on the sport and matchup.

Moneyline odds are set based on how likely a team is to win. Here's how they're generally presented:

Favorite Team: The favorite is shown with a negative number (e.g., -150). This number indicates how much you need to bet in order to win $100. For example, if the moneyline is -150, you'll need to bet $150 to win $100.

Underdog Team: The underdog is shown with a positive number (e.g., +200). This number tells you how much you can win by betting $100. For example, if the moneyline is +200, a $100 bet would win you $200 if the underdog wins.

Examples of Moneyline Betting

Let’s understand how moneyline betting is done in the live games.

Let’s say you are watching the game between the Chiefs and Raiders. In this game, the odds may look like this: -180 for the Chiefs, and for the Raiders, it may be +160. The minus sign (-) shows for the favorites, so you’d need to bet $180 to win $100 on them. The plus sign (+) is for the Raiders (underdog), where your bet would be $100 to win $160 on them if they pull off the upset.

How to Read Moneyline Odds?

Understanding moneyline odds can be little tricky at first, especially when you only bet on point spread. In moneyline odds, the key aspect is to know that the negative odds here show how much you need to bet to win $100. Positive odds in moneyline shows how much you stand to win for a $100 bet.

Here is a quick run-down:

Negative Odds (Favorite): Bet $100 to win a smaller amount (e.g., -150 means you need to bet $150 to win $100 on them).

Positive Odds (Underdog): Bet $100 to win a larger amount (e.g., +200 means your bet amount will be $100 to win $200).

Pros and Cons of Moneyline Betting

Pros

It's very simple to understand as you bet on who will win (e.g. Team A or Team B).
Great for betting against underdogs where you have the chance to win higher payouts.
The complexity is less as compared to points spread and margins.

Cons

Moneyline offers slightly lower payouts on heavy favorites due to higher odds.
The winning ratio of underdogs is less frequent, which makes it a riskier bet.
When betting on favorites, it's not always a profitable option in the long run.

Point Spread vs. Moneyline: Key Differences

Now that we’ve covered what each type of bet entails, let’s take a look at the key differences between moneyline vs. spread betting.

Feature	Point Spread	Moneyline
Betting Focus	Bet on a team to win by a certain number of points.	Bet on a team to win, regardless of the score.
Odds	Typically displayed as -110 for both sides.	Negative odds for favorites; positive odds for underdogs.
Risk/Reward	Risk is generally higher because the favorite needs to cover the spread.	Risk depends on the team’s likelihood to win; underdogs offer greater rewards.
Sports Popularity	Most common in football and basketball.	Common in sports like baseball, hockey, and soccer.
Bet Outcome	A team must cover the spread (win by the margin or more).	A team simply needs to win, regardless of margin.

Whether you are betting on point spread or moneyline, both types offer higher profit-earning opportunities. However, choosing the right one can even maximize your winning chances and profits. But it all depends on the type of sports you choose to bet; match conditions also play a bigger role here, as well as personal risk tolerance.

How to Choose Between Point Spread and Moneyline Betting?

Both point spread and moneyline betting has their own advantages, but choosing between them completely depends on your betting strategies and the specific matchup you are analyzing. Here are some crucial points to consider when deciding on which one to choose. These tips will help you bet more smartly with informed decisions. Here check them out:

If You’re Betting on a Clear Favorite: If you think that the favorite team has more chances of winning the match and you’re confident enough to taking this risk, your best bet will be moneyline. However, if the favorite has less winning chances and odds are also not so appealing, then you could choose point spread to bet on.

If You’re Betting on an Underdog: If your prediction is telling you that underdog team has more chances to win outright, the moneyline could offer a higher payout if you win. But if its other way around like predictions are showing that the underdog can get close or have a losing chance by a small margin, point spread might be a better option for you.

Consider the sport: Point spread bet is the most common type of bet that is likely famous in basketball and football, where scoring is more easily predictable. For sports like baseball and hockey, moneyline betting is more popular because the outcome of the match is less predictable and varies greatly from game to game.

Conclusion

As sports industry is surging, betting has become the most common activities. Sports enthusiast and bettors likes to win money by betting on their favorite teams. Point spread and moneyline, these two bet types has changed betting style a lot. But both are unique and understanding their differences is crucial for making smart betting decisions. Knowing which bet type is best for which scenario can make a big difference in your game betting success.

Point spread betting is great when you want to level the playing field by two teams of different skill levels. On the other hand, moneyline betting is perfect for when you simply bet on the winner of the game.

By applying above mentioned strategies into your game and understanding the odds clearly, you can level up your betting game with confidence and a better sense of how to maximize your winnings. Whether you’re someone who starting out in the sports betting field or someone who looking to fine-tune your betting game effectively, you need grasp these core concepts of betting on point spread and moneyline betting. By understanding them you will have a solid foundation to build your own strategy. We hope that by reading this guide next time when you’re faced with the choice of moneyline vs point spread, you’ll know exactly which bet to place at which situation.

For businesses looking to enter the sports betting industry, investing in sports betting app development services for developing your own profit-driven betting platform that cater to both beginners and experienced bettors is a smart move.