The point spread is the most common bets in not just basketball, but all sports.
The oddsmakers put out a "line" (aka: point spread) on the game based on the public perception of which team is better and which team is worse. The better team will be "laying" points (aka: giving points) to the other team to make up for the difference in equality. Remember, this is based on PUBLIC PERCEPTION, not how things will really play out. In fact, often times many games don't land anywhere near the point spread! That just goes to show that betting on basketball is beatable. If you can consistently create a line better than that of which the bookmaker offers, you can be a winner! It's a grind though!
As an example, let's say the San Antonio Spurs are playing the Cleveland Cavaliers AT San Antonio. In 2007, the likely spread on this game would have been -7 in favor of San Antonio. This means that at the end of the game, you REMOVE 7 points from their final score. If their score still beats that of Cleveland's, your bet is a winner. If deducting the 7 points gives Cleveland a higher score, Cleveland is the point spread winner and cashes the betting ticket.
If you looked at it from an underdog point of view, Cleveland would be +7. This would mean that you add seven points to their score at the end of the game. If it was to exceed the Spurs score, Cleveland would be the point spread winner. If adding the 7 still doesn't beat the Spurs score, the Spurs would be the spread winner.
When placing this type of bet, you should expect to lay/risk $1.10 for every $1.00 you'd like to profit. Some online sportsbooks such as Pinnacle Sportsbook, offer reduced vig betting at -105 odds which is huge savings. This means that you can bet $1.05 to win the same $1.00! That's like receiving a bonus every single time you place a wager! (Sorry, Pinnacle doesn't currently cater to U.S. players.)
If your betting on hoops, the spread bets and totals are your best bet as they have the least amount of house advantage built into the vig. It's also easier to beat then teasers and parlays as you only have to win one game rather than 2 or more to cash your betting ticket.
If you have any basketball wagering related questions, please send them to predictem (at) hotmail.com and one of our friendly staff will be sure to get back to you within a timely manner.
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