If you are new to sports betting, there is no better sport to bet on then the NFL. Experienced betting enthusiasts will tell you that the point spread betting technique is the best to use if you are looking for easy earnings. Sports wagering is made up of numerical odds, which are conveyed to patrons of sportsbooks via three common techniques, point spread, moneyline, and totals. Of the three, the point spread is the most frequently used technique in both football and basketball. But how does point spread betting work? Today we will be explaining how the point spread is used so that gamblers both new and experienced can find success.

The point spread is the number determined by a bookie as to how much a team known as the favorite, is expected to defeat a team known as the underdog. In essence, the favorite is the team the house expects will win and the underdog is the team expected to lose. Your job as the bettor is to determine whether the favorite will win by the suggested amount or the underdog will lose by the suggested amount or move closer to the amount. Here is an example of a point spread bet

Steelers - 7
Lions + 7

Basically, the Steelers are favored to win the game by seven and as the favorite are represented by a minus line. Conversely the Lions are a seven point underdog represented by a plus sign. Here are examples of a favorite winning and an underdog winning

Steelers 21 Lions 14
Steelers 20 Lions 14

In the first score, the Steelers a seven point favorite were able to cover the spread of seven points, making the fans who bet on the Steelers to cover the spread, victors. On the contrary however, in the second score, the Steelers only won by six points, although the spread was seven points. As a result, the fans betting the underdog won because the favorite failed to cover the spread.