Betting Against the Spread

Betting against the spread (ATS) is a common form of wagering that offers more betting options than fixed-odds betting. ATS bets offer a way to bet on highly-favored teams without incurring financial risk. While ATS bets are less expensive, they can still be frustrating.

ATS stands for “against the spread”

One of the most important things to remember when betting on sports is that the spread is often a factor that you should consider when placing your bets. The point spread is simply a number that indicates the point differential between two teams. In baseball and hockey, the point differential is always -1.5, while in basketball and football, the point differential can be in the double digits.

While most people are familiar with point spreads, some may be confused about ATS. There are many factors that determine the value of betting against the spread. One of these is the type of team you’re betting on. Some teams cover the spread more often than others, while others don’t. If you’re looking to place a bet, you should consider the point spread and the team’s recent records.

Point spread bets are less expensive than money line bets

The main difference between money line and point spread bets is the implied probability for the favorite team. If you bet on the favorite team, the implied probability will always be above 50 percent, while the implied probability for the underdog will always be less than 50 percent. Using a point spread will allow you to have a margin of error, which can give you a nice profit even if your team loses.

The point spread is the oddsmaker’s best guess for the number of points that separate two competitors. It can range anywhere from half a point to 50 points. For example, you can bet on the Broncos to win by eight points in a Monday Night Football game.

They allow you to take heavily favored teams without incurring financial risk

Betting the spread is a great way to minimize the financial risk of betting on a heavily favored team. By betting the spread, you will only lose a fraction of your original bet when a heavily favored team loses, and you’ll get paid out as long as the underdog wins by at least nine points. This betting strategy is one of the most straightforward and pure forms of sports betting.

You may be charged a small finance charge for using spread betting. This fee is similar to the interest you pay on margin loans. The finance charge is calculated by multiplying the notional position value (the difference between the team’s total value and the spread) by the interest rate, which in most cases is 365 percent. Different brokers will use a different denominator when calculating their fees.