Sports Betting
Point spread meaning NBA
In NBA betting, the point spread is a number set by the bookmaker that handicaps the favourite by a set margin and gives the underdog the same advantage, so that bettors wager on whether the favourite will cover that gap.
Key points
- The spread is a market-based forecast of the game's scoring margin.1
- Bettors choose the favourite minus the points or the underdog plus the points.12
- A team laying -6.5 must win by 7 or more; the underdog can win outright or lose by fewer than the spread.12
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- Point spread meaning betting — the wider betting concept of wagering against a handicap line, not specific to NBA basketball
- Point spread meaning football — the same mechanism applied to football games rather than NBA basketball
Related terms
Sports betting
Point spread
General definition of the point spread in sports betting.
Sports betting
Spread betting
Overview of spread betting as a broader wagering concept.
Sports betting
Minus 1.5 spread meaning
Explains what a -1.5 point spread means in betting.
Sports betting
Vig meaning
Definition of the vig, the bookmaker's commission on a bet.
Sports betting
Moneyline vs spread
Comparison between moneyline and point spread betting.
Sports betting
Sharp vs square betting
Sharp vs square betting contrasts a sharp bettor
Sources
- Racial Bias in the NBA: Implications in Betting Markets | Journal of ... users.nber.org Provides the definition of point spread and common odds for NBA betting.
- Sports betting en.wikipedia.org Supports the definition, alternative names, and use of half-point spreads.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.