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The Difference Between Point Spread and Moneyline bets
Published: 2023-01-05 By: The Guru
When it comes to betting on sports, there are two main types of bets: the point spread and the moneyline. Most people seem to prefer the point spread – it’s certainly more calmly discussed and understood – but some have and likely always will prefer the moneyline. It’s an interesting exercise to look at the benefits and weaknesses of both. There is a huge diversity of betting types which you can learn more about on BetsBest, but for today we are going to discuss those two with their pros and cons.
Benefits of Point Spreads
The point spread is a number that’s assigned to each game or match, based on the expected performance of the two teams. This number represents the margin of victory for one team over the other. For example, if Team A is playing against Team B and the point spread is 3 points, this means that most people betting on Team A would have to wager more per bet in order to win if they want their bets to be successful – basically, they’d have to “cover” that spread by winning by at least 3 points in order to win their bet.
One of the biggest benefits of the point spread is that it makes betting on games much more accessible to casual sports fans who may not be familiar with the different teams and players involved. Instead of having to do a lot of research and analysis before placing a bet, people can make quick decisions based on their gut feeling or even a sense of loyalty – for example, if their favorite team is playing and the point spread is favorable, they may be more inclined to place a bet on that game even if they don’t know much about the matchup or how well each team typically performs.
Another key benefit of the point spread is that it makes betting on games much more exciting and engaging. Because the spread encourages people to bet on teams that are predicted to lose, it creates a lot of “buzz” and excitement as fans wait to see whether or not their team will be able to pull off an upset.
Of course, there are also some downsides to using point spreads in sports betting. For one thing, because the point spread is a factor of the final score, there’s always a small chance that one team will beat another by a very large margin – for example, if Team A has an expected margin of victory of 10 points but comes out on top with a 30-point win instead. In some cases, this can result in people losing a lot of money if they bet on the team that ends up losing.
Benefits of Moneylines
On the other hand, using moneylines instead of point spreads can eliminate some of these downsides. With moneyline bets, people don’t have to worry about any final score differential – all they need to focus on is whether the team they’re betting on actually wins or not. This simplifies the betting process and can lead to more successful results for people who are newer to sports gambling.
Another key benefit of moneyline bets is that it gives people more flexibility in terms of how much they want to wager on a given game or match. With point spread bets, people typically have to bet more to “cover” the spread – for example, if someone places a $100 bet on Team A and the point spread is 3 points, they would need Team A to win by at least 4 points in order to win their wager. However, with moneyline bets, this isn’t necessary – people can simply bet whatever amount they want, regardless of the point spread.
Of course, there are also some downsides to using moneylines in sports betting. For one thing, the odds for winning a particular game or match may not always be apparent right away – whereas it’s usually very clear how much you’ll win with a point spread bet, it can be more difficult to estimate what your actual payout will be if you use a moneyline.
Both point spread and moneyline bets have their own benefits and drawbacks, but overall the benefits of using point spreads seem to outweigh the downsides. This is likely why they are more popular among bettors – because they are simpler and easier to understand, people can make quick decisions based on their gut feeling rather than doing a lot of research. However, for people who are willing to do some extra work, moneyline bets can be more successful in the long run.
