Points Betting Explained

When it comes to betting on sports, there are a lot of varieties of odds that are formed and wager that can be made. Bettors can lay down money on a ton of different outcomes that they feel gives them a shot to win. One of these methods to winning a wager involves buying points to secure a betting line that is one you feel very good about coming out on your correct side. The process of buying points is not a new one; it goes back quite a ways, as sportsbooks allow bettors to get in on this for a price.

Exactly how buying points works to the advantage or disadvantage of a player in cases is explained here, including going down the list of some of the biggest sports and leagues in which buying points is a popular fad. The most important aspect that ExplainBettingOdds wants our readers to come away with is the understanding on how buying points actually works, and why you would want to use it.

Understanding How Buying Points Works

The notion of buying points on a betting line is just like it sounds. This relates only to the point spread of a game, in which oddsmakers have established a favorite and an underdog with a specific spread on the game line. From here, bettors have the option to lay down a wager on that point spread, or change it to either push it in their favor, or away from their favor.

Point spread and handicap betting are one of the most popular forms of sports bets that you can place. The reason we say “one” of the most popular forms instead of “two” is that these bets are effectively. Points Betting is a new, more exciting way to bet where your winnings or losses from a bet are not determined until the very end of a game. Points Betting allows you to win.

The process involved in buying points would go something like this. Say for example you are looking at betting on an NFL game, and the betting line is set at 4 points. That means for the favorite to cover, they would need to win by five points or more. On the flip side, the underdog can cover the spread with a loss by a field goal or less. If a bettor wants to move the line close together to take the favorite because they think that the line can be covered more easily, then the option to buy points to shrink the line can be enforced. If the bettor wants to move the line further apart, the same processed is involved though it would move towards the favorite having to cover more points.

The question here is why someone would want to buy points to move the line in the first place? What is the advantage in doing so? Why not just take the line that oddsmakers give you?

Well, many times a point spread set down by oddsmakers might not sit right with a bettor, and to move to one they like, they can simply buy the points. But the key factor here lies in how the payouts are affected, which is what we get into in the next section.

How Does Buying Points Affect The Payout?

The process of buying points has a big effect on the payouts to the bettors. The more the spread shrinks in favor of the bettor, the less the payout. The further away it goes from the way a bettor wants to wager, the more the payout.

For example, if a point spread is -4.5, and a bettor wants to buy a point, the line will now become set at -3.5 In doing so, the odds, or cost of the wager, will move from a standard rate (-105, -110-, -115) to a more expensive one (-120, -125, -130). This allows for the house to accept your action but take on less risk.

But, a bettor could want to shift the line and give points as well. Sacrifice a point on the spread will have the odds increase to even or in the positives. This opposite approach makes that spread harder to cover, but the reward is bigger on the payout. Alternate lines are an excellent option as well, as they have preestablished line and odd changes for your choosing.

Buying Points When Betting NFL (Games)

Points Start Betting Explained

When dealing with NFL betting, sportsbooks will allow bettors to buy points in increments of half points. The general rule of thumb is that each half-point bought will cost the bettor 10 cents on the dollar. In the NFL, sportsbooks and bettors focus on the number three. This is because most NFL games are decided around a field goal total. The other important number is seven, obviously relating to a touchdown. Bettors can get a lot of value in buying a three-point betting line up to a 3.5 and a seven point to a 7.5.

Article: How To Read NFL Betting Odds

Buying Points When Betting College Football

The same notion in the NFL towards buying points is applied to college football, though there can be some more variance because of the disparity in some of the matchups that are decided. But the point here is that oddsmakers do their research and are quite close many times. As a result, buying the point total up or down by a half-point can prove to be the difference. Points are bought by the half-point here as well.

Article: How To Read College Football Betting Odds

Buying Points When Betting NBA Basketball

The NBA is a much higher-scoring sport than the NFL or any other sport, but the spreads remain relatively consistent to these sports. As a result, half-points can be bought one way or another on the spread. Bettors can move the point total to where they can get a push, or they can move it up or down a half-point to extend the spread. There are a variety of things to think about when choosing whether or not to buy points on an NBA line, especially when buckets can be scored in increments of one, two, or three points.

Article: How To Read NBA Betting Odds

Nfl Point Spread Explained

Buying Points When Betting MLB Baseball

In terms of buying points in baseball it does not apply to the spread of the game, as determined by the run-line. The run-line is at a constant 1.5 where the payouts stay as they are, along with the money lines. But the game totals can be bought to move up or down in half-point increments to skew the total runs scored in a given matchup. Buying a half-point can make a big difference when runs aren't a highly scored as they are in other sports, so you can see the payouts change quite a bit in this case.

Article: How To Read MLB Betting Odds

Buying Points When Betting College Basketball

College basketball is along the same lines as football and the NBA in terms of moving a betting line in half-point margins. Again, you will be sacrificing or gaining payout margins depending on which side of it you want to play. In most cases, points are bought where the bettor takes the lower payout to gain an advantage over the house, though it obviously costs them. Plenty of points are scored in college basketball, so it's a matter of how far the payout moves.

Article: How To Read College Basketball Betting Odds

Buying Points When Betting NHL Hockey

The NHL and Major League Baseball have the same concept here when buying points. With the goal-line, this stays constant at 1.5 goals. But where bettors will be able to buy points at sportsbooks in most cases will be on the total for the game. This is how many goals will be scored, where a half point can be bought, which will shift the payout quite a bit given the low total.

Article: How To Read NHL Betting Odds

Bovada Sportsbook - Best Sports Betting Site For Buying Points

There are always plenty of betting options on Bovada and the thing that goes with this is the fact that all it takes is for players to be 18 and older to sign up for an account. There are more and more games that will be ready for players to wager on which means that betting options will be out there and there will be plenty of them. The fact that players can buy points on Bovada is one way that many players find a way can make money.

The thing that goes with buying points is this is where the point spread can be changed in their favor. The fact that players can buy points can easily be one of those advantages that players can have by making the spread a lot closer than it was before. This is where most of the time that players trying to find a way to flip their money and make the bet more in their favor. Buying points can be done and Bovada makes sure to have plenty of players take a chance on buying them and changing the outcome of their bets.

MyBookie Sportsbook - Buying Points On MyBookie A Top Choice

MyBookie is one of the online sportsbooks that gives players all of what they want to do all on one site. The one thing that also is important to know is the fact that players only have to be 18 and older to have an account with MyBookie. Signing up only takes a few a minute and soon as players are in their account, they can start buying points on bets! Buying points is one way where players know they possibly move the point spread and help their chances of winning money. With this option, players know that they can now hedge their bet a little and make money.

Betting Point Spread Explained

Having this buying points option on MyBookie is a huge plus because as said before players can hedge their bet and make the point spread closer. The number one thing when it comes to placing bets is players are trying to win money in any way possible. This means that soon as they get to make any bet better for themselves, they will find a way. Buying points is clearly a way that’s can help there and making that point spread a lot closer than the original point spread is an advantage and players with a MyBookie account know that.

As a fan, you don’t care if your team wins by a point or 100. A win is a win, though that 100-point win would be a little easier on the nerves.

In sports betting, how much a team wins by is usually all that matters.

How Do Betting Points Work

The most popular way to bet for the two most popular sports, basketball and football, is with the point spread, also known as the “side.” Most baseball, hockey and soccer bets are on the moneyline, which is betting on a team to win straight up with adjusted odds. Football and basketball have moneyline bets available too, but most people will take the point spread.

The concept can be a bit confusing if you’ve never dabbled in sports betting before.

Why bet with the point spread?

The point spread was created to attract more action on a game. When the San Francisco 49ers are expected to blow out the Arizona Cardinals, it’s not enticing to lay $300 to win $100 on a moneyline. But when the 49ers are 11-point favorites and each side is -110 odds? That’s much easier.

In that example, the 49ers are spotting the Cardinals 11 points before the game starts, at least for bettors. The 49ers have to win by 12 or more points to cover the spread. If the Cardinals win or lose by 10 or less, that side wins the bet. If the game lands on 11, like a 21-10 49ers win, it’s a push and all bets are refunded. If you see a -11 that means that team is favored, and +11 means you’re taking the underdog.

Nothing sharpens your math skills better than trying to figure out how big your lead as a bettor is if you have a 22.5-point basketball underdog that is losing 90-72.

The problem with the point spread can be when a team — which really doesn’t care that you bet the favorite at -11 — has a 14-point lead but gives up a meaningless score at the end to win by only seven points. They’re still happy with the win. You, as a bettor, are not.

Point spreads lead to bad beats

The most infamous example of a bad beat with the point spread probably came in the 2004 Final Four at the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Duke was a 2.5-point underdog against UConn. The Huskies rallied late and took a 79-75 lead on a free throw with 3.2 seconds left. The game itself was over; Duke couldn’t score twice in a few seconds. But Duke guard Chris Duhon pulled up for a running 3-pointer just over the half-court line and banked it in at the buzzer. Duke lost 79-78, but bettors who had Duke and 2.5 points won. March Madness is a huge event for bettors, and reports at the time estimated that Duhon’s “meaningless” shot resulted in a $30 or $40 million swing in Nevada. UConn players celebrated at the final buzzer. UConn bettors doubled over in pain. That’s the difference between betting the moneyline and the point spread.

Baseball and hockey have point spreads too, the “run line” in baseball and “puck line” in hockey. It’s generally 1.5 with odds adjusting accordingly. Taking a big baseball favorite at -1.5 runs can make the odds more palatable. Of course, betting the New York Yankees at -1.5 to bring down the odds from -190 to -110 isn’t too fun when they win 4-3 and you don’t cash a bet.

Betting on the point spread is the most common way to wager on sports. And the first time you take a favorite that wins the game but doesn’t cover the spread, you’ll understand every bettor’s heartbreak.