Sports betting · Line explained
Point spread
explainer.
Enter the spread on a team and get the simple version: what has to happen for that side to cover.
01 / Input
Enter your team’s line
PTS
Minus (−) means your team gives points. Plus (+) means it gets points.
Try a line
What this coversStandard whole- and half-point spreads. Quarter-point Asian handicaps can split a stake and aren’t modeled here.
02 / In plain English
What does this line mean?
Your team’s spread
−2.5
Must win by 3+
Team’s roleGiving 2.5 points
Cover ruleWin by 3 or more
Push?No — half-point line
i
If your team wins by only 1 or 2, it wins the game but does not cover this spread.
Keep the numbers separate
A spread is not the price.
The spread sets the handicap used to grade that side. The American odds beside it—often something like −110—are a separate price that describes the wager’s payout.
Read the point spread guide ↗−
−2.5 points
Your team gives 2.5 points and must win by 3 or more to cover.
Win by 2 = no cover+
+2.5 points
Your team gets 2.5 points and can lose by 2 or fewer and still cover.
Lose by 3 = no cover