What Spread (Point Spread) means
The point spread is a projected margin of victory designed to make both sides of a bet roughly equally attractive. A favorite listed at -7.5 must win by 8 or more points to "cover"; an underdog at +7.5 covers by either winning outright or losing by 7 or fewer points. The half-point (the "hook") exists specifically to eliminate ties (a "push," where the bet is refunded), and its presence or absence near a key number can meaningfully affect a spread's true value.
Key points
- The point spread is a projected margin of victory designed to make both sides of a bet roughly equally attractive.
- A favorite listed at -7.5 must win by 8 or more points to "cover"; an underdog at +7.5 covers by either winning outright or losing by 7 or fewer points.
- The half-point (the "hook") exists specifically to eliminate ties (a "push," where the bet is refunded), and its presence or absence near a key number can meaningfully affect a spread's true value.
Example and context
In practice
A favorite listed at -7.5 must win by 8 or more points to "cover"; an underdog at +7.5 covers by either winning outright or losing by 7 or fewer points.
Related glossary terms
These terms sit in the same part of the betting vocabulary and are useful to read next.
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