A plus sign (+) in front of the handicap indicates an underdog. If oddsmakers believe the Chiefs are the likely winners, that makes the San Francisco 49ers the likely losers and, therefore, the point spread underdogs. Even if they win by just one point, this bet would lose. For a point spread bet on Kansas City to win, the Chiefs need to win the game by more than one point. Above, Kansas City has a handicap of -1.5, meaning oddsmakers expect them to win by one or more points.

Bettors can identify the point spread favorites by the minus (-) in front of their handicap. The oddsmakers have deemed that Kanas City is more likely to win the match, so they have made them the point spread favorite in this matchup. It is simply meant to avoid the possibility of the result ending on the exact number since half-points are not possible in major sporting competitions. The addition of the 0.5 to this and other such betting handicaps like Over/Under Totals is called a hook. Oddsmakers closely examined both of these teams and determined that the game would likely be decided by a point. Let’s look at the point spread from Super Bowl LIV featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs as an example of how to read a point spread and what each side and number mean. In baseball, the spread is called the run line, and in hockey, it is called the puck line. It’s most often used in NFL and college football betting, as well as NBA and NCAA basketball. The point spread is quickly becoming part of the mainstream sports conversation, used in sports betting as the great equalizer when it comes to comparing teams. Because not all teams are equal in skill, oddsmakers use spread betting to level the playing field. What is a point spread?Ī point spread, or simply “the spread”, is a sports betting number made by oddsmakers at sportsbooks that serves as a handicap between two opponents. For sports bettors, that's where the point spread comes in. Not all teams and competitions are evenly matched.

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