In the older times, betting on sports meant just predicting the winner or the loser of a game. But now, the art of betting has evolved considerably, and bookies offer a variety of side bets for various sports including basketball, in addition to simple `win or lose´ bets. One such popular type of side bet is `spread betting´ which is now offered by major bookmakers like Bet365. How to bet the spread in basketball?
Let’s find out how it works.
How to bet the spread in basketball?
Spread betting is offered by the bookies especially during a game between uneven teams. During the course of a basketball tournament, there will invariably some games where one team starts as an overwhelming favorite, while the other team is in such poor shape that it is highly unlikely for them to win. In such games, the betting market sees little excitement as punters are unable to get good returns.
Therefore, in order to spice things up a bit, bookies offer spread bets, where punters need to also predict if the favorite team will win by a margin greater than a predetermined number.
The favorite team is usually displayed with a `minus´ spread, showing that it begins the game with a disadvantage or `handicap´, while the underdog team is shown with a `plus´ spread, implying that they are starting with a certain advantage.
How to bet the spread in basketball? So to win the bet, the favorite team must win by more points than the spread, or in other words, must `cover the spread´ for the punter to win.
The odds for spread bets are Usually set at (-110), meaning that the punter will win back ₹100 for every ₹110 that they bet. This return can be substantial when compared to a normal `win or lose’ or money-line bets. The same return holds true when the underdog team loses by fewer points than the spread.
