The Basics: Moneyline vs Spread
What is the difference between the moneyline vs spread? They are more similar than you may think, including the fact that they are the two most popular ways to bet on sports.
Moneyline vs. Spread: Understanding the Moneyline
Let’s start simple. The moneyline is betting on a winner or outcome. In most cases there are only two options, Team A or Team B. There are a few instances, like in soccer and hockey, where there is the third option of a tie. For our 3-way moneyline article, click the link! For the instance of this definition, however, think of it as simply picking a winner.
Moneyline vs. Spread: Understanding the Spread
In comparison, let’s talk about the spread. One of my favorite sayings of all-time is, “Good teams win, great teams cover.” This was made famous by the book titled such by Pat Hagerty, a professional sport better. In order to understand this saying, one must understand the term “cover” in this context, and after this article, I hope you gain an appreciation for it too.
The point spread is betting a margin of victory. The favorite will have a negative number associated with their point spread, meaning they have to win by at least x number of points for you to make your money. The underdogs will have that same number but with a plus, meaning in order for them to beat the spread, they can’t lose by that point amount. An example with this would be if the Redskins were playing the Eagles and the Redskins were favored by 2.5 points. The line would look like: Redskins (-2.5), Eagles (+2.5). If you placed money on the Redskins spread, they would need to win by at least a field goal because their margin of victory would be 3. Similarly, in order for the Eagles to win the spread, they would need to win or at least only lose by 1 or 2 points.
Another way to think about it is by changing the score that the game begins at before kickoff (in your head obviously). Every game begins 0-0. However, when visualizing the spread, take the underdog and give them the number of points the spread is giving them. So, in this case, give the Eagles 2.5 points, i.e. the game begins at 0-2.5, advantage Eagles. The question to ask yourself is then, “who will be the outright winner in this scenario?”
We have a whole separate article surrounding Asian handicaps, which are popular in soccer (and occasionally in hockey). Here’s a quick overview: there are two point spreads where your bet gets separated evenly into both pots and pays out accordingly. A quick example would be if Chelsea is playing Newcastle and you bet $10 on the Asian handicap of Chelsea -1.5, -2. This means $5 is placed on Chelsea to win by more than 1.5 goals and $5 gets placed on them to win by 2. If they lose, draw, or only win by 1, you obviously lose all $10. If they win by 2 goals, you win whatever the odds were from the $5 -1.5 bet and then receive your $5 back from the -2 because it was a push. Finally, if they win by 3 or more, you win whatever the odds were set at on those $10. Again, there is an article linked that goes into more detail.
Moneyline vs. Spread: How do they Compare?
So, how does spread and moneyline tie into one another? The moneyline is simply betting an outright winner. Therefore, when you bet the moneyline, you are actually betting a spread of -0.0 and +0.0. You are betting the margin of victory at 0. So a pick-em game, or a game the sports book is denoting as 50/50 will be displayed with a +/- 0.0 and about a -110/-110 odds on the moneyline.
