When thinking about what is covering the spread, you’ll see that, with whole point spreads, there’ll still be the potential for a draw. COVERING THE SPREAD – HALF-POINT SPREADS CUT OUT THE DRAW So, what does ‘covering the spread’ mean in sports betting? In simple terms, covering the spread happens every time a favourite wins the event with the handicap figure taken into account or the underdog either wins or loses by less than the handicap figure. Bettors place spread bets using these figures, wagering whether the actual points spread will be bigger or smaller than the bookies estimated points spread. The size of the handicap varies depending on how big a spread the bookies believe there to be. The favourite is given a minus handicap, the underdog a positive handicap. In spread betting, the bookmaker predicts the points spread for any game and gives or takes points to equalise the betting. And it’s this points spread that forms the basis of covering the spread and spread betting. For example, if Oakland Raiders beat Dallas Cowboys by 45-35, the points spread is 10 points.

How to read a point spread is simple it is just the difference in the points scored by two opposing teams.

To have cover spread explained properly, you first need to understand what we mean when we talk about the spread. Your Strategy Guide to Covering the Spread

Odds of nfl home teams covering spread