All sports teams
are not created equal. If all sports bets came down to Team A vs. Team
B, it would be difficult to get action. In many cases, Team A is
obviously superior to Team B, so everyone would want to bet on Team A
and there would be no one to give them any action. This is the reason
betting lines� exist in sports betting. The line is a way to even
things out between two teams so that there will be action on both sides.
Thanks to online
gambling sites and internet bookies, you can choose between all
types of wagers 24/7.
There are two main
types of lines, point spreads and money lines.
Point
Spreads
A point spread is simply giving points to the team that is the
underdog. If the Giants are a four-point favorite over the Packers, you
will win if the Giants win by more than four, e.g. Giants 21, Packers
13, but lose if the Giants win by less than four, or if they lose, e.g.
Giants 20 Packers 17 or Packers 17 Giants 14. If the Giants won by
exactly four, it would be a push and no one would win.To avoid this
many lines include a half point -- for example, the Giants might be a
4.5-point favorite, meaning if they won by four or less, a Packers bet
would win.
Money Lines
In a money line, the team you pick has to win outright, but you must
pay more to win less with the favorite. For example, a typical money
line for the Giants/Packers game might be $120/+$90. What this would
mean is that to take the favorite, in this case, the Giants, you would
have to bet $120, but only win $90. If you bet the Packers, they would
have to win the game, but you would win $120 while only risking $90. Of
course, you can bet in any denomination you want, but the bet will
always get paid off at this ratio.
Are Point
Spreads Better than Money Lines or Vice Versa?
One type of line is not necessarily better than the other. However, a
game like football, where the score tends to be more reflective of the
relative ability of the teams, is more conducive to point spreads. In a
game like basketball, where a superior team with a big lead might give
up 12 meaningless points during garbage time late in the game, or
baseball, where a team which is far superior due to pitching might only
win by a few runs, money lines tend to be more appropriate.
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