Every bet starts with a line. Here is how to read one, in plain words: the point spread, the total and the moneyline, what the price next to each number means, and why the opening number matters.
How to Read a Line
A sportsbook posts three main markets for most games. Each shows a number and a price. The number is what has to happen; the price is how much you risk to win.
- Spread: Home −3.5 (−110), Away +3.5 (−110)
- Total: Over 44.5 (−110), Under 44.5 (−110)
- Moneyline: Home −170, Away +145
The Point Spread
The spread evens out a game. The favorite has a minus sign and must win by more than the number. The underdog has a plus sign and can lose by less than the number, or win outright.
Example: Home −3.5. A bet on Home wins if Home wins by 4 or more. A bet on Away +3.5 wins if Away loses by 3 or fewer, or wins. When the spread is a whole number, such as −3, and the favorite wins by exactly 3, the bet is a push and the stake comes back.
The Total (Over/Under)
The total is the combined points both teams score, overtime included. You pick whether the final total lands over or under the number.
Example: Under 44.5. A final of 24-17 adds up to 41, so the under wins. A final of 27-20 adds up to 47, so the over wins.
The Moneyline
The moneyline is simply who wins the game. No points are given. The price does the evening out instead:
- −170 means you risk $170 to win $100.
- +145 means a $100 bet wins $145.
What −110 Means
Most spreads and totals are priced at −110: risk $110 to win $100. A $10 bet that wins pays $9.09, and you get your $10 back. That extra $10 per $110 is the book’s cut, so at −110 you need to win 52.4% of your bets just to break even.
Units
Bettors keep score in units instead of dollars, so a record means the same thing whether someone bets $10 or $1,000 a game. We grade every play as 1 unit at −110: a win is +0.91 units, a loss is −1 unit, a push is 0.
The Opening Number and the Closing Number
The opening number is the first line a sportsbook posts. The closing number is the last line before the game starts. Lines move in between as money comes in and news breaks.
Getting a better number than the close is called beating the closing line, and it is the measure sharp bettors trust most. If you took Under 47 and the game closed at 44.5, you held a number 2.5 points better than the market’s final word.
That is why our Early Release Club sends every football play at the opening number, before the line moves. You can see how often our plays beat the close on Our Record, and how we grade them on How We Grade.
Get Our Plays at the Opening Number
Early Release Club members get every football play the moment the opening number posts, plus every Game Day and Basketball Club play. 5-Star Plays: 72.2% winners (221-85). Early Release Club: 65.4% winners (519-275). Every club is free right now.