What is a spread in betting? What do +1.5 and -1.5 mean?
Written by A spread is a head start. The sportsbook gives the underdog points so the game is close to a coin flip to bet on either side.
Reading the minus side
-6.5 means the favorite has to win by more than 6.5 points. So 7 or more. Win by 6 and the bet loses, even though the team won the game.
Reading the plus side
+6.5 means the underdog gets 6.5 points added to its score. It wins the bet if it wins the game or loses by 6 or fewer.
So what does +1.5 mean?
+1.5 means your team can lose by 1 and you still win. -1.5 means your team has to win by 2 or more. You see these a lot in baseball and hockey, where they're called the run line and the puck line.
What the -110 means
Most spreads are priced at -110 on both sides. You risk $110 to win $100. That extra $10 is the book's cut, and it's why you need to win 52.4% of your spread bets just to break even.