How to Read Sports Betting Lines at Online Sportsbooks

Whether you’re new to the world of sports betting or a seasoned veteran, you need to know how to read betting lines at the top online bookmakers.

Today, we’re going to explain everything you need to know about understanding betting lines so that you can have the best experience and maximise your potential profits.  

Sports Betting Lines Explained 

Sports betting lines are an essential part of sports betting, providing the framework for placing bets on various sporting events.

Essentially, a ‘betting line’ is a way for bookmakers to present the odds and potential outcomes of a game or match. These lines indicate the favourite and the underdog in a contest, showing the likelihood of each outcome and how much money you, the bettor, could potentially win.

Betting lines are crucial for both newcomers and betting veterans, as they guide decisions on where to place bets, making it clear how much risk and reward are involved.

How to Read Betting Lines in Sport 

Betting lines work by balancing the amount of money bet on each side of a wager to ensure that the bookmaker makes a profit regardless of the outcome.

To understand this better, here’s a breakdown of the various sports betting lines and how they work. 

Point Spread

In sports like football and basketball, the point spread is used to level the playing field between two teams. The favourite is given a points handicap, which they must cover for a bet on them to win.

By contrast, the underdog is given extra points, which means they can lose by a certain margin and still result in a winning bet for those who wagered on them.

Moneyline

This is a straight bet on which team will win the game, regardless of the point spread. The odds are presented in a positive or negative format.

A negative number indicates the favourite (e.g. -150 means you must bet £150 to win £100), while a positive number indicates the underdog (e.g. +200 means you win £200 on a £100 bet).

Over/Under (Totals)

This type of bet involves predicting whether the total combined score of both teams will be over or under a specified number set by the bookmaker.

For example, if the over/under for a basketball game is set at 210.5, bettors can wager on whether the final score will be higher or lower than this number.

Parlays and Teasers

These are more complex betting lines involving multiple bets combined into one. Parlays require all bets to win for the ticket to pay out, often resulting in higher potential payouts but increased risk.

Teasers allow bettors to adjust the point spread in their favour in exchange for a lower payout.