Sports Point Spreads
- Cbs Sports Point Spreads
- Cbs Sports Nfl Point Spreads
- How Do Sports Point Spreads Work
- Ncaa Point Spreads 2017
- Doc Sports Nfl Point Spreads
- Usa Today Sports Point Spreads
Understanding the different types of betting options is crucial when you’re getting a start as a first-time sports bettor.
A point spread in sports is a way for oddsmakers to make a matchup between two unbalanced teams more balanced by giving points to or taking points away from each team. The favorite in. Get the latest NFL Super Bowl picks from CBS Sports. Experts weigh in with analysis and provide premium picks for upcoming NFL games.
The Point Spread: Betting the spread
Cbs Sports Point Spreads
For those new to sports betting, the point spread is the simplest, most straightforward approach to placing wagers.
Sports books set a predetermined margin of points on a game and a team must win – or not lose – by that set number. That’s why you’ll often hear people say the team won, but they “didn’t cover the spread” so their bet still came up short.
It’s not a matter of a team winning or losing like in a moneyline bet.
For a favorite: The favorite must win by more than the point spread.For an underdog: The underdog must outright win OR lose by fewer than the point spread.Sports books aren’t in the business of predicting who will win or lose games. Their goal is setting a pre-game point spread with the intention to generate an equal amount of betting action/volume on both sides of the ledger – as much total money being bet on the favorite as on the underdog.
The vast majority of point spread wagers are made on football and basketball because of the proliferation of points that are scored in comparison to sports like baseball and hockey, where 1-0 or 2-1 games aren’t that out of the question or out of the norm. There’s one every night.
For example, the New England Patriots are playing the New York Jets and New England is a 9½-point favorite. Bettors typically have to spend $110 or so to win $100 with sports books, known as “the house edge/advantage.” With a point spread bet, simply having a team win the game isn’t the key. The critical factor to betting a point spread is how much a team wins or loses by. If a wager is placed on New England – “laying” the 9½ points – the Patriots need to win the game by 10 or more points for that bet to pay off. If New England wins 28-20, those betting on the Jets plus 9½ points (points added to their final total) win the bet.
The same general rules apply for basketball and are quite easy to follow because of the inherent simplicity of the bet. When it comes to betting sports like baseball and hockey, the standard bets are made on the “money line” – an established number for both teams to win the game outright.
What makes point spread bets attractive are the fluid nature of each game – it’s a reality show that, when done right, is inexplicable. Games change on one play and momentum is a thing. But, when it comes to point spread betting, you know where you stand at every moment.
For those just starting out, the simplest form of gambling is betting the spread because it’s the easiest to explain and understand, which explains why it is the most popular form of sports wagering.
NFL Playoff odds and point spreads are here for the divisional round this coming weekend. They can’t be considered too surprising. Fresh off their bye in the wildcard round, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs boast the biggest point spread of the weekend against the upstart Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers are seven-point favorites against the Los Angeles Rams.
In the two other games, we can expect close affairs with the point spreads being much more narrow. That includes the Bills at -1.5 against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. As for the other NFC game, the New Orleans Saints are three-point favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Below, we give you NFL Playoff odds and point spreads for all four games in the divisional round with interesting blurbs the bettor inside of you might want to know.
Updated: Jan. 13, 10:00 PM EST
Related: NFL Playoff schedule, predictions
NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Saturday’s divisional round action
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers
Time/station: 4:35 PM EST, Fox
NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Packers -6.5 (over/under 45.5)
Update: Jared Goff expect to start for the Rams
Rams quarterback Jared Goff has been abysmal since starting the season off strong, leading to renewed questions regarding his status as the Rams’ future at this position. Over the course of his past nine starts, last week’s win over the Seahawks included, Goff has thrown nine touchdowns while committing 13 turnovers.
Related: Why a Jared Goff trade makes sense in 2021
What’s equally troubling here for the Rams when we look at their NFL Playoff odds this January is the fact that Goff has tallied 14 touchdowns against 14 turnovers in his past 12 road starts dating back to last season.
Given the nature of the injury to his throwing thumb, it really is hard to imagine Goff being able to keep pace with Aaron Rodgers in the Wisconsin winter at Lambeau Field. This is magnified by the fact that Green Bay won its final four regular-season home games by an average of 16 points. Take the Packers and the points here. Don’t think twice about it.
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills
Cbs Sports Nfl Point Spreads
Time/station: 8:15 PM EST, NBC
NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Bills -2.5 (over/under 50.0)
How good has Western New York treated the Bills since a Week 6 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs? It’s pretty darn remarkable. And it has us thinking Buffalo’s NFL Playoff odds, at least until the conference championship game, are pretty darn good. Buffalo is 6-0 in its past six home games. The team is averaging 36 points and a resounding 380 total yards per game during that span.
Related: NFL Power Rankings – Ranking each team for NFL Playoffs.
Despite the Ravens’ recent hot streak (six-game winning streak), this has us questioning the point spread with Buffalo at a -2.5. Last week’s win over the Titans included, the Ravens are 7-2 away from M&T Bank Stadium. However, four of those wins came against the Eagles, Texans, Bengals and Washington Football Team (19-43-2 combined record). It’s going to be a whole new ball game against the red-hot Bills. Expect Josh Allen and Co. to cover here.
NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Vegas odds for Sunday’s games
Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs
How Do Sports Point Spreads Work
Time/station: 3:05 PM EST, CBS
NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Chiefs -10.0 (over/under 57.0)
Update: Browns activate CB Denzel Ward from COVID-19 list
Consider this. Kansas City finished the regular season 14-2 following a Week 17 loss to the Chargers with their starters resting. The Chiefs’ final seven wins of the season came by an average margin of 4.5 points per. This has not been the dominant Patrick Mahomes-led team we have seen in recent season. It could also have us questioning the defending champs NFL Playoff odds heading into Sunday’s game against an upstart Browns team.
Related: NFL defense rankings – Examining the top defenses in the NFL.
At the very least, there’s an open question whether this 10-point spread is based more on reputation than anything else. After blowout losses against the Ravens and Steelers earlier in the season, Cleveland final three losses during the regular season came by an average of seven points. This represents some food for thought. While it still makes sense to go with Kansas City here, avoid the points.
Ncaa Point Spreads 2017
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
Time/station: 6:40 PM EST, Fox
NFL Playoff odds and point spreads: Saints -3.0 (over/under 52.0)
Doc Sports Nfl Point Spreads
Oh, what a tangled web we weave when attempting to analyze this game from a betting perspective. Drew Brees has been absolutely brilliant at home in his career, winning 65% of his starts at the Superdome. He’s also 7-2 at home with 19 touchdowns against four interceptions in the playoffs. Heck, Brees and his Saints handled Tampa Bay during the regular season. That included New Orleans outscoring its NFC South counterparts by a combined margin of 72-25 in two games.
Related: Tom Brady statistical comparisons
Usa Today Sports Point Spreads
Then, we have one Tom Brady. He just recently became the oldest quarterback to throw a touchdown in the history of the postseason. NFL Playoff odds have also favored Brady during an illustrious career that has seen him win six Super Bowl. At issue here for Mr. Brady is his career 5-4 postseason record away from Gillette Stadium (not including the Super Bowl, of course). He’s 20-4 in New England. Despite this, I am willing to go against the grain and pick a minor upset. It really is hard to bet against GOAT, even if it could mean Drew Brees’ final game as an NFL quarterback.