How to Read Betting Lines

Reading a betting line is one of the first skills every sports bettor needs to learn. A betting line shows the odds, point spread, and total points for a sporting event. These numbers help bettors understand which team is favored and how wagers are calculated.

A typical sportsbook line contains three main parts:

The point spread represents the expected margin of victory between two teams. The favorite must win by more than the spread for the bet to win, while the underdog can either win outright or lose by fewer points than the spread.

Example:

Team A -6.5

Team B +6.5

In this case, Team A must win by 7 points or more for the bet to win.

The moneyline shows which team is expected to win the game outright. Odds are listed using positive or negative numbers.

Example:

Team A -150

Team B +130

The negative number indicates the favorite, while the positive number represents the underdog.

The total line represents the combined number of points expected to be scored in the game. Bettors can wager on whether the final score will be over or under that number.

Example:

Total: 47.5

If the final score equals 48 or more points, the over bet wins.