Product
Point Spread
Definition
A handicap applied to level a mismatch, requiring the favourite to win by more than a set margin for the bet to pay. The dominant US betting market.
Why it matters
A point spread turns a lopsided contest into a roughly even proposition. If a favourite is listed at -6.5, a bet on them pays only if they win by seven or more; the underdog at +6.5 pays if they lose by six or fewer, or win outright. Half-point lines exist to eliminate ties, and where whole numbers are used a result landing exactly on the number is a push, with stakes returned.
Because both sides are designed to be near even-money, spreads are usually priced around -110 on each side in American odds, which is where the sportsbook margin sits. The line itself is the primary signal in US sports betting: it moves in response to money and information, and key numbers matter enormously in sports with common margins, such as three and seven in American football. Moving a line across a key number changes the true probability far more than the same movement elsewhere, which is why trading desks defend those numbers carefully.