Offers Verified By Our ExpertsWhat Is Point Spread Betting In Kansas?
Point spread betting, more commonly known as the spread, is a number offered by sportsbooks to even an uneven matchup between two teams. If one team is favored, sportsbooks will give the underdog team points to even the odds, offering a potentially better payout for gamblers.
How Does A Point Spread Bet Work in KS?
Point spread bets consist of two sides, the favorite and the underdog. The favorite is usually favored by a certain number of points which is called the spread. To identify which team is the favorite, look for the number with a minus next to it; alternatively, the underdog is denoted by a plus sign.
For example, say the Kansas City Chiefs odds are -6.5 vs. the Denver Broncos. If you believe the Chiefs are going to win, but the odds to win the game outright aren't very good, you can place a bet on the -6.5 spread. You'll receive good odds, but Kansas City needs a margin of victory of seven or more points for your bet to win.
How To Read The Kansas Point Spread
Reading the point spread is extremely straightforward after you get the hang of it. Any game, whether it's basketball, football, or baseball, will have a spread associated with it. The spread number acts as a handicap between the two teams.
The Favorite
Often times you find yourself wanting to bet on the favorite, but the low odds usually make it not worth it. Instead, you can bet on them to cover the spread with odds usually of -110. To identify which team is the favorite, look for the minus sign in the game spread. In the above example, the KC Chiefs are identified as the favorite because of the minus sign. If you think they will win, but their ML odds are, say, -300, you may want to consider betting their -6.5 point spread if you are very confident in them winning.
The Underdog
The underdog is one of the best occurrences in sports betting, offering big odds if they win. But what if, instead of winning the game, the underdog only had to cover the spread, meaning they could lose but only by a certain number of points. The underdog point spread, which is denoted by the plus sign, offers bettors the opportunity to take a chance on the underdog without them having to win outright.
Even Teams
So what happens when two teams are very evenly matched with no clear favorite? Sportsbooks will either make this a pick'em, which means the two teams' odds are the same, or they will make the spread 0.5 for one side or the other. Kansas sportsbook apps will make a 0.5 spread over a pick'em to avoid a push which we will get to later in the event of a tie.
Odds Movement
Betting odds movement occurs when a lot of money pours into one side of a bet, like the spread or the moneyline bets. For example, at the start of every NFL week, the spreads are released for every NFL game. If most of the betting action pours into, say, the Kansas City Chiefs -4.5, the sportsbooks may move the point spread lines to -5.0 or even -5.5.
Outcomes of Point Spread Betting In Kansas
When you bet on the point spread in Kansas, one of three outcomes will happen: win, loss, or tie (push). Below we will go over what needs to happen for each outcome to occur and what you will win (or lose).
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Win Point spread betting is a bit more confusing than just picking the winner of a game. Say the point spread for the Super Bowl is released at Kansas City -3.5 over the Buccaneers. There are two sides of the point spread you are able to bet on, Kansas City -3.5 or Tampa Bay +3.5. If you pick the Bucs to cover the spread, you can win your bet if either Tampa Bay wins outright or if they lose by three or less, say if the final score was 30-27 KC. -
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Loss Of course, no one enjoys losing, but it is still good to understand how you may lose a point spread bet. Looking at the previous example again, where Kansas City won 30-27, you would lose your bet if you placed money on Kansas City to cover the spread. This is because even though they won, -3.5 means Kansas would have had to win by three or more points. -
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Push Occasionally, sportsbooks will offer a spread that's an even number; this brings up the opportunity for what is called a 'push.' Sticking with our example, if the line was at 3.0 instead of 3.5 and the game ended 30-27, both sides of the bet would push. In the event of a push in a single bet, you simply get your money back. If the bet were in a parlay, the bet would be removed from the parlay, and the odds would be readjusted.
What Is Covering The Spread in KS?
Covering the spread is the sports betting lingo for when a team beats the point spread that the sportsbooks provide for them. If the Oklahoma City Thunder are favored by 2.5 points, and they win the game by 5, then they have covered the spread.
What is Betting Against The Spread in Kansas?
Betting against the spread is another sports betting term that simply means placing a point spread wager. If you decide to bet on the Memphis Grizzlies -5 instead of ML, then you are betting on the Grizzlies against the spread.
What Is The Vig in Kansas Sports Betting?
The vig or sometimes called the juice, is the price that sportsbooks charge to take a bet. This may sound confusing, but it is pretty straightforward. For point spread bets, both sides usually have odds of -110, meaning a $100 pays $190. If there was no vig, then all point spread bets would have even odds of +100, meaning a $100 would pay $200. This $10 difference is the vig, and it goes to the sportsbooks.
Can I Use a Kansas Promo on a Point Spread Bet?
In general, operators will allow Kansas sportsbook promotions to be used on a point spread bet. For example, Caesars sportsbook Kansas has some great promo options for bettors looking to place point spread wagers.
But if the operator doesn't allow this, they will include this in their terms and conditions. You should review those to confirm whether or not this is possible across the different KS sportsbook apps.
Kansas Betting Spread Types
While you can bet on the spread in almost every sport, each sport has some slightly unique quirks. Here we will look at all the different sports and their spread types.
Football Spread Betting
NFL and college football point spread betting is one of the most bet on and talked about wagers in all of the sports. Every week operators will provide a fresh set of lines that will be discussed all the way up until game time. PointsBet Sportsbook Kansas is particularly known for their spread bets on the NFL.
Whether you are betting on the Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Kansas City Chiefs, or any other football team, the spread is the most common bet to take.
Basketball Point Spreads
Point spreads in college basketball and the NBA typically look different than football, mostly because of how many total points are scored. The typical basketball spread can be anywhere from 1 to 13 points, and many factors come into play, such as late game fouls and free throws.
For example, if you are betting on the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team, they may be favored by 5.5 points in a Big 12 basketball game. This means you need them to win by 6 points or more for your bet to cash.
Baseball Run Line Spreads
The MLB spread, commonly called the run line, works the same as the NFL spread, except it is always set at -1.5 or -0.5. Instead of sportsbooks making lines for every game, they provide you with odds on a preset line with different prices.
If you are betting on the Kansas City Royals at +1.5 in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, you would need the Royals to either win the game, or lose by 1 run or less.
Hockey Puck Lines
The NHL spread called the puck line works the exact same way as the MLB run line, with the spread always set at -1.5 or -0.5. This is because hockey is a low-scoring, highly variable game, so the lines remain the same.
Most operators offer alternate lines for both NHL and MLB if you don't have good odds on the puck or run lines.
MLS/Soccer Spreads
It might be weird to think that soccer which is such a low-scoring game that often ends in ties, has a "point" spread. However, MLS spread betting is becoming very popular with the rise of the league, with lines usually set anywhere from 0.5 to 2.0.
Soccer "goal spreads" are becoming more popular, as sometimes you can bet +0.5 and hope for a regulation tie. Keep in mind, there are often different types of soccer bets: some involve betting on the regulation: the 90 minutes plus penalty time, and some involve overtime.
Point Spread Betting vs. Moneyline
Point spreads and moneyline betting are the two most popular bet types at most sportsbooks, so it is important to know the difference between the two. A moneyline bet is wagered on one team to win the game outright. All that needs to happen is your team for your bet to cash.
Alternatively, point spreads let bettors increase their winnings if they're betting on the favorite or makes bets safer if you betting on the underdog. If you would like to bet on the favorite in a game, there's a high chance their moneyline odds aren't very good. Instead, you can bet on their spread and increase your return. FanDuel Kansas Sportsbook offers some of the best options in the state for both bet types.
Bet On The Kansas Point Spread
When gamblers first are introduced to point spread betting it can be overwhelming. What are the plus and minus signs? What are the numbers next to the (+/-), and why can there be a half point? Simply put, the point spread acts as a handicap to balance an otherwise unbalanced game meaning the favorite must beat the spread to win the bet. Once you begin to understand how the point spread works, it quickly becomes most bettors' favorite bet type. Now it's your turn to get out there and discover one of the most exhilarating bet types out there.
Point Spread Betting Kansas FAQ
You can place a points spread bet in Kansas by visiting a Kansas Sportsbook. After signing up and/or logging in, visit the sport you want to bet on and look for 'Spread' or similar language. You will see the related odds. Place your spread bet on your desired game.
Point spread betting is a popular bet type in which, instead of betting on a team to simply win, you are betting on a team to either win by a certain amount or not lose by a certain amount. When sports betting in Kansas, every sportsbook will offer customers point spreads or "lines".
A -7 spread means that one team is favored to win by 7 points. If you choose to bet on this team at that -7 spread, the team would need to win by more than 7 points for you to win your bet.
When a team covers the spread, it means that they've beaten the spread Kansas sportsbook sites have given them. If a team is a 7-point underdog and only loses by 3, they have covered the spread.
The point spread is a margin of victory that sportsbooks put on games. If a large number of betters bet on one particular side, or if there is a large money bet on one side of the point spread, the spread may move in one direction or the other.
A push occurs when the final margin of victory is tied with the point spread. This can only occur when the point spread is flat. For example, 7.0 and the game ends 30-23.
Most point spread bets will have odds of -110 for both sides of the bet. The reason it is -110 and not +100 is because the sportsbooks take what is called the 'juice' or 'vig,' which is a fee for placing the bet.
Author
Lukas Shaw is a betting analyst for BetKansas.com. Shaw, an avid sports fan, has quickly become an authority in the burgeoning market, providing readers with an in-depth analysis of the latest betting apps and bonus codes while also sharing helpful insights on betting strategy.
