If you took the -2.5 line for Team A in this case, you'd win the bet!

If the spread is set at -2.5 and Team A scores only 3 points more than Team B, they did cover the spread.

If you took the -2.5 line for Team A, you'd lose this bet, even if Team A won the game!

If the spread is set at -2.5 and Team A scores 2 points more than Team B, they did not cover the spread.

You bet on your team to cover the spread: A bookmaker (which is often a robot these days) will set the spread at a sportsbook to be a given number of points. Spread betting also allows you to make money on a team even if they don't win. 5 on the end of a total to avoid a push, which is where the total is exactly hit (not over or under). If the total is set at 50.5 points, and Team A scores 26 while Team B scores 25, that's a total of 51.

If the total is set at 50.5 points, and Team A scores 24 while Team B scores 25, that's a total of 49.

A sportsbook will set the odds for a preferred total score of points added up by both teams: These bets are also called over/under bets. Totals betting allows you to make money on a team even if they don't win, and doesn't look at the individual team's performance. Use our American odds calculator to check potential gains.

If the team you want to bet on has +200 odds on the moneyline, they're the underdog, and you'll win an even $200 (ending up with $300 in your pocket as your payout).

(You keep your stake, so you'll end up with $150 in your pocket if you win.)

If the team you want to bet on has -200 odds on the moneyline, they're the favorite, and you'll win $50 if you bet $100.

Moneyline bets are essentially bets on one thing to happen, usually the team to win.

Let's say you're looking at two teams competing in a sporting event. There are few key types of bets: Betting odds example: Moneyline These are negative/positive values that indicate how much a bettor can win based on a $100 bet. Reading betting odds on your standard sportsbook in the US, you'll probably be looking at American odds.

Pat vs bal 12112016 spreads odds