If the Cowboys won by seven, the Giants would have won the bet, called covering the spread. Obviously, the Cowboys can’t win by 7.5 points because a half point is impossible, but that exists to remove the possibility of a push. In this NFL game, the Cowboys were a 7.5-point favorite. Those would be reasons why the Bucks would be a somewhat significant favorite. Let’s say the 76ers entered this game with a better record than Milwaukee, but were on the road and without Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Seth Curry due to injury. A bet on the 76ers means adding eight points to the 76ers score and comparing it to the Bucks score. If the final score is Milwaukee 117, Philadelphia 108, you win the bet because 117-108 is a nine-point difference, greater than the eight-point spread you wagered on. A bet against the spread for the Bucks means you are taking their point total from the game, subtracting eight points from it, and comparing it to the 76ers’ point total from the game. The plus sign before the 76ers’ spread number indicates they are the underdogs. The minus sign before the eight indicates the Bucks are the favorites.

The spread here shows the Bucks as 8-point favorites.

We’re ignoring the total here, but it’s worth including because this is what you will see when looking for bets. A bet sheet for a game will usually look something like this.

Point spread betting basketball