The number is the same, with one team being favored with the minus-sign (Alabama), while the underdog is always shown with a plus sign, with UTEP +42.Īlabama at -42 means they need to win the game by a number exceeding 42 for a bet on them to be considered a winner. A point-spread is a number given to both teams in a game. In other words, UTEP at +42 is getting 42 points, while Alabama is giving 42 points. UTEP is plus 42, while Alabama is minus 42. You see the above example, where the point spread is 42. The point-spread makes the accommodation. Anyone who watches college football knows that almost all games involve teams where one team is either a little or very much superior. It’s about “covering the spread.” That means we are dealing with point-spreads, which is a handicap of sorts. In college football betting, it’s not about picking a winner, necessarily. It’s what makes the world of standard college football betting rotate. The Point-Spread: A good place to start is understanding the point-spread. No human, regardless of how little they know about math, sports wagering, or college football is more than a few minutes from knowing how to read the odds in college football.
By Loot, NCAA Football Handicapper, Ĭollege football is a wildly popular form of sports betting that is relatively easy to understand.
