How to Read Lines & Odds

First step to winning

Whether you’re a professional sports bettor or new to the betting world, the first step to winning is knowing how to read and understand betting lines and odds. 

It’s common for new sports bettors to be overwhelmed when visiting a sportsbook or online sports betting site, but it’s simple to read them after you know how to interpret the numbers.

What are Betting Lines?

A betting line is the number set by the sportsbook that helps handicap a sporting event. They are primarily used in sports like football and basketball. These lines usually give each side an approximate 50/50 chance to win the game, making for a tougher decision for the sports bettor.

The lines reference either the point spread or the total number of points in a certain game.

An example of a line is when we see, for example, the Pittsburgh Steelers favored over the Cleveland Browns by 3 points. The line in that example is 3.

What are Odds?

Betting odds indicate the chance that a certain outcome will occur in a sporting event and give bettors an idea of how much money they will win or lose with each bet. These odds are also set by the sportsbook.

For each bet you make, you have to risk a certain amount of money to win a different amount. The odds tell you how much you need to risk to win a set amount (or the opposite: how much you will win if you risk a set amount).

Coming back to our example above of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns, the odds are shown next to the line like this:

Pittsburgh -3 (-110)

In this example, the odds on taking the Steelers on this line are -110.

Reading Lines & Odds in a Sportsbook

Here's another example. Take this fictional matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons:

The first thing to note is that the Chicago Bulls are the favorite in this fictional example. The team that’s the favorite will always have a (-) sign next to their betting lines. The underdogs will have a (+) by their betting lines, so in our example above, the Pistons are the underdog.

This table shows three types of bets: moneyline, spread, and total.

Moneyline Bets

A moneyline bet is one of the easiest betting types to understand. This type of bet is simply picking the winner of the game. The line on moneyline bets is always 0, and what is shown are the odds. Learn more about betting the moneyline.

It would take a $155 bet on the Bulls to win $100, while a $100 bet on the Pistons would win you $135.

Against the Spread Bets

The next bet shown in the table is what is called betting against the spread, or ATS for short. This is the line set by the sportsbooks to create a more level playing field.

When you bet against the spread, you subtract or add points to your team’s final score to determine the outcome of the bet. 

The Bulls, at -7.5, would have to win the game by at least eight points to win this bet, while a bet on the Pistons would win if Detroit won the game or lost by 7 points or less. The odds for each side of this bet are both set at -110, meaning a $110 bet would win  $100.

Total Bets

The total, or over/under, focuses on the total number of points in a game scored by both teams. This is a common bet that is made on basketball and football games. If the two teams combine to score at least 214 points, then the OVER hits, but a score of 213 or less means that the UNDER hits.

What Should You Look For in Reading Lines & Odds?

Now that you have a better understanding of how to read betting odds and lines, there are two other things to keep in mind before placing any bets.

1). Shopping for Lines and Odds

Professional sports bettors know that shopping for the best lines and odds can make the difference between losing money and winning money. Casual sports bettors often ignore this, but if you want to win, it’s important to shop around for the best odds to increase your chances of winning.

Sportsbooks generally offer very similar betting lines for every sporting event, although there could be some slight variations. The biggest difference you will find is often in the odds that are offered by each sportsbook.

Before placing any bets, it is wise to check out several different sportsbooks to find the best lines and odds for the game you want to bet on. Some sportsbooks will offer promotions on events as well, which can significantly affect the odds they are offering.

Check out my recommended sportsbooks. 

2). Look For Line Movement

Another thing to keep in mind when betting on sports is that betting lines move all the time. Opening lines are set by the sportsbooks extremely early, and the sportsbooks will adjust these lines several times before the event begins.

While checking out different sportsbooks to find the best betting odds, you should also be keeping a close eye on line movement. Strive to place your bet when the lines give you the best chance to win. This could be as soon as the odds are posted, or it could be right up until the game begins.

Lines move for several reasons, and the sportsbooks adjust them as new information becomes available. It’s important to notice when the lines move, but it’s also important to know and understand why they are moving.

Ready to place your first bet? Try my free sports picks to learn my strategies and get your feet wet.