The point spread is sports betting’s great equalizer. Instead of just picking who wins, you bet on the margin: a favourite must win by more than a set number, while an underdog can lose by less than it (or win outright) and still pay out. It is the most popular way to bet North American sports, and it is built right into Canadian lottery products like PROLINE and Sport Select.
One quick clarification before we start. This guide covers the North American point spread, a fixed handicap on the final margin. It is not the UK financial product also called “spread betting,” where your profit or loss scales with how far an outcome lands from a line. Those are different things. For more basics, see our full betting guides hub.
Spreads are posted at every major operator. See the top-rated betting sites, or browse the newly launched sportsbooks to find the best number.
What a point spread actually is
A point spread is a margin the sportsbook assigns to make a one-sided game roughly even. The stronger team (the favourite) is marked with a minus number. The weaker team (the underdog) gets a plus number.
Say an NFL favourite is listed at -6.5. The underdog is then +6.5. The numbers mirror each other.
- Favourite -6.5: they must win by 7 or more for your bet to win.
- Underdog +6.5: they can lose by 6 or fewer, or win outright, and your bet still wins.
Think of it as a head start. The book hands the underdog 6.5 points before kickoff, then settles the bet on the adjusted score. This is the same idea as the puck line in hockey and the run line in baseball, which we cover below.
Covering the spread
“Covering the spread” just means beating the number. A favourite covers by winning by more than the spread. An underdog covers by staying within it or winning.
Here is a quick read using a -6.5 line:
| Final result | Favourite -6.5 | Underdog +6.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Favourite wins by 10 | Covers (wins) | Does not cover |
| Favourite wins by 3 | Does not cover | Covers (wins) |
| Underdog wins by 1 | Does not cover | Covers (wins) |
The actual game winner does not matter to your bet. Only the adjusted margin does. That is why a favourite can win the game and still lose your wager.
The price: standard -110 juice
A point spread is meant to be a near coin-flip, so both sides usually carry the same price. The North American default is -110 in American odds. Private sportsbooks list American odds by default; provincial lottery products such as Mise-o-jeu and PlayNow typically show decimal, where -110 is about 1.91.
That -110 is the sportsbook’s built-in margin, often called the juice or vig. It means you risk $110 to win $100. You are paying a small premium for the book setting a balanced line. Some spreads move off -110 (you might see -105 or -115) when the book adjusts the price instead of the number.
Worked example: NFL -6.5 at -110
Let’s run a real stake. You like the favourite at -6.5 (-110) and bet $55.
- American odds of -110 mean you risk $110 to win $100, a ratio of 1 to 0.909.
- Your $55 stake wins $50 profit if it lands (55 x 100 / 110 = 50).
- Total return on a win: $105 (your $55 back plus $50).
Now the outcomes:
| Game result | Adjusted margin | Your $55 bet |
|---|---|---|
| Favourite wins 27-17 (by 10) | +3.5 after spread | Win: returns $105 |
| Favourite wins 23-20 (by 3) | -3.5 after spread | Loss: -$55 |
Because the line is a half-point (-6.5), there is no tie. The .5 removes any chance of a draw on the bet. To compare this with a no-margin bet, see moneyline betting.
The push: when the spread is a whole number
When a spread is a whole number, a tie on the adjusted score is possible. That tie is called a push, and your stake is refunded. Nobody wins or loses.
Example: you back a favourite at -7. If they win by exactly 7, the adjusted margin is zero. Push. You get your money back.
This is why books love the half-point hook (-6.5, -7.5). It forces a win or a loss and removes the refund. On many lottery products a push can affect the whole ticket differently than on a single private wager, so always read how your platform handles ties.
Key numbers in football (3 and 7)
Football margins cluster around certain values because of how scoring works. Touchdowns are worth 7 (with the convert) and field goals 3. So games are decided by 3 and 7 far more often than other numbers.
That makes 3 and 7 the key numbers. The gap between -2.5 and -3.5, or -6.5 and -7.5, matters much more than the half-point looks. Crossing a key number can swing your win rate noticeably, which is one reason sharp bettors care about shopping the exact line. This is line value in action; learn the wider concept in value betting.
Point spread vs moneyline (and other sports)
The point spread and the moneyline answer different questions. The spread asks “by how much?” The moneyline asks “who wins?” outright, with no margin attached.
- Point spread: margin matters; price is usually near -110 both sides.
- Moneyline: winner only; the favourite carries a bigger minus (e.g. -250) and pays less.
- Over/under: a separate market on combined points, not the winner. See over/under betting.
The spread concept travels across sports under different names. Low-scoring sports use a fixed 1.5 line:
- Hockey: the puck line, almost always 1.5 goals.
- Baseball: the run line, almost always 1.5 runs.
- Basketball and football: a variable points spread that can run from a couple of points to 14-plus.
If you prefer not to deal with margins at all, the moneyline is the simpler starting point.
Point spreads on Canadian lottery products
You do not need a private sportsbook to bet a point spread in Canada. The provincial lottery menus carry them, usually under a “point spread” or “spread” tab.
- PROLINE and PROLINE+ (OLG, Ontario)
- Sport Select (WCLC, Western Canada)
- PlayNow (BCLC, British Columbia)
- Mise-o-jeu (Loto-Quebec)
Two differences to expect. First, these products default to decimal odds, so a -110 spread shows near 1.91. Second, classic PROLINE-style tickets often require you to combine multiple selections into a parlay rather than betting one game alone, though single-event betting has been legal across Canada since August 2021. For more on those menus, read our PROLINE and Sport Select guide, and to confirm the rules where you live, see is sports betting legal in Canada. Combining spreads across games is covered in our parlay betting guide.
Football key numbers
| Number | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 3 | The most common margin in football, the value of a field goal |
| 7 | The next most common, a touchdown and extra point |
| 10 | A field goal plus a touchdown, a frequent two-score margin |
| 6 and 14 | Other recurring margins worth watching |
Football results cluster on these numbers, which is why a spread of 2.5 or 3.5 can play very differently from 3.
Against the spread (ATS) records
You will often see a team described by its “ATS record” rather than its win-loss record. ATS stands for against the spread, and it tracks how often a team beats the point spread instead of simply winning the game.
A team can be strong straight up and poor against the spread. A heavy favourite that wins every week by a single point is winning games but failing to cover the big numbers bookmakers hang on it, and its ATS record exposes that gap. A 7-3 team might be just 4-6 ATS.
ATS records are a useful starting point for spotting where the market over-rates or under-rates a team, but treat them as context, not a system. Past covers do not set future spreads, and a strong ATS run tends to get priced in fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
A point spread is a margin the sportsbook sets to even out a game. The favourite (marked with a minus, like -6.5) must win by more than that number. The underdog (plus, like +6.5) can lose by less than it or win outright and still pay out. Your bet is settled on the adjusted margin, not just who wins.
The book gives the underdog a head start equal to the spread. If a favourite is -6.5, you subtract 6.5 from its final score; if an underdog is +6.5, you add 6.5 to its score. Whichever side comes out ahead on that adjusted score covers the spread and wins the bet.
-110 is the standard American price on a spread. You risk $110 to win $100, so a $55 bet returns $105 (your stake plus $50 profit) if it wins. That small premium is the sportsbook margin, sometimes called the juice. In decimal odds, -110 is about 1.91.
A push happens when a whole-number spread lands exactly on the line, for example a favourite at -7 winning by exactly 7. The adjusted margin is zero, so the bet is a tie and your stake is refunded. Half-point lines like -6.5 cannot push.
In football, touchdowns are worth 7 and field goals 3, so final margins land on 3 and 7 more often than other numbers. Spreads that cross those values, such as moving from -2.5 to -3.5, carry more weight than the half-point suggests, which is why line shopping matters.
Yes. Provincial lottery products including PROLINE and PROLINE+ (OLG), Sport Select (WCLC), PlayNow (BCLC) and Mise-o-jeu (Loto-Quebec) all offer point spread markets. They usually default to decimal odds, so a -110 spread shows around 1.91. Single-event betting has been legal across Canada since August 2021.
ATS stands for against the spread. A team’s ATS record tracks how often it beats the point spread, which can differ sharply from its win-loss record.
A +3.5 underdog covers if it loses by three or fewer points or wins outright. The half-point removes any chance of a push.
Betting should be entertainment, not a way to make money. Set limits before you start, take breaks, and never bet to recover losses. If gambling stops being fun, free, confidential help is available: ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (Ontario), BC Responsible Gambling 1-888-795-6111, or your province’s helpline.
19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC) | Please play responsibly | Odds approximate at time of writing | ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON) – see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.