For non-sports betting enthusiasts, a bet slip looks like ancient hieroglyphics, and it’s not difficult to see why. The slip often has numbers and symbols that seem to make no sense. These are football betting lines. If you’re new to the sport, here is a tip on how to read and interpret these lines.
PS — before we get started, keep in mind for my US readers… We are actually talking about “soccer” for you but football to the rest of the world here.
What football betting lines are
Basically, betting lines are the sets of handicaps or odds that sportsbooks create to determine the underdogs and match favorites. The lines include the moneyline, point spreads, and totals. Each one of these lines sets the parameters for football game wagers. Let’s get into what each one means specifically.
Moneyline
This is a straightforward wager on a player or team to win the match without a point spread. On luckypays and similar casinos, you only need to choose the winner of the game. However, the sportsbook provides the odds and adjusts it according to the player or team’s ability to win.
A good example of this is a game between Arsenal and Chelsea. If Chelsea is favored against Arsenal, the bet will show Chelsea at -450 and Arsenal at +350. To win $100, you would have to bet $450 on Chelsea to win. On the other hand, you need to bet $100 on Arsenal to win $350 if they win the match.
These bets are perfect for low-scoring games where point spread doesn’t really make a difference.
Point Spread
This type of betting line is a margin oddsmaker set to even out odds between two football teams with varying skill levels. The point spread is the expected final score between the teams. A good example of this is a game where one team is favored to win by 7 points. The sports book will assign a -7 point spread. This means that for a bet on the team to win, they must have more than 7 points.
In this line, some teams can win the game but fail to meet the spread if they don’t have enough points. This is why the payoff of this type is based on the wager’s accuracy instead of a win-or-lose outcome like moneyline bets.
Over/under
This betting line is also called totals and allows bettors to wager on whether the team’s combined score will be more or less than the set number by the oddsmaker. For instance, if a football game is set at 5 points, when a bettor wagers over, then it means that the team must have over 5 points. On the other hand, betting under means that the team must score below 5 points to win.
This line applies only to the total points in each game. However, in some cases, it can be used for statistics, such as the number of points a team scored in one half of the game. Oddsmakers often set the points based on weather conditions, team performance, and data from previous matches.
To avoid ties, the oddsmakers use half points to make sure that the bet is over or under the number.
Decimal and fractional odds
You may also encounter fractional or decimal odds in betting slips. The fractional odds show profit as it relates to the stake, while decimal odds show the total payout for winning a bet. For example, betting $10 at a 1.50 decimal odds will convert to $15, including the $10 stake and profit of $5.
For fractional odds, a $10 bet of ½ will convert to $1.5, including the stake and an extra 50% profit. You can convert between fractional and decimal odds using this formula:
- Fractional to decimal: fractional = decimal -1
- Decimal to fractional: decimal = fractional +1
What to look for while reading betting lines
A few things you should consider before placing bets include line and odds shopping. Now, this is simply shopping around sportsbooks for better odds to increase your winning chances.
You also need to look for line movements. Betting lines move often, and even though the sportsbook sets them, they tend to move before the game starts. Watch the lines and place your bet on those that give you a better winning option. The sportsbook often adjusts these lines based on different factors, so following up could give you an upper hand.
