- How Does Spread Betting Work?<\/a>
- Pros and Cons of Sports Spread Betting<\/a>
- Common Spread Bet Markets<\/a>
- Which Sports Spread Betting Suits Best<\/a>
- How to Spread Bet Successfully<\/a>
- FAQs<\/a>
- Why do I need to deposit more than my stake when spread betting?<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n
The Sports Spread Bet Defined<\/span><\/h2>\n
The sports spread bet is often confused with \u2018betting on the spread\u2019 or the points spread. Betting on the spread is a form of betting in the US that is extremely popular. The \u2018spread\u2019 refers to the points handicap applied to both sides in a sporting contest. For example, for an NFL game, you may see the following:<\/p>\n
![\"betting](\"https:\/\/safestbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image2.jpg\" "\\"image2\\"")
\nThe spread here is 3.5. If you bet on the Chiefs, 3.5 points will be added to their final score. If you bet on the Ravens, 3.5 points will be subtracted from their final score. Therefore, if you bet on the Ravens and they win 22-20, then your bet would lose as the score for your bet is 18.5-20.<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s look at the same game, but with details of a sports spread bet.<\/p>\n
![\"spread](\"https:\/\/safestbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image1.jpg\" "\\"spread")
\nAs you can see, things look very different. The main winner\/loser market is the first on the list. You can sell at 2.5, or you can buy at 4.5. If you are brand new to spread betting, then this information will be meaningless but don\u2019t worry, we will go through precisely what this means in the next section.<\/p>\n
By buying and selling you are trading. The final trading price is the outcome of your bet. For example, in football, you could \u2018buy\u2019 Liverpool scoring one goal in a game at \u00a32 per goal. If they end up scoring three goals, then the final price is three goals which you then sell at. You spent \u00a32 (one goal) but the final price was \u00a36 (three goals), making you a \u00a34 profit. If Liverpool didn\u2019t score, then the final price would have been \u00a30 (no goals). You would have bought at \u00a32 but then sold at \u00a30, meaning you made a \u00a32 loss.<\/p>\n
This is different to fixed odds betting as you only make a profit if your bet is correct, and you can only ever lose your stake. If you bet \u00a32 on Liverpool to win at 2\/1, then your returns are \u00a36 if they win, and \u00a30 if they don\u2019t. With a spread bet you could lose more than your stake, but there are ways you can stop substantial losses, which we will investigate further on.<\/p>\n
How Does Spread Betting Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s now go back to our American football example, and explore the options that are available via a spread bet. Here are the details again:<\/p>\n
\nWe will take a look at the total points spread. Here, the selling price is 43.5, and the buying price is 46.5. Your choice is down to how many points you think will be in the game. If you think there will be less than 43.5, you sell. If you think there will be more than 46.5, then you buy. You buy on a point basis, so each unit or point is worth one unit of your stake, therefore if your stake is \u00a31, you are wagering \u00a31 per point.<\/p>\n
To answer the question what is the spread in betting, in terms of non-US betting on the spread, it is the difference between the offered sell price and buy price.<\/p>\n
Selling<\/b><\/p>\n
If you think there will be fewer <\/i>points or units than the sell price, then you sell. This is like futures trading – you are selling something that you don\u2019t own with the idea that you will buy it later, hopefully at a much lower price than what you \u2018sold\u2019 it for.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say you sell at the price of 43.5, for \u00a31 per point. Let\u2019s see what happens with a winning bet, and a losing one.<\/p>\n
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- WIN: <\/b>As you predicted, it\u2019s a low-scoring game, with the Ravens winning 10-7. The final price is 17, as there were 17 points in the game. As you sold at 43.5, and the buy price is 17, you\u2019ve made a profit of (43.5 – 17) = 26.5. As you bought at \u00a31 per point, your profit is \u00a326.50.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- LOSE: <\/b>Unfortunately, the game ended up a point-fest with the Chiefs winning 34-30, a total of 64 points. You sold at 43.5, but the final price is 64. You have therefore made a loss of (64 – 43.5) = 20.5, with your monetary loss being \u00a320.50.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Buying<\/b><\/p>\n
If you think there will be more <\/i>points or units than the buy price, then you buy. This is simply trading – you are buying something that you hope will rise in price when the time comes to sell, hence making a profit.<\/p>\n
For our example, let\u2019s say you buy at 46.5, at \u00a31 per point. Let\u2019s go through the same two scorelines as above and calculate what happens.<\/p>\n
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- WIN: <\/b>The game ends 34-30, making the final sell price 64. As you bought at 46.5 and the final price was 64, you made a profit of (64 – 46.5) = 17.5, or \u00a317.50.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- LOSE: <\/b>The game ends 10-7, making the final sell price 17. As you bought at 46.5 and the final price was 17, you made a loss of (46.5 – 17) = 29.5, or \u00a329.50.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As you can see, the wins and losses are considerably greater than your original stake. This is because there are plenty of points in an American football game. If you are placing a spread bet on a football score, then there will be less variance meaning lower profits but also lower risks.<\/p>\n
Spread Betting Football Example<\/span><\/h3>\n
As football is one of the best sports to bet on in the UK<\/a>, we are now going to take you through a football spread betting example.<\/p>\n
![\"football](\"https:\/\/safestbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image3.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
\nPros and Cons of Sports Spread Betting<\/span><\/h2>\n
Is sports spread betting better than fixed odds betting? Is it better than exchange betting? That depends on you, really, and the way that you want to bet. Let\u2019s take a look at the advantages of a spread bet, and a few disadvantages too.<\/p>\n
Pros<\/span><\/h3>\n
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- Greater Rewards for Accuracy <\/b>– if your bet is correct, then you are likely to be paid out much more than you would at fixed odds. For example, if you bet on under three goals in a football match and it\u2019s a goalless draw, your returns for the same stake will be much more with a spread bet than a fixed odds over\/under bet.<\/li>\n
- An Incredible Array of Markets <\/b>– if you find your normal betting has fallen into a rut, then you can seek out new strategies via the incredible array of betting options for any event where spread betting is available. Markets such as the total sum of the shirt numbers for a football match are not available for fixed odds betting.<\/li>\n
- Your Bet Does Not Immediately Lose <\/b>– Say you bet on Liverpool to beat Arsenal and Arsenal go two goals up within twenty minutes and Liverpool have Andrew Robertson sent off. You bet is as good as dead, barring a miracle. With spread betting, your bet can remain a winning one even if unwanted events happen as they might just reduce your profits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
Cons<\/span><\/h3>\n
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- Spread Bets are Not for Newbies <\/b>– if you are brand new to sports betting, then spread bets are perhaps not the way to get started. The concept of backing winners with fixed odds or exchange bets is easy to understand, but the concept of buying and selling is not. It can be hard to understand at first, but will swiftly become second nature.<\/li>\n
- Losses Can Be Substantial <\/b>– a spread bet will reward you for accuracy, but can also punish you for being wrong. Say you think a game will finish goalless and you sell at 2.4 goals for \u00a35, but it ends up 5-5. Suddenly, instead of winning \u00a312 as you\u2019d hoped, you\u2019re liable for \u00a338. You need to take care with your spread bets and keep your risks low.<\/li>\n
- Sports Spread Betting<\/b> is Not Governed by the UKGC <\/b>– because this form of betting is defined as trading and not gambling, it is not governed by the UKGC. Instead, it is governed by the Financial Services Authority<\/a>. This means that some aspects of spread betting are gambling, as opposed to betting. An example of this would be betting on the total of shirt numbers for a football match, which requires very little skill or knowledge. It\u2019s perhaps best to stay away from spread bets that are much more gambling than betting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
Common Spread Bet Markets<\/span><\/h2>\n
You will find in some way that most fixed odds bets have a spread betting equivalent. Here we look at some popular spread bet options with an explanation of each. If a fixed odds equivalent is appropriate, it will be mentioned.<\/p>\n
\nGame Supremacy<\/span><\/h3>\n
If you want to bet on the winner of any match, you should look for the game supremacy market. This is usually the home team\u2019s supremacy over the visitors in terms of goals or points. If the home team wins 3-1, the supremacy is +2, but if they lose 1-2, it\u2019s -1. You can sell or buy depending on your prediction of the final score.<\/p>\n
Total Goals or Points<\/span><\/h3>\n
One of the most popular spread bet options is betting on the number of goals or points scored during a match, as most sports are settled by some kind of scoreline. You will be given a sell price and a buy price. If you think there\u2019ll be fewer goals or points than the sell price then you sell, and vice versa for buying.<\/p>\n
Race Markets<\/span><\/h3>\n
Those of you who like to bet on horse racing<\/a>, greyhound racing, cycling, Formula One or other events that are won by the first past the post might be wondering how you can spread bet on them. You will find that each competitor has a sell price and a buy price, as normal. This will be based on a fictitious points award, with the winner of the race scoring 50 points, the second 25 and the third 10 (or 50-30-20-10 if the race has 12 competitors or more). Your decision whether to buy or sell depends on where you think your chosen competitor will finish.<\/p>\n
100 Win Index<\/span><\/h3>\n
This is an alternative way of betting on horse racing via a spread bet as opposed to the 50-25-10 or 50-30-20-10 approach above. With the 100 Win Index, 100 points are awarded for first, 80 for second, 60 for third and then 40, 30, 25, 30, 15, 10 and finally 5 for tenth. Your \u2018sell or buy\u2019 approach depends upon where you think your backed competitor will finish.<\/p>\n
For other, non \u2018first past the post\u2019 sports, the 100 index is a simple yes\/no scenario for any specific event, with 100 points awarded if it happens, and zero points if it doesn\u2019t. For example in football betting<\/a>, the home side winning 2-1, or simply for the match to be drawn.<\/p>\n
Anything Measurable!<\/span><\/h3>\n
Such is the flexibility of spread betting that you can spread bet on anything measurable in any sporting contest. If you are interested in any event, head to that event\u2019s page and you will be flabbergasted by the array of options available. For football, how about home team goals multiplied by home team corners? In cricket betting<\/a>, the runs scored by any <\/i>individual batsman. For darts, the highest player checkout multiplied by their 180s. The rule with a spread bet is simple: if you can measure it, then you can probably bet on it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
Live Sports Spread Betting<\/span><\/h2>\n
Spread bets in play are immensely popular at spread betting sites. This is where you place a spread bet on any event that has already started. If you head to a spread betting site, then you\u2019ll see that it has a separate in-play section.<\/p>\n
All the available live betting markets will usually be indicated, along with the current state of play. The sell and buy prices are updated in real-time, allowing you to react quickly if you can see a spread bet that\u2019s worth trading on. Simply click on the sell\/buy price and add your stake per unit, then make the trade. As always, take care though as you can lose much more than your perceived outlay if your trade goes sour.<\/p>\n
Which Sports Spread Betting Suits Best<\/span><\/h2>\n
When it comes to a spread bet and sports, you\u2019re looking for measurables, or at least sports with lots of numbers. Football is an excellent choice, as it has goals, free kicks, offsides, bookings, dismissals, corners, goal times, substitution times, number of times VAR gets it wrong \u2026 plenty to trade! Cricket has plenty of numbers too, as does darts, snooker, tennis, golf, eSports \u2026 it\u2019s a long list. Let\u2019s take a look at some example markets for the most popular spread bet sports.<\/p>\n
\nFootball Spread Betting (300 – 400+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Match supremacy, total goals, shirt numbers, bookings, corners, first goal time (overall and per team), total goal minutes, home\/away\/draw, over\/under 2.5 goals, individual player goal minutes, team performance, individual player markets and combos, multis (i.e. home goals x corners x bookings), 100 indices, HT\/FT markets, handicaps, specials.<\/p>\n
Cricket Spread Betting (0 – 100+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Match supremacy, runs (overall\/per team\/per innings), individual player scores\/100+ (yes\/no), 50+ (yes\/no), score at next wicket fall, number of runs next over, run bands (150\/175\/200\/225\/250\/275 etc), wickets taken, runs conceded per bowler, 100 indices, handicaps, specials.<\/p>\n
Tennis Spread Betting (25 – 100+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Match supremacy, match winner, games won differential, total games per player, total games won per player, x-court (Player A games won multiplied by Player B games won), points won overall and by player, 100 indices (player to win, player to win specific set, current set final score, next set final score, overall score).<\/p>\n
Golf Spread Betting (5 – 50+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Tournament winner (80-40-30-25-20-15-10-5 basis, 100 index), leader per round, make the cut (yes\/no), individual competitor score (per round, overall, birdies, pars, bogeys, hole in one yes\/no), finishing position, double trouble (fictitious match-ups), wire-to-wire leaders (yes\/no), group markets, hotshots (definition of player to win: favourites, UK, US, Asia, etc).<\/p>\n
Darts Spread Betting (25 – 70+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Overall tournament winner, match supremacy, player win yes\/no, total 180s per match and per player, multis (Player A 180s x Player B 180s etc), highest match checkout, checkout ton ups, checkout ton ups or bust, total missed doubles, total legs overall\/per player, most 180s, highest match checkout, total bull finishes.<\/p>\n
Snooker Spread Betting (20 – 100+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Overall tournament winner, match supremacy, match winner, match handicaps, total points (overall\/per player), total frames (overall\/per player), multis (Player A total frames x Player B total frames, etc), number of 50+ breaks (overall\/per player), number of centuries (overall\/per player), 147 (yes\/no), individual frame winner and stats (50+ break, century, zero points scored, multis, etc).<\/p>\n
American Football Spread Betting (50 – 150+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Game supremacy, total points (overall\/per team), touchdown shirt numbers (total + supremacy), handicaps, touchdown yardage, field goal yardage, penalties yardage, match performance, total TDs, total FGs, time of first TD\/FG\/point scored, total sacks, 100 indices (match result, handicaps), points\/yardage etc per quarter, first quarter.<\/p>\n
Basketball Spread Betting (10 – 100+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Game supremacy, total points (overall\/per team), points per quarter\/first quarter (overall and per team), 100 indices (handicap, total points), 100-50-0 indices (handicap, total points).<\/p>\n
Horse Racing Spread Betting (10 – 100+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Racecard markets (winning favourites, starting prices, distances (winner to 2nd, winner to 3rd, 2nd to third), SP lengths, multi distances (winner to 2nd x winner to 3rd), winning distances (dead heat, nose, short head, head, neck). Jockey markets (racecard performance, winner (yes\/no), cumulative). Race markets (50-25-10 index, 100 win index), performance markets, SP of winner, stall number x 2).<\/p>\n
Greyhound Racing Spread Betting (10 – 50+ markets)<\/span><\/h3>\n
Racecard markets (multi-traps (sum of winner trap x runner-up trap for entire card)), favourites performance, bananas (1st trap x 2nd trap x 3rd trap and summed), starting prices, overall trap performance, trap challenges. Race markets (50-25-10 index).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
Other sports usually available for spread bets: Aussie rules, boxing, cycling, eSports, handball, ice hockey, motor racing, specials\/politics, table tennis, MMA\/UFC and virtuals.<\/p>\n
Where to Find Spread Betting Markets<\/span><\/h2>\n
This is an easy question to answer, as currently there are only two online betting sites in the UK<\/a> that provide spread betting markets: SpreadEx and Sporting Index. Spreadex and Sporting Index are practically the same company just trading under two names, and both use the same software.<\/p>\n
- LOSE: <\/b>The game ends 10-7, making the final sell price 17. As you bought at 46.5 and the final price was 17, you made a loss of (46.5 – 17) = 29.5, or \u00a329.50.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- WIN: <\/b>The game ends 34-30, making the final sell price 64. As you bought at 46.5 and the final price was 64, you made a profit of (64 – 46.5) = 17.5, or \u00a317.50.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- LOSE: <\/b>Unfortunately, the game ended up a point-fest with the Chiefs winning 34-30, a total of 64 points. You sold at 43.5, but the final price is 64. You have therefore made a loss of (64 – 43.5) = 20.5, with your monetary loss being \u00a320.50.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- WIN: <\/b>As you predicted, it\u2019s a low-scoring game, with the Ravens winning 10-7. The final price is 17, as there were 17 points in the game. As you sold at 43.5, and the buy price is 17, you\u2019ve made a profit of (43.5 – 17) = 26.5. As you bought at \u00a31 per point, your profit is \u00a326.50.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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