Sports Betting

Placing a sports bet is not difficult. There are two methods of betting: pointspreads (for football and basketball) and money lines (for baseball).

Football Betting (Pointspreads)

Approximately 40% of all sports wagers are made on football. The following quick primer will allow you to participate.

Wagers are made in increments of $11 (to win $10), and most casinos will accept $5.50 bets (to win $5). Look at the example below.

This line provides all the information you need to place a wager. The team listed second is the home team. An easy way to remember this is to think, top city ‘at' bottom city. In this case, Chicago at Dallas.

Chicago is the favorite, listed at minus 5 points. This means that you give up (lay) 5 points when you bet on the Bears. For you to win this bet, the Bears must not only beat the Cowboys; they must beat them by more than 5 points.

There will be no number after the underdog, but the relationship is symmetrical. When you bet the Rams, you get (take) 5 points. You win your bet when the Rams win the game, or if they lose by less than five. With a final score of Bears 30 - Rams 28, a wager on the Rams would win because the Bears did not cover the 5-point spread.

The total is the number on the right (41-1/2). It is a separate bet on whether the combined points scored by both teams will go over or under the posted number. In the case of a 30-28 score, a bet that the total would be over 41-1/2 points would win.

The numbers preceding the team names should be used to make your bet. Tell the ticket writer the number of the team you want to bet, and the amount you are betting. Example: 'Number 1004 for $11,' means you are betting $11 on Dallas +5 (getting five points). If you bet a total, give him the number of either team and specify either 'over' or ‘under' the total. Pay the writer the amount of your wager and he'll give you a ticket with your bet printed on it. Check the ticket for accuracy, then put it in a safe place; it is your receipt to collect if your bet wins. If you lose, you can throw the ticket away, or add it to your collection (there are players who've wallpapered their bedrooms with losing tickets).

Notes

• If the score were to end Bears 33 - Rams 28, the bet would be a tie (push). A tie is a tie; all money is refunded.

• Points scored in overtime always apply to the final outcome.

• If you see the designation PK instead of a number (-5 in our example), there is no favorite. The game is called a pick. If your team wins, you win your bet regardless of the margin of victory. You still bet $11 to win $10 on the team of your choice.

• The minus symbol is sometimes dropped. If you see a line posted with a number and no minus sign, mentally insert the minus symbol in front of the number. The team with the number beside it is always the favorite.

• Whether you bet teams (sides) or totals, remember to bet in units of $11. Casinos will accept any wager from $5.50 to the casino maximum, but they may round the payoffs down on odd amounts (this is called losing breakage).

• The information above is also applicable for basketball betting.