How to Bet the Spread: The Complete US Bettor's Guide

What exactly is the point spread?

The spread is a handicap. The favorite must win by more than the listed number. The underdog can lose by fewer than that number — or win outright — and still cover. For a plain-English breakdown, see What Is the Point Spread? A Plain-English Explanation.

Example: Kansas City Chiefs -6.5 vs. Las Vegas Raiders +6.5. A Chiefs bet wins only if KC wins by 7 or more. A Raiders bet wins if Vegas loses by 6 or fewer, or wins the game.

The number with a decimal (like -6.5) eliminates the possibility of a tie result, called a push. When a whole number is used and the final margin hits it exactly, every wager on that game is refunded. More on that at Cover and Push: What Happens When the Margin Hits the Number.

How does -110 pricing work?

Most spread bets are priced at -110 on both sides. That means wagering $110 to win $100 in profit. The extra $10 is the sportsbook's vig — its built-in commission.

At -110/-110, the house holds roughly 4.5% on a balanced book. The theoretical return to the bettor is about 95.5%. Some books offer reduced juice lines at -108 or -105, which meaningfully lowers that edge over time. The full math is covered at How -110 Odds Work: The Vig Behind Every Spread Bet.

A single spread bet is fixed risk. The most that can be lost is the amount wagered — no more.

Where is it legal to bet the spread online?

Online spread betting is legal and live in more than 30 US states and Washington D.C. as of 2024, following the Supreme Court's 2018 decision to overturn PASPA. Active legal markets include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Arizona, and Tennessee, among others.

Some states are still out. California, Texas, Utah, and Hawaii have no legal market. California's two 2022 ballot measures both failed; Texas has stalled at the legislature; Utah and Hawaii prohibit sports betting outright. Check Which US States Have Live Regulated Spread Betting Right Now for the current map, or see Where Spread Betting Is Still Illegal for the full list of holdout states.

Minimum age is 21 in most legal states. A handful — Wyoming, New Hampshire — allow betting at 18. Always confirm the rule for the specific state.

Which sportsbooks offer spread betting?

The major licensed operators are FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, and ESPN Bet (launched late 2023 through PENN Entertainment). Fanatics Sportsbook has also expanded to multiple states after acquiring PointsBet's US assets in 2023.

Each has slightly different spread lines on any given game. Shopping lines across two or three books before placing is one of the simplest ways to get better value — the difference between -110 and -108 adds up. See Line Shopping: How Moving From -110 to -108 Saves Real Money for the numbers.

For a ranked comparison of operators by spread-betting features, visit Top-Rated Sportsbooks for Betting the Spread in 2026. A full overview of how operators price and settle spread bets is at Spread Betting Sportsbooks: Operators, Lines and Payouts.

How do you actually place a spread bet?

The process is the same at every licensed book: create an account, verify identity (government ID is required), deposit funds, find the game, tap the spread line to add it to the bet slip, enter the wager amount, and confirm. Most leading sportsbooks accept debit cards, PayPal, ACH transfer, Play+ prepaid cards, Venmo (at select books), and cash at a casino cage for same-day withdrawals.

Step-by-step instructions with screenshots of the bet slip process are at How to Place a Spread Bet: Step-by-Step Walkthrough.

Must be 21+ in most states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Do spread bet winnings get taxed?

Yes. All US gambling winnings are federally taxable as ordinary income, per IRS Topic No. 419. Sportsbooks issue a W-2G when net winnings on a single bet reach $600 and meet the 300× wager threshold. Bettors who itemize can deduct losses up to the amount of winnings reported — no carryforward allowed. State tax treatment varies by jurisdiction.

Full details at Do You Pay Taxes on Spread Bet Winnings? Yes — Here Is How.

Start with the spread basics

The concepts that matter most — reading a line, understanding the vig, knowing when a bet pushes, comparing the spread to the moneyline — are all in the Spread Basics section. That's the right place to build the foundation before moving into strategy or operator selection.

For sharper play, NFL key numbers, ATS records, and common parlay mistakes are covered in the strategy guides. The American Gaming Association's state gaming map tracks live legal markets if a specific state's status needs a double-check.

Learning how to bet the spread takes maybe an hour. Getting consistently good at it takes a lot longer — but the math is always the same, and now the math makes sense.