That means the oddsmakers think that the Mavericks are better by 6 points. So to even the two teams up, the sportsbooks implement a handicap.įor example, if the Mavericks are -6 points vs the Lakers. That’s why so many dynasties in sports grow over the years like the New England Patriots with Tom Brady, the 1970 Pittsburgh Steelers teams, and the Yankees and Red Sox in baseball.
Professional sports aims for parity in their leagues as it’s good for business and adds to the overall entertainment of the sport, but the fact is that there’s plenty of sports that lack parity.
This is the only way to ensure an even playing field among two unevenly matched teams. The point spread differs from the moneyline because the moneyline is simply picking who you think will win the game outright, while the point spread adds or deducts points from each team, depending if they’re the favorite or underdog, so you simple need to win the adjusted final score with the handicap taken into account with the score.
The purpose the point spread serves is to level the playing field between two teams by means of a handicap from the oddsmakers who set the lines. When it comes to sports betting, the point spread is usually the most common and popular bet among gamblers.
