Online sports betting pointspreads are the most common type of betting lines but they are not the only type of sports betting lines for gamblers to consider. Another option that is gaining popularity is the money line. This avoids the pointspread altogether and just asks the team to win the game.
Online sports betting pointspreads can have a gambler correctly selecting the straight up winner but still losing the bet because the team didn’t win by enough points against the line. With a money line this is not a problem in online sports betting. The sports betting money line is based on straight up results, meaning that if a player selects the correct straight up winner, he gets paid at the sportsbook.
Some online sports betting gamblers don’t like to deal with the pointspread and are not afraid to lay the extra money required in football and basketball. For example, let’s say you like New England in the NFL and they are a 7 point online sports betting favorite. Instead of laying the 7 points you can choose to play the sports betting money line which may have you laying in the neighborhood of -300 or so at the online sportsbook. That means you risk $300 to win $100 but now all you have to do is win the game. You may find some online sports betting gamblers that go the other way and look for value on money line underdogs. That is a decent idea in the NFL where often the underdogs that cover also win the game outright. It is more difficult in college football to take the online sports betting money line underdogs because often the games are not as competitive.
Another factor that can come into play when deciding between the pointspreads and the money line in online sports betting is the security factor. There are online sports betting gamblers that feel more comfortable not having to lay points and would rather lay the money. What these players have to realize though is that when you are laying 3-1 or more on the money line it doesn’t take much to lose money. You have to win 3 out of 4 bets just to break even at that sports betting price.
There are some online sports betting gamblers that use the money line to make money, but not as many as you might think. Most professional players won’t lay the big money at the sportsbook. If you are going to bet the money line you might want to stick to underdogs in NFL online sports betting where you can actually hit a lower percentage and win.