Sportsbook betting for most gamblers involves betting on one team or another. It is referred to as betting a side at the online sportsbook. Let’s look at how to wager on sides at the sportsbook. Sportsbook lines either have a pointspread or a money line attached to each team. The pointspread at the online is where a gambler lays points with the favorite or takes points with the dog. It is the most common way to wager on football and basketball. An example of how pointspread sides work would be if you saw a line at the that read New England -10, Buffalo +10.
Gamblers that would want New England would lay the ten points, and to win the bet the Patriots would have to win the game by more than ten points. Sportsbook gamblers that would want Buffalo would win the wager if the Bills either won the game or lost by less than ten points. If New England won the game by exactly ten points the game would be considered a “push” and all sportsbook gamblers would get their money back.
One of the things to keep in mind in gambling is that when you wager you must put up ten-percent above the amount of money that you are trying to win. This is known both as “vig” and “juice.” For example, if you wanted New England in the previous example for $500 you would have to put up $550. That extra $50 is the “vig.” Let’s say another gambler liked Buffalo for $500. He too, would have to put up $550. Now you can see the point of the “juice.” It’s doesn’t matter which side wins to the sportsbook if they have an equal amount of money on each side. That is why the online sportsbook line will move as gamblers bet one side or another, forcing the sportsbook to move the number to attract money to the other side.
In baseball, hockey, soccer and other sports you will see a money line on side wagering at the sportsbook. Instead of a pointspread, one team will be favored and you would risk more money on them, while the underdog would receive plus money. For example, the Yankees might be -200 while Kansas City might be +160. This is an example of a side money line at the online sportsbook.