Using the example above, if the Bills defeat the Patriots 20-14, the Bills have “covered the spread” being that subtracting three points from 20 is 17, which still beats the Patriots’ 14 points. To “ cover a spread” means that the team must win the game after points are added or subtracted from their final score. On the contrary, if the Buffalo Bills are “-3”, it means three points are deducted from their score after the game. Point spreads manifest as either a positive number or negative number which indicates how much is added or subtracted from the team’s final score, respectively.įor example, if the New England Patriots are “+3”, it means three points are added to their final score. Thus, point spreads betting can be a little more even on the betting odds, as opposed to the moneyline. It is clear that most games are between teams that are not equal, so sportsbooks assign spreads to both sides to make the game more equal. Think of point spreads as point handicaps for both teams. But how do point spreads work, exactly? Point Spreads Betting Explained When it comes to sports like basketball (NBA) and football (NFL), mastering the complexities of point-spread betting is a must. Point spreads are one of the most popular markets on online sports betting sites.