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Sports betting has grown exponentially with the advent of online gambling. Now betting on sports is an everyday occurrence. Sports betting appeals to a specific group of people- those who are heavily involved in their daily lives and want a way to unwind after a busy day. And some people might even find it boring and unsatisfying to watch games and place bets online. One of the most popular ways of betting on U.S. sports like Basketball and American Football is called ‘Against the Spread’ betting, or in short ATS. Let’s find out more. What Is ATS or ‘Against the Spread’?
Betting against the spread is a clever way of seducing people to bet on an event’s favorite instead of betting on the favorite as the ‘outright winner’ by including a winning margin.
By offering points spreads, the sportsbook signals to you what they believe is going to be the most likely outcome and then give you the option to bet for the favorite or underdog to win at practically the same odds. ATS also means that the proposed bet becomes a 50/50 opportunity with the spreads equalizing any differences in potential between the two teams. Note that the odds include a profit margin taken by the sportsbook.
Betting against the spread is indicated by a positive number of points (+) and a negative number of points (-), which is called the spread. Favorites are always noted with a minus and you can recognize the underdogs by a plus.
Whatever your reason for betting against the spread, there are a number of ways to do it successfully. A good way to bet against the spread is to bet on underdogs. Underdogs are teams that are considered by most to be the underdogs in a given game. This means that they have the least amount of talent and/or experience on their side.
Let’s continue on the example of a +2.5 ATS underdog in the next paragraph.
When betting on spread of +2.5, this means that the underdog must not lose the game by more than two points for you to win the bet. They are sort of given a fictional 2.5-point head start so to say. You can also choose to bet on the favorite with a -2.5 spread. When you do this, it means that this team must win the game by three points or more for that bet to be winning.
While the numbers and half-points can puzzle you at first, you will quickly get the hang of it when starting to bet against the spread. Just like you started learning how to bet, you can also learn how to bet Against the Spread.
A good understanding of ATS or Against the Spread in sports betting is important when looking to find opportunities and secure an edge over a sportsbook or friend.
Points spreads can change as the game’s kick-off of comes closer. While the odds don’t really change and reflect a 50/50 situation, the spreads will change depending on sportsbooks’ information feeds. Players can get injured, a team can have a sudden breakdown of form. Even a change in weather conditions or a sudden decision to play the game without a crowd, could have an effect on a game’s outcome and therefore on the spread. So instead of the favorites being expected to win the game by at least 8 points in basketball, the spread could suddenly drop to -4.5 and the most probably minimal winning margin is down to 5.
Changes in points spread are excellent opportunities for bettors as you always want to place your bets at either the best odds or the best spreads. Interpreting information is key when betting against the spread.
Important to know is that sportsbook not always propose a 50/50 when offering a points spread. There can be situations where they try to convince you to place a bet on either the favorite or underdog by offering slightly different odds. This is usually a result of them wanting to mitigate risks associated with a significant larger number of total value in bets placed on one of the two teams. This dynamic is another thing for you as a bettor to try to keep an eye out and take advantage of when the situation arises.
Having a handful of accounts at multiple betting sites, where you can compare and play the best odds and spread is a necessity when you look to optimize your winnings.
An excellent online bookmaker is award-winning Stake.com, which accepts regular currencies like EUR and USD, but also cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. Another Crypto Sportsbook is Sportbet.ONE, where you get a risk-free bet of $50 when registering. For a top US Bookie, sign up with BetUS.
Betting on sports is fun because it allows you to join in on the action without actually having to participate yourself, at least not directly. The possibility to bet against the spread is an example of a win-win for the sportsbook and bettors. We hope you have found the answer to what ATS or Against the Spread means. On the one hand, ATS offers sportsbooks the flexibility to deal with sudden spikes in betting volume while giving their customers a new betting experience. On the other hand, bettors like yourself can make a difference by putting in the time and effort and increase their chances of winning. Keep in mind, you want to be playing the best odds and best spreads always!
Points spreads are most popular in American Sports like basketball, American Football. In other sports like Football, or Soccer, there are also ways to bet against the spread where winning margins are considered, such as Handicap Betting, Asian Handicap Betting or Asian Handicap Total Goals. If you simply want to predict the winning margin that any team can win by, there is Winning Margin Betting.