plainodds

Point Spread Calculator

Standard juice payouts and implied probability for any cover-the-spread bet.

Point Spread Calculator

Odds format

Standard spread juice is -110. Reduced-juice books offer -105.

Spread betting, plain

What does a point spread do?

A point spread is the sportsbook's handicap on a game. The favorite gives points; the underdog gets points. The line is set so that — in theory — each side has roughly a 50% chance of covering. That's why both sides usually pay the same price (standard -110).

A line of Chiefs −7.5 vs Broncos +7.5 means the Chiefs cover only if they win by 8 or more. The Broncos cover if they win outright OR if they lose by 7 or fewer. The half-point eliminates pushes.

Why is -110 the standard spread juice?

If both sides paid even money (+100), the sportsbook would make zero on a 50/50 line. Pricing both sides at -110 gives the book about a 4.76% hold across the whole market — its long-run profit margin no matter which side wins more often.

Some reduced-juice books offer -105 per side (about 2.38% hold), and a few specialty books quote -102 or -103 on select markets. Lower juice means more bettor-friendly long-run economics.

See how to remove vig from odds for the full hold math.

What does -3.5 mean? And -3?

-3.5 means the favorite must win by 4 or more to cover. Win by 3 = spread loses. No pushes possible with a half-point.

-3 means the favorite must win by 4 or more to cover. Win by exactly 3 = push (your stake refunded). Win by 2 or less, or lose = spread loses.

NFL spreads sit on or near key numbers (3, 7, 10, 14) more than chance would suggest. Moving from -3 to -3.5 matters a lot more than moving from -5 to -5.5 — it crosses a key margin.