what is covering the spread

Covering the spread is a term used in sports betting, specifically in point spread betting. Point spread betting is a way to "even the playing field" when betting on two teams. In point spread betting, a point spread is the number of points (typically set by a sportsbook) a team must win by or stay within for the bet on that particular team to payout. When a bettor wagers that a team will cover the spread, it means that the team must win by at least the number of points specified in the point spread for the bettor to win the wager. For example, if Seattle is a 13-point favorite over Denver, and a bettor wagers that Seattle will cover the spread, Seattle must win by at least 14 points to have covered the spread, delivering the bettor a winning wager. Betting the point spread is one of the most popular sports betting methods, along with moneyline bets and over/under (total) bets.