How to Read Football Line Scores
As the largest spectator sport in the United States, football draws one of the largest gambling followings around the world. Bets are placed on the sport at books and in casinos around the country. There are three main line types that are bet on most often: point spread, money line and over/under. Each requires different bet types and could result in different payouts. It is important to know how to read football line scores before you place your bets or make friendly wagers.
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Instructions
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Point Spread
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1
Notice which team has a positive number listed by their name and which team has a negative number.
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2
Bet on the team with a negative number if you think that they will win by more than this number, as that is what they are expected to do.
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3
Bet on the team with the positive number if you think they will win or lose by less than the number listed. If they lose by exactly that number, the game is a "push," and the bet is neither won nor lost.
Moneyline
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4
Notice the positive and negative number in front of each team's name. The numbers usually will be in the hundreds and will differ between both teams in the same game.
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5
Place a bet on the team with a negative number (for example, -250) to win $100 for every $250 dollars wagered.
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Place a bet on the team with a positive number (for example, + 200) to win that number plus $100 (in this case, $300) for every $100 wagered.
Over/Under
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7
Notice the one number listed as a positive number. This will be the same number for over and under, and represents the combined score of the two teams.
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8
Bet over if you think the combined score will be higher than this number.
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9
Bet under if you think the combined score will be lower than this number.
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References
- Photo Credit Football official standing next to football image by Pezography from Fotolia.com
