On September 5, 2019, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers will take the field against Mitch Trubisky and the Chicago Bears to kick off the 2019-20 NFL season. By the time they do, sports bettors will have put down millions of dollars worth of bets on the game.
Want to get in on the action? If so, you’ll need to decide which of the two teams you want to bet on. You’ll also need to decide if you want to place a moneyline bet or a point spread bet.
Before deciding on moneyline vs spread betting, you should make sure that you know the difference between the two. Here is what you need to know about moneyline bets and point spread bets.
What Is Moneyline Betting?
Moneyline betting is very easy to understand. When you place a money line bet, the only thing you’ll need to do is pick a team that you think is going to win a game outright.
If you were to place a money line bet on the aforementioned Packers/Bears game, you would need to place it on either Green Bay or Chicago. You would also need to check out the odds for a moneyline bet before making it.
As of right now, the moneyline odds for the Packers/Bears game are:
- Packers +150
- Bears -180
This means that, if you were to bet $100 on the Packers on the moneyline, you would win $150 if Green Bay wins the game. However, if you were to bet the Bears on the moneyline, you would need to put down $180 to win $100 back if Chicago wins the game.
What Is Spread Betting?
Spread betting is slightly more complicated than moneyline betting. But it’s not that hard to figure out.
When you place a spread bet, you’ll need the team that you bet on to “cover the spread” that was created for the game in order for you to win.
Let’s use the Packers/Bears game as an example again. As of right now, the point spread for the game is:
- Packers +3.5 (-110)
- Bears -3.5 (-110)
If you place a spread bet on the Packers, you would need them to either win the game outright or cover the spread by losing by less than 3.5 points. If, on the other hand, you place a spread bet on the Bears, you would need them to win by more than 3.5 points to cover the spread.
In both instances, a $110 bet would net you $100 if your team covers the spread, regardless of which team you choose to take.
Which Is the Better Option for You?
There are pros and cons that come along with both moneyline and spread betting.
Those who prefer putting down moneyline bets love the fact that they don’t have to worry about keeping an eye on the point spread when they’re watching a game. They only have to worry about whether or not their team wins.
But as you can see, one of the downsides of moneyline betting is that those who bet on a favorite often have to lay down more money than they would have to when using spread betting. And those who bet on an underdog don’t have the benefit of “getting” points during a game.
Those who prefer putting down spread bets, meanwhile, love the fact that they get more balanced betting odds that don’t force them to lay down more money than they want to. They also “get” points on underdogs and can win a bet even if the team they pick loses.
But one of the big drawbacks of spread betting is that a favorite can win a game outright but not cover the spread in the process. This can leave some bettors kicking themselves when they realize they would have won if they had just made a moneyline bet.
It’s up to you to decide which type of bet you like best. Many bettors switch up their approach based on the odds offered on specific moneyline vs spread bets.
Choosing Between Moneyline Vs Spread Betting
If you don’t have a ton of betting experience, you might want to experiment with both moneyline and spread bets. You’ll be able to see which one you prefer.
Your opinion on moneyline vs spread betting may change over time, too. You’re free to switch things up and use whichever type of bet you want depending on what the betting odds are for different games.
Regardless of which type of bet you choose, we can help you make smarter bets when you sign up to receive our picks. Get in touch with us today to learn about the benefits of signing up for our NFL picks package.