point spread

noun

: the number of points by which an oddsmaker expects a favorite to defeat an underdog

Examples of point spread in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 10-5 (.667); season 59-47-1 (.557). Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 Next Saturday’s biggest game on Nov. 2 is Ohio State at Penn State, where FanDuel has an advance point spread of Buckeye’s -3.5 point favorite and game total of 49.5 points. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 8-6 (.571); season 40-37-1 (.520). Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024 Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 8-8 (.500); season 32-31-1 (.508). Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for point spread 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'point spread.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of point spread was in 1941

Dictionary Entries Near point spread

Cite this Entry

“Point spread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point%20spread. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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