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
Despite the game's back-and-forth feeling, tonight’s victory ends up as UConn’s largest Final Four victory in program history by point spread, 14.
—
NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
The leagues made deals with the gambling firms and allowed discussions of point spreads and other bettable factors onto their broadcasts.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
But bettors got the best of the bookmakers with UConn’s 30-point rout of San Diego State with FanDuel reporting that the Huskies took 81% of bets and 89% of money (handle) to cover the point spread, which rose from -9.5 to -11.5 as money poured in on Connecticut.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
FanDuel offered special bets where the more users who bet on a team, the more the point spread would grow.
—Brian Murphy, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2024
The point spread is the number of points one team is favored over the other.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
No position affects the point spread in football more than quarterback, but 49ers do-it-all Deebo Samuel has many oddsmakers and bettors playing close attention to reports about his shoulder injury.
—Mark Anderson, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024
Take a look at the point spread, moneyline and over/under for both games on the NFL Playoffs schedule for the conference championship weekend, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 22 Jan. 2024
Here are the latest lines and point spread for Super Bowl 58.
—Jack McKessy, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024
NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
The leagues made deals with the gambling firms and allowed discussions of point spreads and other bettable factors onto their broadcasts.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
But bettors got the best of the bookmakers with UConn’s 30-point rout of San Diego State with FanDuel reporting that the Huskies took 81% of bets and 89% of money (handle) to cover the point spread, which rose from -9.5 to -11.5 as money poured in on Connecticut.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
FanDuel offered special bets where the more users who bet on a team, the more the point spread would grow.
—Brian Murphy, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2024
The point spread is the number of points one team is favored over the other.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
No position affects the point spread in football more than quarterback, but 49ers do-it-all Deebo Samuel has many oddsmakers and bettors playing close attention to reports about his shoulder injury.
—Mark Anderson, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024
Take a look at the point spread, moneyline and over/under for both games on the NFL Playoffs schedule for the conference championship weekend, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 22 Jan. 2024
Here are the latest lines and point spread for Super Bowl 58.
—Jack McKessy, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Point spread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point%20spread. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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