In the National Football League (NFL), odds are a numerical expression that represents the probability of an event occurring, such as a team winning a game. How to Read NFL Odds ? How Do NFL Odds Work ? If the final score is Patriots 34, Chiefs 20, then anyone who bet on the Patriots would win their bet because the Patriots won by more than the 3 point spread. If the final score is Patriots 27, Chiefs 24, then anyone who bet on the Chiefs would win their bet because the Chiefs lost by fewer than the 3 point spread. If you bet on the Chiefs, they must either win the game outright or lose by fewer than 3 points for you to win your bet. This means that if you bet on the Patriots, they must win by more than 3 points for you to win your bet. The point spread is intended to create a more balanced betting field, as oddsmakers will set a point spread that they believe will encourage equal betting on both sides.įor example, if the New England Patriots are playing the Kansas City Chiefs, the oddsmakers might set a point spread of -3 for the Patriots.
In the National Football League (NFL), the point spread is a number set by oddsmakers that handicaps one team and favors another when two teams play each other.