Spread Betting Explained

Here’s where you can find spread betting explained in detail. We consider spread betting to be among the most exciting and dynamic ways to place wagers on sport.

What is Spread Betting?

Spread betting is a sophisticated way to wager on bet tips for sporting events. It revolves around buying and selling – you can place wagers on a wide range of sports markets by taking the “buy” price or “sell” price.

If you get your prediction right, you can win big. You can lose multiple times your stake for getting it wrong, however.

Most bettors are familiar with traditional fixed odds betting. With fixed odds, you may take Arsenal to beat Spurs by 2.5+ goals at 3/1, as you think they are likely to win by 3 goals or more.

In spread betting odds, the spread would perhaps be 2.85 (sell) to 3.15 (buy). So, you might opt for the buy price of 3.15 if it matches your prediction.

How Does Spread Betting Work?

Spread betting on sports is about predicting which side of the spread to bet on. This is done by deciding whether an outcome will be higher or lower than a given range.

Just like in financial markets, the spread represents the difference between the buy and sell prices. These values, set by brokers on online spread betting platforms, are based on market conditions.

In sport spreads, your predictions are based on whether an outcome (“make-up”) will fall under the sell price or exceed the buy price. It’s up to you to match your prediction to one or the other. You then carefully assign your stake (per point) according to how confident you feel about it.

• Minimum Stakes – Spreadex and other top spread betting platforms allow you to bet on most markets with a minimum of 1p.
• Proportional Returns & Losses – Returns can increase by multiples of your stake for more accurate predictions. Conversely, you can suffer losses amounting to multiple times your stake when predictions fail.
• Buy for More/Sell for Fewer – If the spread has Premier League side Liverpool with booking points at 29-32, buy if you think there will be more and sell if you predict fewer.
• Exposure Per Point – Be careful with your stakes as this is determined by bet size.

The size of your stake impacts profits and losses. Let’s say you bet £10 per point on total goals in the FA Cup match between Manchester City and Manchester United. The spread is 2.2-2.5, meaning you win £10 for every goal above 2.5 but lose £10 for each goal under 2.2.

Spread Betting Pros and Cons

Spread betting is easier to understand when familiar with the idea of buying and selling. The process is straightforward, but do remember it’s still gambling.

Here are the pros and cons of sports betting explained by their upsides and downsides.

UK vs US Sports Spread Betting Explained

It’s easy to get confused by the term “spread betting” on sport, as it means different things in the UK and US.

• UK Spread Betting on Sport – You bet on whether the outcome of a market finishes above or below the spread set by the broker/platform. Both profits and losses can increase in line with how right or wrong you are.
• Spread Betting on Sports in the US – This is a type of betting market in which you bet on a team to cover or beat a fixed handicap (point spread) set by the bookie. Stakes and payouts are fixed, meaning no changes to losses or returns.

How to Sign Up for an Online Spread Betting Account

UK punters can use specialist spread betting companies like Spreadex or Sporting Index to access spread markets. You must create an account to bet. You may also be asked to provide information for verification purposes.

1. Choose a Platform – Compare the best spread betting companies in the UK with the best market variety and competitive spread prices.
2. Select the Join Option – This should be located on the landing screen or the upper part of the platform’s homepage.
3. Complete Registration – Enter your name, date of birth, address, email address, and any other information necessary.
4. Select a Payment Method – Usual UK payment options include debit cards, e-wallets like Skrill, bank transfers, and potentially more.
5. Fund Your Account and Bet – Once you’ve added money via any of the accepted payment methods, it’s time to place your wagers.

Some spread betting firms may require higher minimum deposits than others. You can also find deals with platforms like Spreadex, which is arguably the best spread betting platform in the UK. You may be entitled to free bets or bet credits for joining.

Sports Spread Betting Explained with Examples

You can use formulas to work out winnings from spread bets on sports. These are as follows.

Sell

• (Sell Spread – Actual Result) x Stake

In the case of goals markets, for example, the actual result would be the number of goals scored.

Buy

• (Actual Result – Buy Spread) x Stake

If you’re betting on winning distance, for instance, the total distance would be the actual result.

You will find that these practical examples help with understanding spread betting. You can come back to them when you are ready to wager on popular sports markets.

Spread Betting Explained for Football

You may have noticed the two basic football examples we covered earlier. Both used the total goals market to help illustrate necessary points. You will find a wide range of other spread betting football markets you can bet on, too.

Booking Points Example

Take the booking points market, for example. It’s all about total booking points – a concept that has been imported by fixed odds betting bookies. It’s very similar to the fixed odds version, where 10 points are awarded for each yellow, 25 for each red, etc.

Manchester United take on Chelsea in the EFL Cup at Old Trafford. United’s spread betting football bookings range stands at 34-37. It makes sense to buy at 3.7 at a stake of £10 per point.

United get four yellow cards, and you win.

• 4 (Yellows) x 10 (Points) = 40 Points (Actual Result)
• Buy at 37 at £10 Per Point
• (40 – 37) = 3 × £10 = £30 Profit

Feel free to go over the total goals spread betting explained examples earlier. These can also help you get the hang of things.

Horse Racing Spread Bet Examples

Horse racing spread betting markets can be ideal for those who understand the sport in depth. If your horse racing predictions are accurate and based on dynamics in races, jockey form, and other conditions, there is scope to make a profit.

Winning Favourites Example for Horse Racing

This low volatility spread predicts the total number of winning races at a meeting that day. In this case, at Newmarket on Friday.

You see a spread of 1.9-2.1 and fancy the jollies to do well today. So, you buy at 2.1 for a £10 stake per point. Three favourites come in, making it a good day for you and other punters.

Here’s how we work it out.

• 3 (Winning Favourites) = Actual Result
• Buy at 2.1 at £10 Per Point
• (3 – 2.1) = 0.90 × £10 = £9 Profit

Horse Racing Winning Distances Example

This is a medium volatility horse racing spread betting market based on the distance between 1^st and 2^nd placed horses. You’ve seen a solid one for Royal Ascot on Saturday. The total is the lengths by which each race is won on that card.

You don’t fancy a buy here, so sell at 26 at a stake of £10 per point. The make-up for the market is 30, which means you have suffered a loss of £40 according to the sell formula.

• 30 (Total Lengths) = Actual Result
• Sell at £10 Per Length
• (26 – 30) = 4 × £10 = -£40 Loss

NFL Spread Betting Explained (Total Points Spread)

We’re not talking about spread betting on the NFL, in a US bettor’s context. With the UK sports spread betting platforms, you can also find wagers for American football and other US sports.

In this hypothetical example, a spread betting broker offers a Philadelphia Eagles/San Francisco 49ers total points spread of 47-50. You buy 50 at a £10 stake per point as you believe this is the smartest of the NFL tips you could go for.

You’re right, and Philadelphia win by 4 points.

• 54 (Points Scored by Eagles) – 50 (Buy Points) = 4 (Actual Result)
• Buy 4 at £10 Per Point
• (54 – 50) = 4 × £10 = £40 Profit

Tennis Spread Betting Examples

You can find plenty of tennis markets that focus on all aspects of a fixture. This includes games won, sets played, match duration, and other performance-based markets.

Tennis Match Total Games Example

This is a medium volatility market and a good option in tennis spread betting. It’s based around the combined number of games played in a match, regardless of the number of sets won or lost by either player.

You look over the Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner spread for total games (30-31). Your tennis predictions for this game point you to buy at 31 with a £10 stake per game. The match finishes in 33 games, netting you a profit of £20.

• 33 (Total Games) – 31 (Buying Points) = 2 (Actual Result)
• Buy 31 at £10 Per Game
• (33 – 31) = 2 × £10 = £20 Profit

Tennis Player Total Games Example

Instead of games won by both opponents, this market is player-specific. We’re looking at the total games won by Jannik Sinner in a match against Alexander Zverev.

You head over to your spread betting platform and find 20-21 for Sinner’s total games won. After reviewing our tennis predictions, you sell at 20 with a £10 stake per game. His 20 games in the match mean your profit and loss (P&L) is £0.00.

• 20 (Games Won by Sinner) – 20 (Buying Points) = 0 Actual Result
• Sell 20 at £10 Per Game
• (20 – 20) = 0 × £10 = £0 (Break Even)

NBA Spread Betting Explained

Again, NBA spread betting in the US means something else.  With UK sports spread betting platforms, you can find some nice NBA markets that cover everything from total points, game points, player performance specials, and more.

We’ve gone for total rebounds in this example, however. So, let’s see a market for the total number of rebounds in a game between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks with a spread of 75-78. You buy at 78 with a £5 stake per rebound.

The total number of rebounds ends up at 82, meaning your NBA prediction was good.

• 82 (Actual Result) – 78 (Buy Price) = 4
• Buy 4 at £5 Per Rebound
• (82 – 78) = 4 × £5 = £20 Profit

Now we have spread betting explained for the NBA, let’s move on to strategies.

Effective Tips and Spread Betting Strategies

It’s a bad idea to dive headfirst into anything you don’t understand. Keep that in mind when it comes to your money. Here are some spread betting tips and strategies for spread betting in the UK.

Use Smart Bankroll Management

Set a total bankroll for single bets and anything else, and keep it separate from money you need. There can be unlimited loss potential in spread betting, especially with high volatility wagers. Learn about stake control to prevent accumulating major losses.

Use Your Expertise

If you’re a voracious reader of sports data, such as Premier League statistics, this can help. You could take things one step further if you possess genuine expertise about a sport such as horse racing. If you’re far from a sleuth, why not get reading and look for potential value to exploit?

Start Small

Dip your toes in the water with minimal stakes bets while you learn. You can iron out any complexities of spread betting this way while availing yourself of practical experience. This can also significantly decrease your exposure.

Never Chase Your Losses

You’ll find a wide range of betting tipsters online who will always emphasise this point. One of the easiest ways to find yourself in a hole when spread betting is to chase losses. Erratic and impatient betting is one of the biggest threats to your bottom line.

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