“THE SHOCKING TRUTH” What You Probably Don’t Know About Betting The Point Spread.

Ladies and gentleman, I have a confession to make. Yes it’s true, when it comes to sports handicapping do’s and dont’s, I break every rule in the book. I play parlays, teasers, propositions and futures. I bet on pre-season NFL games, the MLB All Star Game, and I won’t even rule out wagering on the next winner of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. I’ll bet on any game, at any time, as long as I feel the odds are in my favor.

When it comes to betting on traditional point spread sports (football and basketball), most people believe that it’s a cardinal sin to bet the moneyline. These same people suffer bad beats on a weekly basis, losing in some cases by a half point with a team favored by less than three points. They would have had the option to pay just a fraction more to bet these teams on the moneyline, but felt that it wouldn’t be very “sharp”.

Let me tell you, there’s nothing sharp about losing games by a half a point. There’s nothing sharp about taking a push in a football game when it’s decided by a field goal. You’re probably thinking to yourself… “sure.. but eventually the vigorish is going to catch up with you”.

Keep in mind that’s the nature of gambling, the vigorish almost always catches up with you. You’re still paying vigorish when betting against the spread, which is in most cases a 50/50 shot. You likely wouldn’t bat an eyelash if you were asked to pay -140 in a baseball game, so why would you be so afraid to pay that same vigorish in a football or basketball game?

I’m not saying that it’s always best to play the moneyline, I’m just saying that it’s foolish to rule it out as an option. You have to look at the price, and make a judgement call. I’ve been picking my spots pretty well since turning pro in 2011. My career record with moneyline bets on football and basketball is 375-202 for a profit of +$30,903 (as of January 2016). Perhaps one of the best examples of how effective this strategy can be, would be my 21-6 record with last year’s NCAA Tournament. More than half of those plays were moneyline wagers. These records are documented at Covers.com.

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