Yes, you can bet on the spread and the moneyline in sports betting, and these are two of the most common types of wagers that bettors can make.
**Spread Betting:**
In spread betting, also known as betting against the spread, a sportsbook will predict the margin of victory for a particular game and assign a point spread. The favorite will have points subtracted from their final score, while the underdog will have points added. Bettors then choose whether to bet on the favorite or the underdog.
For example, if the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins and the spread is set at Patriots -7, this means that the Patriots are expected to win by 7 points. If you bet on the Patriots, they would need to win by more than 7 points for your bet to pay off. If you bet on the Dolphins, they would need to win the game or lose by fewer than 7 points for your bet to win.
**Moneyline Betting:**
Moneyline betting is a simpler form of betting where you are simply picking the winner of the game without any point spread involved. The odds are represented by a moneyline, which indicates how much money you would win based on your bet. The favorite will have negative odds, while the underdog will have positive odds.
For example, if the odds for the Patriots are -250 and for the Dolphins +200, this means that for every $250 you bet on the Patriots, you would win $100 if they win. Conversely, for every $100 you bet on the Dolphins, you would win $200 if they win.
Both spread and moneyline bets are common in many sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Bettors often choose between these types of bets based on their confidence in the margin of victory or simply their preference for one type of bet over another.