Sports Spread Betting Explained
Read our quick and easy sports spread betting guide. We explain spread betting, odds, and how to calculate returns.
What is Sports Spread Betting?
Sports spread betting is a type of betting in which you bet on whether the result will be above (Buy) or below (Sell) the spread. A spread is a range the betting company predicts for the outcome of an event.
The spread consists of two numbers, a sell price, and a buy price. If you think the final result of the market will be higher than the buy price, you can buy. Conversely, if you think it will be less than the sell price, you can sell.
For example, Sporting Index - or the leading spread betting bookmaker Spreadex - will make predictions and you can decide whether that prediction has been put up too high or too low.
You can either buy to bet that the final result will be higher than the top prediction of the spread, or sell that the final result will be lower than the bottom prediction of the spread. What you win or lose depends on the stake you choose and how right or wrong you are.
How to Place a Spread Bet
The total number of corners at the end of a football match is one of the simplest examples for explaining spread betting.
Say Manchester United are playing Manchester City, and the spread index is set at 7-(sell price)-9(buy price). Now, you can sell 7 if you think the total will be under or buy the 9 if you think it will be over, but you cannot bet inside the spread.
Using this simple formula you can work out your returns/losses: (Settled Price - Buy/Price) x Stake or (Sell price - Settled Price) x Stake.
14 match corners with a £10 stake:
- If you bought it at 9 you would have won. (14-9) x £10 = £50 profit
- If you sold at 7 you would have lost. ( 7-14) x £10 = £70 loss
5 match corners with a £10 stake:
- If you bought it at 9 you would have lost. (5-9) x £10 = £40 loss
- If you sold at 7 you would have won. (7-5) x £10 = £20 profit
8 match corners with a £10 stake:
- If you bought it at 9 you would have lost. (7-9) x £10 = £10 loss
- If you sold at 7 you would have lost. (7-8) x £10 - £10 loss
How Does Spread Betting Differ From Fixed Odds Betting?
Fixed-odds betting offers you a win-or-lose scenario as your losses and wins are calculated by how much you stake. Meanwhile, with spread betting, how much you win or lose is determined by how accurate you are.
The more right you are, the more you stand to win. On the flip side, the more a result goes against you, the more you could lose. Fixed odds offer the security of knowing how much you stand to win or lose, but they can offer poor value due to high betting margins set by the bookies.
For example, if you place a bet for over 12 match corners in a game at 2/1 (3.00) on one of the fixed-odds betting sites, you will get £30 from a £10 stake (£20 profit). Or, you will lose £10 if there are 12 or fewer corners.
Spread betting, on the other hand, could be priced at 11 - 13 and if you buy at the 13 price while staking £5 per point, you will be in profit for each corner over 13. Fixed odds will not increase your returns for each corner over 13, whereas spread betting will.
Let's say they rack up a massive 20 corners in the game. Instead of a £20 profit from fixed odds, you are looking at a £35 return. However, if the corners total is low, you could stand to lose a lot more than the fixed odds £10 stake. For each corner below 13, you would lose £5.
Say the game finished with nine corners, then you lose £20. As such, there is greater risk involved in spread betting and this is something that punters should take into consideration.
Claim Spread Betting Welcome Offers
| Operator | Welcome Offer | Bonus Code | Claim Offer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Welcome Offer Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets | No code required | Claim Offer | Join and place a £10 fixed odds bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Qualifying bet cannot be placed in-play or cashed out early. Get 2x £10 fixed odds free bet, a 2x £5 Total Goals football free spread bets, a 2x £5 racing Winning Favourites free spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet. Free bets expire after 28 days. Full T&Cs apply. |
 | Welcome Offer Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets | No code required | Claim Offer | New customers only. Applies to the first £10+ bet on any sports market at min odds of 2.00 (1/1). Qualifying bet needs to be placed and settled within 14 days of registration. First £10 Free Bet issued once the qualifying bet settles. Second £10 Free Bet issued 24 hours later. Full T&Cs apply |
Steven is an experienced iGaming content writer who has been working in the industry since 2018. He is passionate about sports betting and enjoys writing about all aspects of the industry, including bookmaker reviews, betting tips and strategies, and news and analysis.