Wagering on the spread appeals to so many people for this reason. Gambling on the Celtics, meanwhile, stipulates that they will lose by fewer than eight points or actually win the game. Investing in the Lakers says that they will beat the Celtics by at least eight points. In this case, the spread would look like: Lakers (-7.5) vs. If the Los Angeles Lakers are playing host to the Boston Celtics at Staples Center, they might be favored by 7.5 points. When betting on the spread, you are not necessarily concerning yourself with the outcome to a given game as much as you are the point differential itself. It is arguably the most common of the bunch, but also the most difficult to consistently hit. Spread betting joins moneyline and over/under wagers as the Big Three of single-game gambles. But should it? Is NBA spread betting actually tougher than other sports? Or is its relationship to the spread more complicated than that? What Is Spread Betting? Basketball is a high-scoring sport with a ton of variance, which in turn scares people away from wagering on the spread. The NBA specifically poses a problem for some. A number of variables come into play that can impact the difficulty of predicting a given line. Betting on the spread can be an exacting venture in professional sports.
