Betting Guides > Spread Betting – Goal / Points difference in Sports Betting

Spread Bet – Goal/point difference bet

A type of betting in which the bettor wins or loses according to the margin by which the value of a particular outcome varies from the spread of expected values quoted by the bookmaker.

Spread betting is very popular in Britain and offers you great opportunities of winning by speculating on the total number of given actions that occur in a sporting event (for example, runs scored in cricket or points in rugby).

Spread betting allows you to bet on a certain number of actions during a sporting event. You have to predict whether this number will be above or below a certain level shown by a range of numbers (eg: corners in a football match). This range of numbers is also the “Spread.”

If you predict that the total number of actions to be above this given range, you are considered to be buying the bet. The upper limit of the spread is used to calculate your result:

Winning bet (Total above): Profit = Stake × (Total number of actions – Spread’s Top)

Losing bet (total below): Loss = Stake × (Spread’s Top – Total number of actions)

If you predict that the total will be below this range, you are considered to be selling the bet. The lower limit of the spread is used to calculate your result:

Winning bet (total below): Profit = Stake × (Spread’s Bottom – Total number of actions)

Losing Bet (Total Above): Loss = Stake × (Total Number of Actions – Spread’s Bottom)

In football, you may bet on the total number of goals, corners, red or yellow cards, or more unusual things such as the sum of the numbers on the player’s jerseys. In tennis, you may bet on the number of serves that land inside the lines which the receiver cannot return (aces) or unforced errors made by a player for example.

Example of a Spread Betting 

Betting on the number of corners in a football match:

The online betting sites offer Spread betting, and you think that the number of corners will be greater than 11 and stake 100 euros. You are buying the bet.

Outcome 1: The number of corners at the end of the match is 15

Your profit = Stake × (Number of Corners – Spread’s top) = 100 × (15-11) = 400 euros

Outcome 2: The number of corners at the end of the match is 7

Your Loss = Stake × (Spread’s top – Number of Corners) = 100 × (11-7) = 400 euros

You also bet on the number of shots on the target:

The spread displayed is related to the number of shots. You think the number of shots on the target will be lower than 10 and stake 100 euros. You are selling the bet.

Outcome 1: The number of shots on target at the end of the match is 9

Your Profit = Stake × (Spread’s bottom – Number of Corners) = 100 × (12-9) = 300 euros

Outcome 2: The number of shots on target at the end of the match is 13

Your loss = Stake × (Number of Corners – Spread’s bottom) = 100 × (13-12) = 100 euros

Spread betting is both profitable and risky: The profits can be very high, but the same can be said about losses. Make sure to thoroughly analyze the risks before you start betting!