NFL Spreads

Betting NFL spreads has fast become the most common form of wagering today, but that doesn't mean that everyone knows exactly what NFL spreads are or how they are created. First of all, who comes up with these numbers? In short, oddsmakers at sportsbooks are the one's setting the spreads for each game based on a great number of factors. In the end their goal is to create equal betting action on each side of the game. The idea here is that if fifty percent of all of the money wagered is on each half of the game, the sportsbook still makes money because of the vigorish (commission) on each bet.

So, what does an NFL spread look like? Here's an example you might see:

San Francisco 49ers +3 -110
Minnesota Vikings -3 -110

The first indicators we look at are the plus or minus signs immediately following the team names. A minus indicates the favorite in the game, the plus indicates the underdog. The number following those symbols shows us how many points the team is either giving or getting. In the example above, the 49ers are the underdog and they are getting three points. This means they can either win the game outright or lose by less than three points and still be a winning wager. With the Vikings giving three points (-3), they must win the game and win by more than three for a wager on them to win. The next number in the sequence (the -110 in the example) is the vigorish. Always think of this number in terms of $100. The -110 means you would have to wager $110 to win $100 on either team (or $55 to win $50, etc.). Below we've provided you with a live feed of the latest NFL odds from several of the leading online sportsbooks.

Line moves colors: < 1 min. < 3 min. < 5 min. < 10 min.
Date # Teams
Last update 05:4105:4005:40
09/05
20:30		451
452		 Dallas Cowboys
NY Giants    		 +3+112
-3-121

+3½-115
-3½-105
47 ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		453
454		 Indianapolis Colts
Chicago Bears    		 +9+109
-9-118

+9½-110
-9½-110
41½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		455
456		 Philadelphia Eagles
Cleveland Browns    		 -7-113
+7+104

-7½-110
+7½-110
42½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		457
458		 Buffalo Bills
NY Jets    		 +6-121
-6+112

+5-110
-5-110
42½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		459
460		 Washington Redskins
New Orleans Saints    		 +9½-104
-9½-104

+9½-110
-9½-110
51 ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		461
462		 New England Patriots
Tennessee Titans    		 -7+104
+7-113

-6½-110
+6½-110
47½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		463
464		 Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings    		 +4½-104
-4½-104

+4-105
-4-115
38½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		465
466		 Miami Dolphins
Houston Texans    		 +7-110
-7+102

+6½-110
-6½-110
44 ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		467
468		 St. Louis Rams
Detroit Lions    		 +9-106
-9-102

+8½-110
-8½-110
46½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
13:00		469
470		 Atlanta Falcons
Kansas City Chiefs    		 -1-108
+1+100

-1-110
+1-110
42 ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
16:15		471
472		 San Francisco 49ers
Green Bay Packers    		 +7-115
-7+106

+6-105
-6-115
45½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
16:15		473
474		 Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers    		 -3+104
+3-113

-3-110
+3-110
46½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
16:15		475
476		 Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals    		 +1+110
-1-119

+1½-110
-1½-110
41½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/09
20:25		477
478		 Pittsburgh Steelers
Denver Broncos    		 +3-128
-3+118

+2-105
-2-115
45½ ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/10
19:00		479
480		 Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore Ravens    		 +7-123
-7+114

+6-110
-6-110
41 ov-110
  Buy Pick
09/10
22:15		481
482		 San Diego Chargers
Oakland Raiders    		 +1-104
-1-104

PK-110
PK-110
48 ov-110
  Buy Pick