Okay, so today I want to talk about “alternate spread” in football. I was watching games last weekend, and my buddy kept mentioning it, but I had no clue what he was going on about. So, I decided to figure it out.
What is it?
First, I checked what an alternate spread actually is. Basically, it’s like a side bet where you can choose a different point spread than the main one the sportsbook is showing. It’s a way to change up the odds.
How does it change things?
Next, I wanted to see how this changes the betting. If you pick an alternate spread, the points you’re betting on change, and so do the odds. It’s like, you can take an easier bet, but you won’t win as much if you’re right. For instance, instead of the main line, you can bet on a team with fewer points against them, but the payout will be smaller.
Figuring out an example
To really get it, I looked at a specific example. Let’s say there’s a team favored to win by 7.5 points. With an alternate spread, you could bet on them to win by only 5.5 points, or even 3.5. But if you do that, you won’t win as much money if they do win, because you’ve made the bet easier.
How do you read it?
I also had to learn how to read these things. So, if you see something like “+1.5 alternate spread,” it means the underdog team gets an extra 1.5 points. Even if they lose by just one point, if you bet on them with that +1.5, you still win because it’s like they tied the game after you add those extra points.
Why even use it?
At first, I was like, why would anyone use this? But then it hit me. It’s actually pretty cool because it lets you bet both ways in a game that looks like it might be a blowout. You’re not stuck with just the main bet. You can adjust the bet to what you think might happen, even if it’s different from what most people expect.
Trying it out
So, I decided to give it a shot. I picked a game where one team was a big favorite. Instead of taking the regular bet, I went with an alternate spread. I bet the favorite team would win by a smaller margin than the main line. I didn’t win big, but I did win, and it felt pretty awesome to get it right using the alternate spread.
Wrapping it up
- Alternate spread lets you change the bet: You can adjust the point spread to something different from the main line.
- Changes the odds: If you make the bet easier, you win less. If you make it harder, you can win more.
- Good for blowouts: You can bet both sides of a game, even if it looks one-sided.
- Takes some getting used to: Reading the numbers and figuring out the best bet isn’t super straightforward at first.
I mean, it is kind of cool to have more options when you’re betting. It made watching the game more interesting for sure, because I had more skin in the game. I even learned that each sportbook can have its own odds for each alternative spread, which means shopping around for the best ones is part of the game. It’s also interesting because it allows you to bet both sides even if it’s a clear blowout. All in all, it was a fun little project to learn about alternate spreads. I’m no expert yet, but at least now I can keep up with my buddy when he talks about it!
