What Does ATS Mean in Betting?

Once you start reading matchup previews, you will see it everywhere: a team's record listed twice, like 9-3 straight up but 6-6 ATS. Same team, same season, two different stories. Here is what the second number is telling you.

ATS, defined

ATS stands for Against The Spread. An ATS record counts how often a team covered the point spread, not how often it won. A great team can have an ordinary ATS record if it keeps winning by less than the number, and a losing team can have a strong one by keeping games close.

12-4

Straight-up record

Wins and losses

7-9

Record against the spread

Covers and non-covers

Those two records can belong to the same team in the same season. The first says the team wins a lot. The second says bettors who backed them lost money doing it.

ATS vs. straight up

Every spread has a margin attached. The favorite covers by winning by more than the number, and the underdog covers by losing by less or winning outright. An ATS record is a running tally of which side of that math a team landed on. A straight-up record, written SU, only cares who won.

One team, six games, two very different records (illustrative)

Game	Line	Final	SU	ATS
Week 1	-6.5	W 20-17	W	L
Week 2	-3	W 27-13	W	W
Week 3	-9.5	W 24-21	W	L
Week 4	+2.5	L 17-19	L	W
Week 5	-7	W 31-24	W	P
Week 6	-4	W 23-20	W	L
Total			5-1	2-3-1

Why ATS matters more than most people think

A straight-up record tells you almost nothing about whether betting a team has been profitable. Spreads are set to make every game close to a coin flip on paper. A team that keeps winning by 2 or 3 is doing exactly what a good favorite should on the field, and costing anyone who laid -7 with them all season.

That is why ATS trends come up so often in handicapping. "The Ravens are 3-7 ATS as a road favorite" tells a bettor far more than "the Ravens are 8-2."

Favored by 6.5 and won 20-17: a win on the scoreboard, a loss against the spread.

ATS questions

What does ATS mean in betting?

Against The Spread. It tracks wins and losses based on whether a team covered the point spread, not just whether it won.

How is an ATS record calculated?

Each game is marked a win, loss or push against the spread posted for that game. Favorites cover by winning by more than the spread; underdogs cover by losing by less or winning outright. The results add up over a season.

What is the difference between ATS and SU?

SU (straight up) only counts who won. ATS adds the spread on top, which is why the two records for one team are almost never the same.

Does a good ATS record mean a team is good?

Not necessarily. It means betting that team against the spread has paid off, which is a different question from talent. A weak team that keeps games close can post a strong ATS record.

Keep reading

Point spreads →

How covering works, drawn out.

Pushes →

The "P" in a 2-3-1 record.

Betting units →

How bettors keep score on themselves.

The record that matters is the one we show you

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