What Is Buying Points in Betting?

The spread says -7, and right next to it your sportsbook app offers a slider that drags the line to -6.5 or -6 at a worse price. It looks like an odd upsell. It is actually one of the few moments in sports betting when you get to negotiate the terms of your own bet.

The idea in brief

Buying points means paying extra juice to move a spread or total in your favor before you bet. A half point usually costs somewhere around 10 to 20 cents in price, and it gets pricier as you move across football's key numbers, 3 and 7.

What you are trading

A standard spread comes at the standard vig, usually -110. Buying a half point moves the number your way, say from -7 to -6.5, and the price climbs to something like -120 or -125. Nothing is free here. You are accepting a smaller payout in exchange for a better chance of the bet winning.

Take the posted line

Chiefs -7 at -110

•Risk $110 to win $100

•A 7-point win is a push

•Cheaper price, tougher number

Buy the half point

Chiefs -6.5 at -120

•Risk $120 to win $100

•A 7-point win is a win

•Better number, higher price

The one result that changes

Buying from -7 to -6.5 only matters on one final margin: exactly 7. Every other score grades the same way. Here is the full picture for a $100-to-win bet:

Favorite wins by	-7 at -110	-6.5 at -120
8 or more	+$100	+$100
Exactly 7	$0 (push)	+$100
6 or fewer, or loses	-$110	-$120

The extra $10 of risk only pays off on the exact margin that the half point crosses.

That is why the number you cross matters so much. Historically, about 9% of NFL games end with a 7-point margin, which gives a half point off 7 at a small price a genuine math case. A half point across 5, which decides far fewer games, is usually money spent for very little.

Why some points cost more than others

Moving a spread across 3 or 7 costs more than moving it across almost any other number because those two margins decide a big share of NFL games. Buying from -7.5 to -6.5 crosses the 7, and the book charges for that. Buying from -4.5 to -3.5 crosses the 4, a far less common result, and costs noticeably less for the same half point.

At -6.5, the most common touchdown margin flips from a refund to a winner.

Buying points vs. leaving the line alone

	Posted line	Bought points
The number	Whatever the book posted	Shifted in your favor
The price	Standard, usually -110	Worse, scaling with how far you move and which numbers you cross
Makes sense for	Bettors happy with the original number	Getting to the right side of 3 or 7

Questions about buying points

What does buying points mean?

It means paying extra juice to shift a spread or total in your favor before you bet, trading a worse price for a better chance of winning.

Why does a half point across 3 or 7 cost more?

Those are the most common final margins in football, so moving across them changes the result of more bets. Books charge accordingly.

Is buying points worth it?

It depends on the number. Getting across 3 or 7 at a modest price has a real case. Paying the same to cross a number that rarely decides games usually does not, and the case weakens as the price climbs.

Can you buy points on totals?

Yes. The same logic applies to over/unders, and most books use a similar price structure to move a total a half point in your direction.

Keep reading

NFL key numbers →

The data behind 3 and 7.

Teaser bets →

Buying six points at once, across several games.

What is a push? →

When the margin lands right on the number.

The vig →

The fee baked into every price.

Is the extra half point worth it this week?

That depends on the exact number in front of you. See how we are pricing this week's spreads before you pay up.

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