What is Against the Spread Betting (ATS)? Against The Spread Explained

Mike McDermott on January 28, 2025

“Against the spread,” or ATS for short, is a key concept in sports betting that adds an extra layer of excitement to the game. Instead of simply betting on which team will win or lose, ATS focuses on how a team performs relative to a point spread set by the sportsbook. This spread levels the playing field, making even lopsided matchups intriguing for bettors.

When you bet on a favorite ATS, they need to win by more than the spread for your wager to pay off. For underdogs, the stakes are different—they can either win the game outright or lose by fewer points than the spread to secure your bet. This dynamic makes every game more engaging, as even a losing team can still “cover the spread” and reward savvy bettors.

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Against the Spread (ATS) Explanation

One of the most popular types of sports betting is betting against the spread also known as ATS. The point spread is a number aka the “betting line” set by bookmakers at the sportsbook which is intended to even the playing field between two teams and give a reason for bettors to bet on either side of the game.

The betting Favorite is considered the better team and listed with a Minus (-) sign while the Underdog is listed with a Plus (+) sign. A bettor wins his bet on the “Favorite” if the team wins the game by more points than the “spread or line”, the opposite is true for the “Underdog” where the bettor wins if the team loses by less than the spread or wins the game outright. There are two types of ATS betting, the first is betting with the spread and the second is betting against the spread.

Betting With The Spread

When you bet with the spread it means you are taking the favorite to win and cover the spread. For example in the NFL the Dallas Cowboys are favored at -3 over the Philadelphia Eagles. Taking the Dallas Cowboys -3 means you are betting with the spread and want the Cowboys to win by MORE than 3 points.

Betting Against The Spread

Betting “against the spread” (ATS) is a common practice in sports betting that involves not just betting on which team will win, but how they will win. For the favorite to cover the spread, they must win the game by a number of points that exceed the point spread set by the sportsbook. On the other hand, the underdog can cover the spread by winning the game outright or by losing the game by fewer points than the spread. This approach to betting adds an additional layer of strategy, as it requires an assessment of not only who will win but by what margin. The point spread is designed to level the playing field between two teams, making every game a closer contest in the eyes of bettors.

Example of betting against the spread:

To win you want the “underdog” to either win the game outright OR lose by less than the “Point Spread” you are given. As an example of this we will use the following. The New England Patriots (-7) vs NY Jets (+7). In this example we are taking the underdog the NY Jets +7 points. In order for us to win our bet one of two things must happen. First the Jets win the game OR the Jets can lose the game but the final score has the Jets losing by LESS than 7 points. Should the final score be exactly 7 points this is a push and your bet is refunded.

What does “ATS” (Against The Spread) mean in betting?

“Against the spread” (ATS) is a term used in sports betting to describe a wager placed on a team to outperform the point spread established by the sportsbook. For a bet on the favorite to hit, that team must win the game by a number of points higher than the point spread. Conversely, a bet on the underdog is successful if the team loses by a margin that is smaller than the number, or wins the game outright. This form of betting levels the playing field between unevenly matched teams, providing intrigue and betting opportunities regardless of the teams’ perceived strengths or weaknesses.

What if I win my bet against the point spread?

You get your original bet back plus your winnings. For example at MGM Sportsbook if you bet $110 to win $100 against the spread you would receive $210 back.

What if the result of the point spread bet is a loss?

You lose your entire original bet. For example at Caesars Sportsbook if you bet $110 to win $100 you would lose $110 if your team did not cover the number.

What if the result of the point spread is a tie?

This is considered a “push” and you are refunded your original bet back. For example if you bet $110 to win $100 against the spread you would get the $110 back.

How do you bet against the spread?

Most against the spread betting is done in what is called a straight bet. A straight bet is the most common type of bet for betting on the NFL, NBA, College Football & Basketball. It consists of one singular pick against the spread, where a bettor wagers on either the favorite or underdog in one game.

Another way to get involved with ATS betting is to place a parlay wager. With parlays, bettors can make multiple ATS wagers, needing all of them to win for their ticket to cash. Parlays are harder to win than straight bets, as bettors need multiple outcomes to work out in their favor, but they also have the potential to pay out more than straight bets as a result.

Wagering examples of bets Against the Spread

NFL – Football:

Team: NY Giants -7

Team: Dallas Cowboys +7

Final Score: NY Giants 28 – Dallas Cowboys 20

If you took the NY Giants as your pick at a sportsbook against the spread you would have won your bet! The Giants adjusted score would be 28-7=21, making the final score against the spread 21-20 in favor of the Giants.

NBA – Basketball

Team: Golden State Warriors -10

Team: Denver Nuggets +10

Final Score: Golden State 99 – Denver 90

If you took the Golden State Warriors as your pick at the sportsbook against the spread you would have lost your bet! While the Warriors won the game outright, their score would be adjusted with the point spread to 99-10=89. That would make the final score with the spread involved 89-90. Bets on Denver would cover the number, meaning Nuggets bettors would have won ATS at a Vegas Sportsbook.

Other Sports

While basketball and football are the two most high-profile sports for ATS wagering, so many other sports offer this kind of action as well. In baseball and hockey, the runline and puckline serve as the ATS markets for leagues like MLB and the NHL. Soccer betting also features this type of action with bettors wagering on the margin of victory on the pitch.

Other Information:

ATS in sports betting means – Against the Spread. Most sports bettors and handicappers use the acronym when referring to a teams win/loss record against the spread AKA ATS.