How to read a betting board

A sportsbook board looks dense at first, but it follows a few fixed rules. Once you know them, you can read any matchup in a few seconds. This guide walks through the layout used by the FreeOdds board, which follows the classic wall-board convention.

Two rows per game

Each game takes two rows: the away team on top and the home team below. To the left are the rotation numbers (see rotation numbers explained), then the game time or live status, the team names, the score, and the betting columns.

An illustrative game. The spread is on the favorite's row; the total sits on the other row.

The board convention: spread and total share the rows

To keep the board to two rows, the spread is printed on the favorite's row and the total on the other row. In the example, the away team is favored by three, so the −3 sits on its row and the total of 44.5 sits on the home row. The total belongs to the game, not to a team. The underdog's spread is implied: if the favorite is −3, the other side is +3. (Baseball and hockey boards on FreeOdds show both sides, with a price on each.)

The three bets

• Spread: a head start in points. A favorite at −3 must win by more than three to "cover"; the underdog at +3 covers by winning or by losing by fewer than three.
• Total (over/under): a bet on the combined score of both teams, above or below the posted number, regardless of who wins.
• Moneyline: a straight bet on who wins. A minus number is the favorite and a plus number the underdog.

Prices and juice

The small number after a spread or total is the price, also called juice or vig, the book's fee for taking the bet. At −110, you risk 110 to win 100. A typical spread or total is priced at about −110 on both sides, so the book earns a margin when action is balanced. For moneylines, −165 means risking 165 to win 100, while +140 means risking 100 to win 140. The price matters as much as the number: a spread of −3 at −120 is a different bet than −3 at +100.

Live games

A game in progress shows a red LIVE tag or tinted row, the clock and period, and the running score. For football, the board also shows down and distance, and for baseball, balls, strikes, outs and runners when the feed provides them. The lines displayed for a started game are the pregame lines, not in-game prices. Use your sportsbook for live prices.

Opening and closing lines

The opening line is where the market first posts the game. The closing line is the last number before kickoff. Lines move as money and news arrive. FreeOdds keeps the closing line of every game so that results can be judged against it. See opening vs closing lines.

Result marks on finished games

After a game ends, the board marks the result against the closing line:

• Classic layout: a ✓ after the spread of the side that covered; a ▲ after the total when the game went over and a ▼ when it went under; a P on both when the result was a push.
• Big Board layout: after the favorite's spread, ✓ means the favorite covered, ✗ means the underdog covered, and P is a push; after the total, ▲ is over, ▼ is under, and P is a push.

A push means the final margin or total landed exactly on the number, so stakes are returned. This only happens on whole-number lines.

Where to go next

Try the live board, or browse a sport page such as NFL or NBA. For finished games, see the NFL results and what against the spread means.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the spread only on one team's row?

Boards print the spread on the favorite's row and the total on the other row to fit two rows per game. The underdog gets the same number with the opposite sign.

What does the number after the spread mean?

It is the price, or juice. At -110 you risk 110 to win 100. It is how the book earns its margin on a bet.

What do the ✓, ✗ and P marks mean?

On finished games they show how the result compared with the closing line: ✓ means the side covered, ✗ means the underdog covered, and P means a push.

Are the lines on a live game in-game prices?

No. FreeOdds shows pregame and closing lines for games that have started. Use your sportsbook for in-game prices.