What Is Spread Betting? Betting Guide

How Does Spread Betting Work?

The spread available depends on the betting sites’ prediction on the outcome of various matches. For example, the total amount of goals scored in a football match, the length between the winner and 2^nd place in a horse race or the total number of runs scored in a cricket match. The spread is made up of two numbers – a ‘sell’ and a ‘buy’ price. If you think the result will be bigger than the buy price then you would buy but if you think the final result will be less than the sell price, then you would sell.

For example, if a spread bet for a football match is between 2.75 and 2.95 this means the betting sites predict 3 goals will be scored during the match. If you think 3 goals or more will be scored, you would ‘buy’, but if you think 2 goals or less will be scored then you would ‘sell’. The more accurate you are, the more you will win or vice versa, the more wrong you are, the more you will lose.

Buy

If you think there will be 3 goals or more at 2.95 and you bet €10, this is how your return would look:

(Goals – Buy Spread) x Stake	Total
0 goals – 2.95 x 10	-€29.50
1 goal – 2.95 x 10	-€19.50
2 goals – 2.95 x 10	-€9.50
3 goals – 2.95 x 10	€0.50
4 goals – 2.95 x 10	€10.50
5 goals – 2.95 x 10	€20.50

Sell

If you think there will be 2 goals or less at 2.75 and you bet €10, this is how your return would look:

(Goals – Buy Spread) x Stake	Total
0 goals – 2.75 x 10	€27.50
1 goal – 2.75 x 10	€17.50
2 goals – 2.75 x 10	€7.50
3 goals – 2.75 x 10	-€2.50
4 goals – 2.75 x 10	-€12.50
5 goals – 2.75 x 10	-€22.50

The most important thing to remember when placing a spread bet is that the more right you are, the higher your return will be. But this works both ways and if you are wrong, the more wrong you are and the more you will lose. Spread betting is a very risky bet to place as although you can receive high rewards if you are right, there is always a chance to be wrong in which case you could lose a lot.

Another spread bet available is ‘Player Goal Minutes’ in which you can place bets on the aggregate goal minutes of a certain player in a match. For example, Haaland’s spread could be 55-60. If you think his aggregate goal minutes will be more than 60 then you buy but if you think it will be less than 55 you sell. If Haaland scores in the 20^th minute and the 60^th minute, his aggregate goal minutes will be 80 but if he doesn’t score at all it will be 0.

How to Reduce Your Risk in Spread Betting

When it comes to placing a spread bet on various betting sites, there are certain things you can do to minimise your losses and manage the risk being taken. Here are a few tips you should consider:

1. Use ‘Stop Loss’ and ‘Take Profits’ Options

Some betting sites may offer the stop loss and take profit options in which you can place a cap on the maximum loss and win. For the stop loss, your loss will be capped at a certain amount to ensure you don’t lose too much of your money whereas a take profit option will cap your winnings at a certain amount to secure your profit for cashout. These are helpful options which help to control your funds and ensure that if you lose, you don’t lose too badly.

• Use Small Stakes

Small stakes may not provide you with big profits but you will be confident that any losses are small and if you win, your bank funds are slowly increasing. At the majority of betting sites, you can stake as little as 1p which may not go very far but depending on how confident you are, you can always bet more. Just be cautious with your stakes and make sure you know everything about spread betting and its risks before placing a bet.

• Choose the Suitable Markets for You

There is a wide range of spread betting markets available for your favourite sports including total goals scored, total runs in cricket, player goal minutes, total corners and even goal scorer shirt numbers in which the number on the back of each player who scores is added up. Whether you are feeling confident about a certain result or a player is currently in top form, there is a variety of markets on offer which will be more suitable for your level of expertise.

• Cut Your Losses

Sometimes you may place a spread bet that has gone in completely the wrong direction to what you thought and the best option in this instance would be to cashout before it gets even worse and you lose even more money. Protect your funds and cut your losses and try again another time. Spread betting is risky but with low stakes and a wide range of markets, you can try a range of options to see which works best for you.

• Assess the Worst Case Scenario

Although you may feel pretty confident about your bet, it is always wise to consider the worst possible scenario and make sure that you are comfortable with the possible outcome. This mainly consists of the amount of money you can afford to lose as spread betting is much riskier than a regular fixed odds bet as you don’t just lost your stake but you can end up losing a lot more money which can be a huge loss.

In conclusion, spread betting is a thrilling option available at many betting sites that can provide big wins as well as big losses depending on what market and result you choose. Whether you want to play it safe with a small stake or take a risk with a bigger bet on a market you feel confident about, there is a wide range of options to suit everyone’s needs. Bettors are advised to do plenty of research to ensure you know the current form of the team and individual players, head to head results and possible injuries which can affect the results. You should only place bets if you fully understand how spread betting works to manage your risk and minimise loss.