Our NFL spread calculator can help you determine whether it is in your interest to bet on an alternate point spread.
This guide explains how alternate spreads work and discusses why they can be useful in certain situations. We will also teach you how to use our NFL spread calculator to your advantage when browsing the alternate lines available at your online sportsbook.
Point Spread Calculator
- Fair Spread: This is the official line a sportsbook offers on an NFL game.
- Alternate Spread: Online sportsbooks also offer alternate spreads that differ from the official line. If one of those spreads interests you, select that number.
- Probability of Winning: This highlights the chances of an alternate spread paying off. The calculator uses a decade’s worth of NFL odds and results to reach this conclusion.
- Fair Lines: The odds you should receive according to the chances of the alternate spread bet paying off. If you can find better odds than the “Fair Lines” number, you may have found an attractive wagering option.
For more NFL betting tools, check out our NFL Prop Bets Calculator and Super Bowl Odds & Betting Guide.
How To Use the NFL Spread Calculator
It is easy to use the NFL spread calculator. Just follow these steps:
Find Game and Spread
Seek an NFL game you would like to bet on and make a note of the official point spread.
Enter Spread
Put the official point spread in the “Fair Spread” section.
Select Alternate Spread
Choose the alternate spread that you might like to bet on.
Click Calculate
The calculator will then show you the probability of the alternate spread winning. You will also see the fair odds you should expect on that alternate spread, according to the chances of the bet paying off.
That provides you with a useful insight. You can then shop for the best odds on that alternate spread. If you can find odds that are more attractive than the fair odds, you may have identified an appealing bet.
NFL Spread Calculation Example
Online sportsbooks will offer an official point spread on each NFL game. Here is an example:
- Cincinnati Bengals -7.5 (-110)
- New England Patriots +7.5 (-110)
In this case, you have two options. You can bet on the Bengals to cover the spread if you think they will win the game by a margin of at least 8 points. Alternatively, you can back the Pats to cover if you think they will either win the game or lose by up to 7 points.
However, sportsbooks also offer alternate spreads. These alternative spreads provide you with two interesting opportunities:
- You can move the line in your favor, which makes it easier for your bet to succeed. The trade-off is that you will receive a smaller potential payout.
- Move the line in the opposite direction. That makes it harder for your bet to succeed, but you will earn a larger profit if you nail it.
Sticking with the example used above. If you think the Bengals will win but think they may struggle to cover a 7.5-point spread, you could consider betting on the Bengals -6.5 at odds of -130 instead. That makes things easier, but your potential reward is smaller.
Alternatively, if you expect the Bengals to secure a blowout win, you could bet on Cincinnati -8.5 at odds of +110. That makes things harder, but your potential reward is higher.
For this example, let’s say you are interested in betting on the Bengals -6.5. Follow these steps:
- Select -7.5 as the fair spread.
- Choose -6.5 as the alternate spread.
- Click “Calculate.”
The calculator will tell you that a bet on the Bengals -6.5 has a 56.44% chance of success and that the fair odds would be -129.56.
If your sportsbook offers -140 on Cincinnati -6.5, that is an unappealing option. However, if you can find a sportsbook offering -125 on Cincinnati -6.5, that could be an attractive bet.
For more information, check out our How to Bet page.
Are Alternate Spreads Worthwhile?
In most situations, it does not make sense to stray from the official spread. Many sports betting apps take a significantly higher house edge (known as the juice or the vigorish) on alternate spreads than on their official point spreads.
- However, there are certain scenarios in which betting on an alternate NFL point spread can be a shrewd decision, provided the sportsbook does not charge excessive juice.
- Paying extra juice to move the spread from +9.5 to +10.5 on an underdog or from -10.5 to -9.5 is often sensible, provided you only pay $0.20 in juice for doing so.
- Moving the line from -14.5 to -13.5 on a favorite or +13.5 to +14.5 on an underdog can also be appealing.
- If the spread is set at 10, 14, or 17 points, it can be worth moving it by half a point in either direction if you are only charged $0.10 juice for doing so.
You can use our NFL spread calculator when you find these types of spreads to determine whether opting for an alternative line would be advantageous.
Legal States for NFL Spread Betting
NFL spread betting is now legal in more than 30 states. In most states, you can place online wagers on standard NFL point spreads and alternative spreads at regulated online sportsbooks such as FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars.
These are a few examples of large states in which NFL spread betting is legal:
Massachusetts
Massachusetts sports betting has been legal since 2023. There are seven NFL betting apps in the Bay State, including DraftKings and FanDuel, and they offer a wide range of alternative spreads and totals on every NFL game.
Michigan
Legal NFL betting apps made their debut in Michigan back in Jan. 2021. Football fans can choose from 12 licensed Michigan sportsbooks, such as BetMGM, BetRivers, and Caesars Sportsbook. They offer hundreds of markets on each NFL game, including alternative sides and totals.
North Carolina
The Tar Heel State rolled out regulated sports betting in time for the 2024 NFL season. There are eight North Carolina sports betting apps, including bet365, Fanatics Sportsbook, and FanDuel. They all offer a long list of alternate spreads on NFL matchups, including games featuring the Carolina Panthers.
NFL Point Spread Calculator FAQ
A spread bet predicts which team will prevail after the stronger team is given a points handicap. For example, you might find this spread:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2.5 (-110)
- Washington Commanders +2.5 (-110)
If you bet on the Bucs to cover the spread, they must win by at least 3 points. Alternatively, if you back Washington to cover, the Commanders must either win the game or lose by no more than 2 points.
You should use the spread calculator if you are interested in betting on an alternative NFL point spread. The calculator will highlight the probability of the alternative spread winning, and it will also highlight what the fair odds would be. It could be an appealing bet if your sportsbook offers more attractive odds on the alternative spread.
An alternate spread bet is a wager placed on a line that is different from the official point spread a sportsbook publishes on an NFL game. You can move the line in your favor by a certain amount of points (delivering a lower potential payout) or seek a larger profit by making the line tougher.
Select an NFL game and navigate to the “Alternate Spread” section. Browse a list of alternate spreads, click one, and it will appear on your betslip. Enter the amount you would like to wager, and the betslip will highlight your potential profit. You can then confirm the bet.
A line of +7 means the team is a 7-point underdog. If you bet on that team to cover the spread, the wager will pay off if they win the game or lose by up to 6 points. Your bet will push if the team loses by exactly 7 points, and it will fail if they lose by 8+ points.
A negative (-) spread simply means the team is the favorite to win a particular game. For example, if you see odds of -110 on the Philadelphia Eagles -2.5, it means that Philadelphia is a 2.5-point favorite. The Eagles would need to win that game by a margin of at least 3 points for the bet to pay off.
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