In football, the spread is the number of points the favorite has to win by, or the underdog can lose within, for a bet to cash. A team laying -6.5 has to win by 7 or more. A +6.5 underdog covers by losing by 6 or fewer, or by winning the game. So what does a 1.5 spread mean in football? A -1.5 favorite has to win by 2 or more points, and a +1.5 underdog covers by losing by exactly 1 or winning outright. The half point matters here: it removes any chance of a push, so a 1.5 spread is always a clean win or loss.
What the spread means in football
The favorite is marked with a minus sign and gives up points; the underdog is marked with a plus sign and gets them. Instead of picking who wins, you are betting on the margin. If the favorite is -7 and wins by 10, it covers. If it wins by only 4, the +7 underdog covers even though it lost the game. On a whole-number spread the game can land exactly on the number and push, returning your stake. A half point, like the 1.5 in a -1.5 or +1.5 line, takes the push off the table.
Common NFL spreads and what they mean
| Spread | Scoring equivalent | Favorite covers if | Underdog covers if |
|---|---|---|---|
| -1.5 / +1.5 | Less than a field goal | Wins by 2 or more | Loses by 1, or wins |
| -3 / +3 | A field goal | Wins by 4 or more (3 pushes) | Loses by 2 or fewer, or wins (3 pushes) |
| -6.5 / +6.5 | Just under a touchdown | Wins by 7 or more | Loses by 6 or fewer, or wins |
| -7 / +7 | A touchdown | Wins by 8 or more (7 pushes) | Loses by 6 or fewer, or wins (7 pushes) |
| -10 / +10 | A touchdown plus a field goal | Wins by 11 or more (10 pushes) | Loses by 9 or fewer, or wins (10 pushes) |
Why NFL scoring makes 3 and 7 key numbers
Football is scored in uneven chunks. A field goal is 3 points, and a touchdown with the extra point is 7. Because scoring clusters around those numbers, final margins do too. 3 is the single most common margin of victory in the NFL, and 7 is the next tier along with 10, which is a field goal plus a touchdown. Those recurring margins are called key numbers, and they exist only because of how the sport scores. No other major sport piles its margins onto a couple of numbers the way football does.
| Winning margin | How it is scored | Key number rank |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | One field goal | Most common NFL margin |
| 7 | Touchdown plus the extra point | Second |
| 10 | Touchdown plus a field goal | Third |
| 14 | Two touchdowns | Fourth |
Buying and selling the half point around 3
Because so many football games are decided by exactly 3, the half point on either side of 3 is the most valuable half point in betting. Moving a favorite from -3 to -2.5, called buying the hook, means a 3-point win now covers instead of pushing. Moving from -3 to -3.5, called selling the hook, usually comes with a better price, but that same 3-point win no longer covers. -3, a field goal, is the biggest NFL key number, and -7, a touchdown, is the next one worth watching. Sportsbooks charge extra juice to move you onto the right side of these numbers because they know how often games land there.
A worked example
Say the favorite is -3 against a +3 underdog, both priced at -110. If the favorite wins 24-20, a 4-point margin, the favorite covers and the underdog does not. If the favorite wins 23-20, a 3-point margin, the bet pushes and both sides get their stake back. If the favorite wins 23-21, a 2-point margin, the +3 underdog covers even though it lost the game. Now add a hook. At -3.5 that 3-point win is a loss for the favorite; at -2.5 the same win is a cover. One half point flips a huge share of football outcomes, which is exactly why the market prices it so carefully. You can check the payout on any number with our betting calculator.
Football spreads and the rest of the board
Point spreads work the same way across sports, but football is where key numbers matter most, because no other major sport clusters its margins so tightly. If you want the full picture of how point spreads work across sports, including the exact payout and break-even rate for every number, start with the main guide: point spread betting explained.
Get a better number than -110
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Football spread FAQ
What does a 1.5 spread mean in football?
A -1.5 favorite has to win by 2 or more points to cover. A +1.5 underdog covers by losing by exactly 1 point or by winning the game outright. The half point means the bet can never push.
What does a 3 point spread mean in football?
A -3 favorite has to win by 4 or more to cover, a +3 underdog covers by losing by 2 or fewer or winning, and a final margin of exactly 3 is a push that returns your stake. Because 3 is so common, this line often carries a hook to remove the push.
What are the key numbers in NFL betting?
3 and 7 are the biggest, because field goals and touchdowns make those the most common margins of victory. 10 and 14 matter too. The half point around a key number is the most valuable point you can buy or sell.
What does it mean to buy the hook?
Buying the hook means paying a slightly worse price to move your spread by a half point onto the safer side of a key number, such as going from -3 to -2.5. It costs extra juice but wins you the games that land exactly on the number.
Can a football spread bet push?
Only on whole-number spreads. If the final margin lands exactly on the number, like a 3-point win on a -3 line, the bet pushes and your stake is returned. A half-point spread, like -3.5, can never push.
The bottom line
In football the spread is the margin the favorite must cover or the underdog can survive, and a 1.5 line simply guarantees a clean result with no push. Respect the key numbers 3 and 7, treat the half point around a field goal as real value, and shop the price. Get the same spread at a sharper number by betting it peer-to-peer on BettorEdge.
Take the spread at a fairer number.
Standard -110 juice is the house tax on every spread. On BettorEdge you set your line against other bettors and keep more of every win.