What Are Betting Lines?

Betting lines are the odds that a sportsbook displays on each wager. By understanding what they are and what they tell you, betting becomes much easier and more profitable. There are several different types of Betting lines, including Moneyline bets and Point Spreads. A negative line indicates a favorite and a positive one indicates an underdog. The more a team is favored the higher the positive number and vice versa. In football, the most popular bet type is the Point Spread which is used to even the playing field between unevenly matched teams. For example, the Bills might be -7 point favorites against the Browns. This means that if the Bills win by 8 or more, bettors who backed them at that line will be successful and if they lose, their bets are pushed.

In addition to point spreads, some games also feature totals, which are a projection of how many combined points will be scored in a game. This is often a simpler bet to make as it simply involves deciding whether the actual final score will be over or under the projected total.

As betting action continues throughout the week, lines will move based on the amount of bets placed on each side to balance out the action. For example, if the line moves from Celtics -2 to -3, it is likely because a lot of bets have been placed on the Celtics and they are trying to get more action on the underdog side.