We’ll cover lots of reasons gamblers buy points when betting on NFL and NBA games, but the biggest is the simple fact that it gives you a better point spread and a better chance of winning.

The trick to buying points profitably, however, is weighing the value of the improve spread against the worse odds and payouts that comes with moving the line.

If the original point spread bet had odds of -110 and buying a point is going to change that to -130, you have to be sure it’s worth it. Now you have to bet $130 instead of $110 to win $100 in profit. That extra $20 might not seem like a lot but it’s an increase of over 18%.

In order to be profitable, your team’s going to have to win a lot more often to make it a profitable strategy.

General Tips for Buying Points

If it’s your first time testing the waters buying points on the spread, or you need some help to improve, follow our top three tips below:

Do the Research

It’s a simple step but it’s also the thing most people fail to do on a regular basis. Even if you’re just betting the regular spread you need to do some homework. It’s even more important if you’re buying points.

Dig into the numbers such as past scores, average points per team, the recent history between the teams and try to put all the pieces together to understand the most common scoring outcomes.

Depending on the matchup and the stats, one or two points on the spread could make all the difference.

Shop Around for the Best Deals

It goes without saying that the added costs of buying points do scare off a number of sports bettors. Usually, the cost of buying a half-point is $10 on top of a $110 bet. For NFL games where the line is +/-3 or +/-7, oddsmakers sometimes double the price.

That’s why it’s so important to shop around and find the best point spreads and the cheapest prices for buying points.

You should also take advantage of all the best bonuses that sportsbooks have to offer.

Buying Points to Avoid a Push

As previously mentioned one of the main reasons sports bettors buy points is to get a better chance of winning, even though it comes with worse odds. Another way buying points can be useful is to make sure your bet doesn’t end in a push. A push is gambling slang for a tie and when it happens, your bet is refunded and you don’t win any money.

Whenever the point spread is a whole number, there’s the possibility of a push.

Say you place a point spread bet on the Philadelphia Eagles as seven-point favourites against the Washington Redskins (point spread of -7). If the Eagles win 28-21 it would be a push since they tied the spread.

If you bought a half-point to make the line -6.5, you’d have won instead of pushing.

While oddsmakers do their best to set accurate point spread, it’s worth nothing when it’s a whole number. Often, this gives bettors an incentive to spend money on the extra points so that they can avoid a push.

More Strategies for Buying Points

When you’re figuring out whether buying points is the right strategy for you or not, remember one thing: it is all about balance. We wouldn’t recommend what some sports bettors live by, which is ignoring the idea of buying points entirely.

The idea of buying points does have merit and can be a strategy in a number of situations. However, what’s worse than ignoring this strategy is overusing it. As mentioned, you are taking a worse payout by buying points, so use this strategy in moderation.

That being said, there are only two teams you can bet on in a matchup, so let’s look at the general strategies for betting on the favoutie and the underdog in a certain matchup.