If you have ever done sports betting online, you would have heard the term buying points.
It simply means you can buy a half point if you feel it will increase your chances of winning a bet.
The points that you buy can either decrease the amount of points that the team you picked has to win by, or it can increase the amount of points the team that you picked can lose by.
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Table of Contents: Ready for Buying Points
Can You Multi-Betting in Sports
What Does Buying Points Mean In Sports Betting?
How To Buy Points Effectively
Sports Betting Buying Points Common Scenarios
Strategic Implementation With Different Bet Types
Common Mistakes When Buying Points
Advanced Point Buying Tactics
Conclusion
Can You Multi-Betting in Sports
Buying points a popular strategy used to manage risk and improve the probability of winning a wager, a tool that can enhance your long-term edge by strategically altering point spreads or totals.
But it requires a solid grasp of the mechanics and careful decision-making.
Understanding how to buy points isn’t just about adjusting the line in your favor—it’s about identifying value, recognizing key numbers, and weighing cost versus benefit.
Buying Points Is All About Betting on the Point Spread
As you would have guessed, buying points has to do with betting on the point spread.
In this case, if the odds makers set a line for a football game at -7.5.
People placing bets are allowed to buy up to half a point, and if they do, the line will move from -7.5 to -7.0.
So if the team you pick should win by seven points, the game ends in a push, instead of a loss if you had left the line at -7.5.
The Payout of Your Bet Decreases When Buying into the Spread
When you buy points, you also decrease the payout you will receive if you win.
Because the points increase the odds on your bet, but if it makes the difference that you hoped it will, then it is worth it.
Buying Points in Football is Where Most Action Takes Place
One of the most popular sports people buy points for, is football.
According to statistics, most football game score differentials are seven points or three points.
So the odds makers come out with lines of 7.5 points and 3.5 points, in an effort to make people buy points and reduce their payouts in the event that they win.
Buying points also work very well when it comes to college football, because it follows the same basic principle as professional football.
With the threes and sevens, so you can add an extra half point to your point spread, to increase your chances of winning the bet.
How Half a Point Wins You More in the Next Bet
Interestingly, buying points also favors the person placing the bet.
This is because they can buy points on point spreads that aren’t comfortable with, like the 7.5 points and 3.5 points mentioned above.
Only this time, they take the lines as underdogs, and make larger by adding a half point to either one of them.
That’s taking them from 7.5 and 3.5 to 8.0 and 4.0, increasing their chances of winning the bet.
If you’re ready to seize control of the spread and turn those tricky lines into wins, as buying points will be your next power play.
^ TopWhat Does Buying Points Mean In Sports Betting?
So, what does buying points mean in sports betting?
Simply put, it’s the act of adjusting the point spread or game total on a wager in exchange for a change in odds.
The action of buying points to move a spread across a key number or to create a more favorable betting condition.
Need an example of this is any NFL game where a team is -3, buying a half-point to make the line -2.5 could be the difference between a push and a win.
This can give you a statistical edge that comes at a cost—usually in the form of higher juice or reduced payout odds.
^ TopHow To Buy Points Effectively
To understand how to buy points effectively, bettors must first recognize how sportsbooks offer this feature.
A standard spread comes with a -110 juice, but an extra half-point might change the juice to -120 or worse.
Knowing the rules and limits will help you avoid mistakes and maximizes value.
Key Numbers Worth Buying
The specific margins of victory or defeat that occur more frequently in certain sports.
Football has 3 and 7 as key numbers because many games end with margins of exactly three or seven points.
Buying points around these numbers often makes more mathematical sense.
Margins of victory vary way more in basketball, but numbers like 3, 5, and 7 still have modest value in the game.
Know when to buy around as it can turn a break-even strategy into a winning one.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Every time you buy points you are putting down money for a better line but is the cost worth the benefit?
A sound cost-benefit analysis involves comparing the increased win probability with the adjusted odds.
If buying a half-point increases your chances of winning from 50% to 55%, but your payout odds drop from -110 to -130.
Now, it may or may not be a good trade-off depending on the sport and line movement.
Sport-Specific Considerations
Buying points doesn’t carry equal weight across all sports.
In football, where scoring is lower and more predictable, adjusting a line by one or two points can make a substantial difference.
In basketball, the faster pace and higher scoring diminish the value of minor line movements.
Spreads in sports like baseball (run lines) or hockey (puck lines) are usually fixed, this makes buying points a rare or nonexistent option.
Here is where tailoring your strategy based on the sport you’re betting on is very important.
Buying Points in Other Sports
While point spreads are also used in basketball, it is hard to determine just how much of a difference it actually makes.
The major difference is that it is a high scoring sport compared to football.
If two defensive minded teams are playing, the half point might make a difference. /p>
More often than not, it doesn’t have the same impact that it does on football, because points are easier to come by in basketball.
Hockey and Baseball don’t have much use for the point spreads.
That’s because the point spread in most of their games, if not all of them is always at +1.5 or -1.5 goals.
Now some people might be able to use the point spread to their advantage, but more often than not, the scores in both leagues end up being one point or so, so buying the points doesn’t really help you win bets.
This is one of the reasons why the majority of the people who bet on both sports tend to go with the money line.
^ TopSports Betting Buying Points Common Scenarios
There are common situations where sports betting buying points is a smart move.
Take an NFL underdog at +3: buying the extra half-point to move it to +3.5 can turn a potential push into a win if the game ends with a field goal margin.
In NBA games where a team is a +5.5 underdog, buying to +6 could protect against a late free-throw scenario.
These are just a few scenarios where understanding how to buy points can protect your wager and increase your expected value.
^ TopStrategic Implementation With Different Bet Types
Buying points isn’t limited to straight bets.
When taking action, you can also integrate this strategy into parlays, teasers, and even in-game betting.
In parlays, buying points will reduce the overall payout specially on multiple legs, so careful consideration is necessary.
When it comes to teasers, buying points is built into the format, often adjusting the spread by 6, 6.5, or 7 points.
Understanding the mechanics behind each bet type allows for more strategic use of point buying.
^ TopCommon Mistakes When Buying Points
One of the most common mistakes bettors make is overusing the point buying option.
Buying points indiscriminately or without evaluating value leads to long-term losses due to the cumulative cost of reduced odds.
Another error is buying points away from key numbers, which provides minimal value for the cost.
It’s also essential to compare offerings across sportsbooks to avoid overpaying for line adjustments.
Awareness and restraint are vital.
The Surprising Truth (and When It Actually Pays Off!)
For those of you that are wondering if buying points makes sense when placing bets, the honest answer is no, it doesn’t.
While a lot of people like the fact that they can buy points, because it makes them feel more secure about their bet.
You have to also consider the fact that if it was something that was really beneficial to bettors.
Would the sportsbooks allow people to do it?
The obvious answer to that question is a resounding no, because odds makers are always trying to find ways to give themselves an edge.
Even though the odds makers don’t have your best interest at heart when it comes to buying points.
It is actually a very decent tool to have when you are betting on a parlay, because you can buy a few points to make you comfortable.
Plus the payout is still pretty decent, so you don’t mind that the odds went up because of the points that you bought.
^ TopAdvanced Point Buying Tactics
Experienced bettors sometimes use advanced tactics such as middling and hedging.
Middling involves placing bets on both sides of a game at different lines, aiming for a middle outcome that wins both bets.
If you play action on a Team A at -2.5 and later sees Team B at +3.5, both sides can be covered with a potential middle win if the game ends with a three-point margin.
These tactics require timing, discipline, and deep market understanding.
^ TopConclusion
Learning how to buy points is about much more than tweaking a spread.
It’s a disciplined approach to sports betting that demands analysis, strategy, and awareness.
By understanding what buying points means in sports betting, identifying when the value is right, and avoiding common pitfalls.
This can effectively enhance their chances of long-term success as with any betting strategy, bankroll management and patience are key.
Buying points is a tool—but it’s only as effective as the hands that use it.
Keep in mind that the odds makers didn’t create the option to help you out, so use the option very carefully.
MyBookie’s Sportsbook Betting Guide | Betting Guide for Buying Points
Now that you understand the basics of sports betting, it’s time to take things up a notch with Buying Points.
Check out MyBookie’s Betting Guide to learn how adjusting point spreads can help you manage risk and find better value on your bets!
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