Oct 22,2008 - This article has been posted By : William Clayton
If you have been betting on football for any amount of time, you have likely asked yourself this question:
Should I buy the half point?
It doesn't matter if you are betting online, betting in a Las Vegas sportsbook, or betting with your local, almost anyone taking football bets gives bettors the opportunity to buy half points on any game. That alone should tell you something. If it was not to the bookies advantage, it would not be offered.
By purchasing a half point line move, bettors are forced to lay -120 odds. This means they will need to risk 0 to win 0, instead of the usual 0 to win 0. It is not uncommon for this number to increase to -130 (0 to win 0) if the half-point change affects the number three. By this I mean changing a spread of +2.5 and buying it to +3 or taking a favorite of -3.5 and buying it down to -3. This also shows bettors the importance of the number 3 in spread betting.
So the question remains, is buying a half point a wise move?
Almost always, this answer is an emphatic "no".
As a professional sports bettor for more years than I care to remember, it is difficult enough to win the 52.38% of the time needed to turn a profit betting into -110 odds. When you increase the winning percentage required to 54.55% laying -120 odds, and this is an even more difficult task.
That does not mean there are not certain situations where the half point can be purchased and used to your advantage.
Bettors can gain an advantage when purchasing half points to get to key numbers like 3 and 7.
I already mentioned the importance of the number 3 in football point spread betting. If you have the opportunity to buy a +2.5 point underdog and make them a +3 underdog, that is a good situation (assuming you are laying -120 and not -130 to do so). The same can be said for taking a -3.5 point favorite and buying it down to -3 points. Bettors laying -130 must win 56.52% of their wagers just to break even. Most professional sports bettors would be happy to win 56.52% of their games. I am very proud to have every one of my picks documented and displayed for everyone to see. Please don't assume that anyone can obtain the results you see on my web page.
I feel strong about the number 7 as well. It is not as important as the number 3, but it is still a key number. For example if you are betting a 6.5-point underdog, you can buy the half point to +7. In a similar situation, if you are betting a favorite at -7.5 points, there is an advantage to moving the point spread to +7 points (assuming you are only laying -120 and not -130). Some sportsbooks are now charging extra when the move affects the number seven, just as they do with three.
DO NOT buy off of the numbers 3 or 7. One mistake many bettors make is to go for a win instead of a push by buying a -3 point favorite down to -2.5 or buying to +3.5 instead of keeping the +3. The odds prevent this from being profitable. Buying half points should only be done to save potential losers, not create potential winners from ties.
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