What are Alternate Betting Lines?

Alternate betting lines allow you to bet on different point spread or total lines in exchange for increased or decreased odds. Unlike the main betting line, or balanced line, that typically has -110 odds for each side, alternate lines will have much higher or lower odds as your risk increases or decreases, respectively.

An alternate betting line offers you the opportunity to collect a bigger win when you’re really confident of a particular outcome. Alternatively, you can decrease your risk substantially when you’re not so confident in an outcome and you’re willing to risk some additional bankroll on a safer bet.

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What is an Alternate Betting Line?

An alternate betting line is a higher or lower point spread line or total line that comes with increased or decreased odds. The alternate line’s odds will vary depending on which side you bet on and how much additional or reduced risk you’re taking.

Alternate betting lines are a great way to increase your potential win when you’re highly confident of an outcome. Conversely, you can also decrease your risk of losing when you’re not so sure about an outcome.

Alternate Point Spread

The following is an alternate point spread example. We’ll describe what happens depending on which side you take, and how the odds impact your potential risk and win amounts.

Note that we’ll call the line with standard odds – typically -110 for both sides or sometimes between -115 and -105 – the “balanced line” or “main line”. This is what most sports betting sites display when they offer a point spread line on a game.

Balanced Point Spread Example

Point Spread Game	Line & Odds
Bulls Celtics 12/15/22 8:00pm EDT	+1.5 -110 -1.5 -110

The table above contains the balanced point spread, or main point spread, for the Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls matchup. Here the Celtics are the -1.5 -110 point spread favorites over the Chicago Bulls.

Alternate Point Spread Example

Your sportsbook will also offer you alternate point spreads for this matchup. The table below shows alternate point spread lines and the corresponding odds for each side. Notice how the odds change as the point spread changes.

Example Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics Alternate Point Spread Lines

Bulls Game	Celtics Game
Bulls -1.5 +118	Celtics +1.5 -143
Bulls -1.0 +108	Celtics +1.0 -134
Bulls +1.0 +104	Celtics -1.0 -127
Bulls +1.5 -110	Celtics -1.5 -110
Bulls +2.0 -124	Celtics -2.0 +102
Bulls +2.5 -137	Celtics -2.5 +112
Bulls +3.0 -148	Celtics -3.0 +118

We’ve underlined and bolded the standard point spread line above for easy reference. All other other lines and odds are alternate point spreads for this game. Now, let’s run through a couple examples to explain how alternate point spreads work.

Betting the Underdog as a Favorite

Suppose you’re really confident that Chicago will win this game. In fact, you think they’ll easily win by 2 or more points.

Since Chicago is currently a +1.5 -110 underdog, betting them as a -1.5 favorite means you’re taking on more risk. That’s why the odds for Chicago -1.5 are +118. The sportsbook considers this outcome less likely, and is therefore willing to offer you a larger win.

With the balanced line, you’d be betting $110 to win $100 on the Bulls as +1.5 underdogs. When you bet the underdog as a favorite, you’re getting less favorable odds. Taking the Bulls as -1.5 +118 favorites means you risk $100 to potentially with $118.

You can also flip this around if you’re really confident the Boston Celtics will cover the spread. Instead of taking the Celtics -1.5 -110, you could bet the Celtics -3.0 +118. Here you’d risk $100 to win $118 if the Celtics end up winning the game by 4 or more points.

Betting the Favorite as an Underdog

Now let’s say you like Boston to win the game, but you’re just not sure they can cover the -1.5 line. Alternate point spread lines allow you to get a more favorable line in exchange for a smaller win.

Since Boston is currently a -1.5 -110 favorite, betting them as a +1.5 underdog means you’re taking on less risk. That’s why the odds for Boston +1.5 are -143. The sportsbook considers this outcome more likely, and therefore offers a smaller win for a hefty premium.

With the balanced line, you’d be betting $110 to win $100 on the Celtics as -1.5 favorites. When you bet the favorite as an underdog, you’re going to get higher odds. Taking the Celtics as +1.5 -143 favorites means you risk $143 to potentially win $100.

Of course, you can make the same conservative play on the Chicago Bulls if you want to give them more room to cover the spread. Instead of taking the Bulls +1.5 -110, you could bet on the Bulls +3.0 -148. In this instance, you’d risk $148 to win $100 if the Bulls win the game outright or by less than 3 points.

Adding or Subtracting Points

You don’t always have to flip the point spread wager around when betting alternate lines. Instead, you can bet a line that’s a half-point to full point more than the balanced line.

An extra point or two will give the underdog a little more breathing room. And reducing the favorite’s betting line will make it easier for them to cover the spread.

Alternate Total Line

Alternate over-under total lines work the same as alternate point spreads. The standard total line, or balanced total line, will have odds of -110 for over and under. Occasionally, you may see odds between -115 for one side and -105 for the other.

Just like alternate point spreads, you can choose a different total line. Odds for each side will increase or decrease depending on the line you select.

Higher Total Line

A higher total line means it’s more likely the under will win and less likely the over will win.

Odds for the over will become less favorable, moving from -110 to above +100 depending how high the alternate total line is. Your winning over bet payout will be higher because you’re taking a bigger risk.

Odds for the under will become more favorable, moving from -110 to above -120 as the total line increases. That means your winning under payout will be lower because you’re taking a smaller risk.

Lower Total Line

A lower total lines means it’s more likely the over will win and less likely the under will win.

Odds for the over will become more favorable, moving from -110 to above -120 as the total line decreases. Your winning over bet payout will be lower because you’re taking a smaller risk.

Odds for the under will become less favorable, moving from -110 to above +100 depending on how low the alternate total line is. That means your winning under payout will be higher because you’re taking a bigger risk.

Alternate Prop Bet Lines

Alternate prop bet lines work just like an alternate total line. Instead of betting the balanced prop line, you’re selecting an alternate line and then betting over or under that value.

You’ll commonly see alternate prop bet lines available for popular NFL prop bets like a quarterback’s passing yards or touchdowns thrown. Sportsbooks will also offer alternate lines for a receiver’s yards, rusher’s yards, or touchdowns scored by either position.

Finally, MLB and NHL prop bets may have alternate lines as well. Look for a pitcher’s strikeouts thrown prop bet, or a hockey player’s goals score prop bet, and then try betting an alternate prop line.

Alternate Betting Line Sports

Sports betting sites will offer alternate betting lines for a variety of sports. The most common will be NFL and College Football, in addition to NBA and College Basketball.

You’ll also find alternate run lines for MLB, alternate puck lines for the NHL, alternate goal lines and Asian Handicaps for soccer, and individual sports like tennis with game spreads and set lines.

Can Alternate Betting Lines Push?

The sportsbook grades wagers with alternate betting lines the same as any other bet. If the final result ties the line, the wager will push and your bet amount, or stake, will be refunded to your account balance.

How to Bet on An Alternate Line

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FAQs

Sports Betting Lessons

• What + and – mean in betting
• What +125 and -125 odds mean
• What +1000 and -1000 odds mean
• +2.5 and -2.5 point spread
• +7 and -7 point spread
• 3 Game Parlay Bet Payout
• 5 Game Parlay Bet Payout
• 3-Way Moneyline
• +1.5 and -1.5 run line
• +1.5 and -1.5 puck line
• PK Point Spread Line
• Asian Handicap Lines
• What a Push Means
• Alternate Betting Lines
• “No Action” Bet

Sports Betting Resources

• How to Read Sports Betting Odds – Our helpful tutorial explains what the numbers mean for point spread, moneyline, total, and Asian Handicap bets.
• Sports Betting Questions and Answers – Common sports betting questions and answers, a simple quick reference for beginners.
• Sports Betting vs Casino Gambling – Learn how sportsbooks and casinos make money, and the important differences between each business model.
• How to Read NFL Odds – Short and sweet guide to NFL point spreads, totals, and moneylines. We’ve got live example bets from upcoming NFL matchups.
• Point Spread Bet – Understanding the point spread is key to betting on football and basketball. Learn how the point spread bet works with our tutorial video and text.
• Over-Under Total Bet – Bet over or under the sportsbook’s line. We explain how to place this bet with easy examples, a video, and text explainer.
• Moneyline Bet – Whether it’s a 2-way or 3-way moneyline, we’ve got you covered. Moneylines are available for almost every major sport league, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and combat sports.
• Teaser Bet – A teaser is a modified parlay that lets you buy points to shift point spread and total lines in your favor. Our fun tutorial video and detailed text article explain how to place this bet.
• If Bet Win-Only – Sequence multiple bets together in an if-then sequence. Your next bet only sees action if the previous one wins. Ideal for bettors with small bankrolls.
• Futures Bet – We explain what a futures bet is, how it works, and when to bet on a future sporting event. Common futures bets include the winners of the Super Bowl, Final Four, Stanley Cup, World Series, and NBA Finals.
• Parlay Bet – Combine multiple selections into one bet that returns a huge payout if all your selections were correct. We explain how parlay bets work and provide common parlay payout tables.
• Progressive Parlay Bet – Also known as a “Close Call Parlay”, this parlay variant can win even if one or more of selections lose. Our article describes this bet in detail.
• Parlay Card Betting – Parlay cards are issued by major sportsbooks midweek, allowing bettors to make multiple point spread, total, and prop bet selections that can return big payouts. Not to be confused with an “off the board” parlay!
• Prop Bets – We explain what a prop bet is, how to place a prop bet, and provide an expansive list of sports leagues with plenty of props to bet on right now.