Sports continue to play a massive role in people’s lives all around the world and are a key part of how we relax in our spare time. Whether you follow football, track NBA results or enjoy watching your favorite soccer or baseball team, there’s just nothing like the buzz that sports bring to daily life.
Of course, getting involved with sports in the modern age is not just about watching games on TV or in person. Many fans, for example, also like to listen to podcasts covering the latest sports news or catch up on sports stories online. Some fans also like to bet on sports and get closer to their favorite team through backing them at online sportsbooks.
One of the most popular bets to make at these platforms is spread betting. Sometimes, though, it can pay to go ‘against the spread’ and switch things up a little. But what is going against the spread (ATS), how do data analytics come into this and when should you think about making this sort of wager?
What does betting against the spread mean?
Going against the spread simply means betting on a side to do better than the point spread set out by the sportsbook. If this happens, the bet would win and get paid out at the agreed odds.
How can data analytics help signal when to do this?
Data analytics play a major role in sports betting for many punters and form the backbone of how they choose wagers to place. This is just as true for going against the spread as any other sort of bet – but just how does analysis of data help you decide when to do this?
In simple terms, digging into the latest data and seeing what it can tell you gives you a firm basis of facts to work from when choosing how to bet. It enables punters to take in hard facts about the game they are looking at and gauge what this data tells them about what might happen. This can include the analysis of data suggesting that a bet against the spread for one side has a decent chance of winning.
To make this process a whole lot quicker and simpler, you could look at the latest ATS tips from WSN online. This is a great solution if you do not have the time to dig through data yourself and find matches where betting in this way makes sense.
If you are going to analyze data yourself to pick out these kinds of wagers, you need to know when betting against the spread is wise. But when might this be?
Value in spread from sportsbook
One of the best times to go ATS is when you believe there is real value in doing this, when looking at the spread set by the sportsbook. Once you have looked at the latest sports news and analysis for example, you may think that the spread is either too high or too low on either side involved in a match.
If you have a hunch that the underdog will do better than expected, for example, betting them with the points could be a good option. Another good tip in this area is looking out for sides whose spread seems too wide. This often happens when a side has a lot of hype around them that doesn’t marry up with their overall performance. In these cases, going against the spread could be worthwhile.
Late movement on lines
Another good time to consider betting against the spread is when there is significant line movement close to a game commencing. This can indicate that professional bettors have come into the market and influence this line movement through their own wagers.
Betting against the spread after these late line moves can be a smart move in situations where market moves have lowered the spread for the favorite or have seen more backing come in for the underdog.
Overreaction to latest performance
Online sports betting sites tend to adjust the spreads based on recent results. This is only sensible when you think about it, as it enables them to set the spread in line with how a side is actually doing currently.
It can lead to good opportunities for bettors to go ATS. This is because you sometimes find sportsbooks placing too much emphasis on one good previous result or an exceptional performance in a previous match. This can also work the same way when sportsbooks overact to a poor recent performance.
In cases like this, a bet against the spread can be worthwhile and allow you to take advantage of this overreaction from online betting sites.
Sides with key players missing
Of all the examples of when to bet ATS, this is perhaps the most well-known and is worth looking out for. Most sportsbooks will adjust the spread when a side is missing key players through injury or suspension, but this adjustment might not always look right. For instance, if the side in question has strong backups or is playing a weak opponent, there could be real value in going against the spread.
ATS betting and data analytics
Although it might not always seem intuitive, there are some times when betting against the spread set by sportsbooks is a real option. The key to finding bets like this is using analysis of real sporting data to pinpoint when situations like this could occur.