What Does ‘To Cover’ Mean in Betting?
The phrase ‘to cover’ is derived from covering the point spread of a game, where you’re betting on a team to beat the point spread set by the bookmaker, or “to cover” the spread. For a team ‘to cover’, they basically need to win you the spread bet.
For the favorite, that means winning the game and winning by more than the spread line amount. For the underdog to cover they either need to win the game or lose by a total fewer than the spread line amount.
Examples of Teams Covering the Spread
If the Packers went into a game as 7.5-point favorites over the Bears, they would need to win the game by 8 or more points to cover the spread.
For the Bears to cover, they could either win the game or lose the game by seven points or fewer.
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