We use alternate spreads all the time and honestly they are one of the most underrated tools on any sportsbook app.
If you have seen them listed under a game and were not sure what they were, here is the deal.
What it is
Every game has a main spread that the sportsbook sets. Say the Bills are -6.5 against the Jets. That is the primary line.
An alternate spread lets you move that number in either direction in exchange for different odds. You could take the Bills at -3.5 instead of -6.5 but the odds will be shorter because you are giving yourself a bigger cushion.
Or you could take the Bills at -10.5 for a much bigger payout because now they need to win by 11 or more.
It works the other way too. You could take the Jets at +10.5 instead of +6.5 and get worse odds because you have made it easier for yourself.
Or you could take the Jets at +3.5 for better odds because you tightened the margin.
Why we use them
We started using alternate spreads after getting frustrated with how many bets we were losing by half a point on the standard line.
We would take a team at -7 and they would win by 6. Take a team at +3 and they would lose by 4. Those half point losses add up over a season and it got to the point where we wanted more control over the number we were betting.
Now if we really like a team but the standard spread feels a little too tight we will buy a couple of extra points on the alternate line.
Yeah the odds get worse but we would rather take -4.5 at -180 and feel good about it than take -6.5 at -110 and sweat out the last two minutes hoping for a garbage time score.
The other way to use them
Sometimes we go the opposite direction and take a bigger spread for a bigger payout.
If we think a game is going to be a blowout we will look at the alternate spread and see what the favorite is paying at -13.5 or -17.5.
We had one a few weeks ago where we took a college football favorite at -20.5 on the alternate line at +200 and they won by 28.
That same team on the standard spread was -13.5 at -110. The alternate line paid almost three times as much.
One thing to keep in mind
The further you move the number from the original spread the worse the odds get in your favor and the better they get if you go the other direction.
There is a sweet spot where you are getting a meaningful improvement on the number without destroying the value in the odds.
We usually stick to moving the line three or four points in either direction. Beyond that the pricing starts to feel like it is not worth it.
