What is ‘buying points”?
Buying points is an interesting concept in sports betting. So what is buying points? You can buy points on nearly all spread bets or over/under bets. Let’s assume we are talking about a spread bet in this situation. Assume the spread is set at –7. Buying points means that you decide to increase that point range by some amount of points. Typically these amounts are, a half a point, a point, 1.5 points or 2 points. So in our example if the spread was –7 and you bought a half point. Now your “new line” is –6.5 instead of –7. The odds change when you buy points so you will end up paying more for this bet. But sometimes it makes you feel more comfortable with the line when you get that extra point. In general, buying points just allows for greater flexibility when betting on sports.
Upsides of Buying Points
When you are buying points you are able to move the spread to what you feel is the right number. You aren’t limited to what the bookies tell you are the odds. This is wonderful for those bets that you think the bookies have it close but not quite right. You are now betting more on your terms and not on the oddsmaker’s terms. Too often people think that bookies are inflexible, that it is impossible to win anything from them. By buying points you can dictate your own terms to a degree.
Downside of Buying Points
Buying points costs extra money. It is that simple. The extra points you buy will force the odds to decrease with every half point that you move the spread. So in summary you will be making less money if you buy that extra point. How much less depends on a number of factors including the bookie, how much you are risking and how much you are trying to move the spread.
Many experts and sports bettors in general shy away from buying points. Some will argue that if you feel the result will be that close in the first place, you shouldn’t be betting on that game at all. If it requires you to buy an extra point, it’s already too close to call. You want to focus on those games where you feel the line is off by several points, not just a few.
Hopefully this gives you a better sense of what it means to buy points. Nearly every online Sportsbook allows you to buy points for almost every sport. Sometimes it can be hard to find within the Sportsbook layout, but if you poke around you can typically find it. Check back often for more articles on this subject. Later we will go into some specific situations that are perfect for buying points! My personal opinion is that buying points is a waste of money. Don’t give the books more money by increasing the juice you pay on a win. Just be more selective on the bets you take so you don’t feel like you have to buy points in order to win the bet.
