What is the meaning of home (+1.5) in sports betting? A beginner‘s guide

Hey there sports betting newcomer! As someone just getting into sports betting, you‘ve probably come across the term "home (+1.5)" and wondered what it means. I‘m Terry, a data analyst and avid sports bettor, here to explain it in simple terms along with some other common spread betting concepts.

Introduction to Point Spreads

Before diving into home (+1.5), you first need to understand what a point spread is. The point spread (also called the handicap or line) is a number set by bookmakers that represents an advantage given to one team to level the playing field in a contest.

For example, let‘s say the New England Patriots are playing the New York Jets:

• Patriots -7
• Jets +7

This means the Patriots need to win by more than 7 points to "cover the spread." Meanwhile, the Jets need to either win outright or lose by fewer than 7 points to cover.

The spread allows you to bet on the perceived underdog at more favorable odds than just betting on them to win outright. It makes the game essentially a coin flip in the eyes of the bookmaker.

What Does Home (+1.5) Mean?

Okay, now let‘s break down a home (+1.5) line:

• Home – The team playing in their own stadium, with home field advantage.
• +1.5 – The point spread given to the home team. The plus sign indicates they are the underdog.
• 1.5 points – The exact amount of the spread.

So if you bet on the Home (+1.5) team, they can lose by 1 point or win the game, and you still win your bet. However, if they lose by 2 or more points, you lose your bet.

This gives the home team a virtual 1.5 point head start to make up for being the underdog.

Why Bet on Home (+1.5)?

There are a few key reasons why home (+1.5) can be an advantageous bet:

• Home field advantage – Teams historically perform better in their own stadium, with the crowd behind them.
• More value – You get better odds and a points cushion compared to betting on them to win outright.
• Higher chance of covering – Since most games are close, 1.5 points is significant enough to cover even in a loss.
• Potential higher payout – The payout is larger than just taking the favored road team.

While not a guaranteed winning bet, home (+1.5) gives you more wiggle room and ups your chances in games with a clear favorite.

Examples of Home (+1.5) Bets

Let‘s walk through some hypothetical examples to see home (+1.5) in action:

• Patriots (-6.5) vs Jets (+6.5)

• In this game, the Pats are 6.5 point road favorites. The Jets are +6.5 home underdogs.

• If you bet on the Jets +6.5, they can lose by 6 points or fewer and still cover the spread.

• Final score: Patriots 27, Jets 24. The Jets covered the +6.5 spread by losing by only 3 points. Your bet wins!

• 49ers (-3.5) vs Seahawks (+3.5)

• Here the 49ers are 3.5 point away favorites against the home underdog Seahawks getting +3.5 points.

• If you bet Seahawks +3.5, they can lose by 3 points or less or win the game outright.

• Final score: 49ers 23, Seahawks 21. The Seahawks covered by losing by only 2. Your bet is a winner!

See how those 1.5 to 3.5 points can make a difference in covering the spread, even in close losses?

Common Spread Betting Lines

Some other common point spread examples you‘ll see:

• +1.5 or -1.5 – Used frequently across sports like football, basketball, hockey, soccer, baseball
• +2.5 or -2.5 – Another very popular spread line
• +3.5 or -3.5 – Indicates one team is moderately favored over the other
• +7 or -7 – A lopsided spread showing one team as a heavy favorite

The spread will adjusting according to the perceived gap in strength between the teams. The closer the line, the more even the match.

Final Thoughts

I hope this breakdown gives you a solid understanding of what home (+1.5) means and how spread betting works in general. The key takeaways are:

• It gives the home underdog team a virtual point advantage to make up for disadvantages.
• Allows you to bet on the underdog at better odds than the moneyline.
• Can be smart bet in close matchups with a clear favorite.

Of course, there‘s a lot more nuance to point spread betting than I can cover here. But now you‘ve got the basics to start placing some smart spread bets on home underdogs. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks for reading,
Terry