Points Betting Guide

Points Betting is a unique type of wager. It is only available at the PointsBet sportsbook. Luckily, PointsBet is available in numerous markets and remains one of your top-recommended sportsbook in any US market.

Points Betting can be confusing at first (or second, or third) glance, and it’s a high-risk, high-reward style of betting. So before you dive right in and try to make a Points Betting wager, it helps to understand the ins and outs. This page will offer a full explanation of Points Betting so you can place your bets with confidence.

When you’re Points Betting, the margin of victory or loss determines how much you win or lose. In theory, you could win up to 50x your wager. But if you take that risk, you could also theoretically lose 50x your wager. This is why having a firm grip on the mechanics of Points Betting can make or break your strategy. Brush up on the basics and be sure you understand Points Betting in full before placing a wager.

You can typically find Points Betting wagers on point spreads and totals, though there are a few more complex types such as game-winning margin squared. For the purposes of our overview, we’ll stick to the more common types.

Points Betting Explained

First, it helps to understand that the degree to which you are right or wrong determines your win or loss with regard to Points Betting.

We’ll use one minor example here, but don’t worry, there will be more in the sections that follow.

Say you want to place a Points Betting wager on the Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat matchup, and you think the game will be a high-scoring shoot-out between two top-tier squads. The Points Betting over line is set at 210. In this case, lets consider points “units.” If your bet wins by a single unit (in this case, the total would be 211), then you’d win 1x your wager. If your bet wins by 10 units (the final score being 220), you would win 10x your bet.

The opposite is true if you lose, however. You would lose 1x your bet if the final total score was 209, and you would lose 10x your bet at a total score of 200.

The Stop Loss Adjuster

If you’re feeling confident but not too confident, you can set the stop loss adjuster, which you’ll find once you add a wager to your bet slip. This meter lets you adjust your maximum payout or loss by dragging the selector between 10x and 50x. So if you’re feeling good but don’t want to risk the possibility of a 50x loss, you can drag the selector to 20x max, meaning you will only lose 20x your bet if you lose by that amount or more. Of course, you can only win a maximum of 20x your bet with these options selected, too. It goes both ways.

PointsBet Withholds A Balance

You may only be placing a $1 bet, but the potential win or loss can be up to $50 in that bet. For this reason, PointsBet holds a balance equal to a certain percentage of your maximum loss, depending on the market’s volatility. If you win, you’ll obviously receive that withheld balance back in your account.

This is why you might see $20 removed for the bet instead of $1.

Let’s look at a few examples of Points Betting and how they’d shake out. First, we’ll start with an NBA example using a point spread bet.

The Dallas Mavericks play the Phoenix Suns, and the Suns line is set at -7. Here’s how a $10 Points Betting wager would play out with different outcomes.

Based on the line of -7, every point by which the Suns cover or fail to do so adds to the multiplier.

In the top example, the Suns covered by a margin of 2 points (with the -7, the final score would’ve been 103-101) meaning you’d win 2x your bet. In the second example, the margin of victory was 8 points (115 with -7 included is 108, an 8 point margin), meaning you’d win 8x your bet.

In the bottom two scenarios, you’d lose a multiple of your bet.

Point spreads can be slightly confusing because you’re adding or subtracting the spread before you calculate the margin of victory or loss. But the table above should help.

For one more example, let’s look at a totals bet from the NHL: the Boston Bruins play the Carolina Hurricanes and the Over line is set at 6.

This might be easier to understand than the point spread, because the margin of victory or loss is very cut and dry. In the top example, the total exceeded the line by 2 units, sparking a 2x payout. In the final example, the line missed by 4 units, sparking a 4x loss. The middle example was a push because it hit the line exactly.

Other Types Of Points Betting Wagers

Totals and point spreads are quite common in Points Betting. However, you’ll find other, more niche bets available. For example, in football you might see Points Betting lines for a single quarterback’s total passing yards in a given game. In baseball, you’ll find things like hitter performance or pitcher performance. If you’re deep in the weeds and enjoy tracking statistics, some of those bets might be for you.

First and foremost, Points Betting offers the opportunity for massive wins. Bettors enjoy the potentially massive payouts Points Betting provides. Additionally, PointsBet users who track sports very closely may find Points Betting advantageous. Points Betting favors a strong knowledge of stats and team/player performance, so folks who are invested fans in a given sport may enjoy the high-risk factor of Points Betting when they’re informed by data and research.

Points Betting can be an effective betting type in most sports. Football is chief among them. Player performance is very trackable, and many players perform predictably when conditions are right. This makes passing/rushing yards a favorite among Points Betting enthusiasts.

Baseball is also a very stats-heavy sport, making it a prime candidate for Points Betting if you follow it closely.

You should find ways to work Points Betting into your overall betting strategy, so it’s hard to identify strategies specific to the bet type. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind.

Beware The Under

A savvy under bet can be profitable, but bettor beware. A last-minute buzzer-beater sending a game to overtime could throw your bet out the window. Only place under bets if you’re extremely confident in the outcome.

Use The Loss Limitor

Adjust your potential win or loss in your bet slip so you aren’t risking massive amounts of money on a 50-50 (or thereabouts) wager. Only bet what you’re willing to lose.

Stick With What You Know

Points Betting requires a savvy bettor, one who has knowledge of a given sport. Stick to the sport or sports (or even teams/players) you know best, as the stats can lead you to more frequent wins.

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