Buying Points

Buying points is a feature offered by many sportsbooks that allows bettors to adjust the point spread or total on a wager in exchange for reduced odds. Each half-point adjustment typically costs an additional 10 cents in juice. For example, moving a spread from -7 to -6.5 might change the odds from -110 to -120, meaning the bettor must risk more to win the same amount. The concept is straightforward: you are paying a premium to improve your number, reducing the likelihood that the original spread or total lands against you by a narrow margin.

Buying points is most commonly discussed in the context of football betting, where final margins cluster around certain key numbers. Because touchdowns are worth 7 points and field goals are worth 3 points, an outsized percentage of NFL games are decided by exactly 3 or 7 points. Moving a spread off of or through these numbers can significantly increase the probability of a bet winning or pushing. However, buying points through non-key numbers (such as moving from -5 to -4.5) carries far less statistical benefit, and the cost in reduced odds often outweighs the marginal improvement in win probability.

Example

A sportsbook lists Team A as a 7-point favorite at standard -110 odds. You buy a half-point, moving the spread from -7 to -6.5 at odds of -125. Now, if Team A wins by exactly 7, your bet wins rather than pushing. To win $100 on this bet, you would risk $125 instead of $110. Whether this trade-off is worthwhile depends on how frequently games land on that exact number. In the NFL, roughly 9% of games are decided by exactly 7 points, making this one of the more justifiable point-buy scenarios.

Key Points

• Key numbers matter most: In football, buying off of 3 and 7 provides the greatest statistical benefit because these are the most common margins of victory. Buying through other numbers is rarely cost-effective.
• Cost adds up over time: Each purchased half-point reduces the potential payout. Over hundreds of bets, the cumulative cost can significantly erode returns if not used selectively.
• More valuable for favorites through 3: Moving a favorite from -3 to -2.5 is one of the most recommended point-buy scenarios, as a substantial percentage of NFL games end with a 3-point margin.
• Less relevant in basketball and baseball: Scoring margins in these sports are more widely distributed and do not cluster around specific numbers, so buying points offers less value.
• Compare across sportsbooks first: Before paying to buy a point, check whether another sportsbook already offers a more favorable number at standard odds.