Sports Betting Terms Demystified: Cover

Sports betting lingo has its fair share of intriguing phrases that bring colour and intrigue to the betting experience. One such term is "Cover," which refers to achieving a point spread by the underdog losing by less than the spread or the favourite winning by more.

In sports betting, "Cover" denotes the condition when a bet on a point spread is successful. This happens when the underdog team loses by fewer points than the spread or even wins outright or when the favourite team wins more than the spread.

The term "Cover" stems from point spread betting, where the aim is to predict the winner and how much they'll win. When a team "covers the spread," it means they surpassed the expectation set by the bookmakers, thus "covering" the point spread.

This term has elements similar to "Beat the Spread," which refers to achieving a point spread. However, "Cover" is commonly used in professional sports betting conversations.

Example 1

After an underdog team wins a game, a bettor might exclaim, "Not only did they win, but they managed to cover the spread too!"

Example 2

In a discussion about a basketball game where the favourite team won by a significant margin, a sports analyst might comment, "The team didn't just win; they comfortably covered the point spread."

Example 3

During a betting strategy conversation, a seasoned bettor might suggest, "Instead of always backing the favourites, sometimes it's more profitable to bet on the underdogs if you believe they can cover the spread."