Next up, I want to look at how to compare a spread to a moneyline. Although each offshore book is different, here is a chart that is published on the Internet showing a general guideline for converting spreads to moneylines in the NFL. Note that college is slightly different and is omitted here in the interest of space.
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD>Favorite
Pointspread </TD><TD>Corresponding
Moneyline</TD></TR><TR><TD>-2</TD><TD>-130/+110</TD></TR><TR><TD>-2.5</TD><TD>-140/+120</TD></TR><TR><TD>-3 </TD><TD>-155/+135</TD></TR><TR><TD>-3.5</TD><TD>-175/+155</TD></TR><TR><TD>-4</TD><TD>-200/+170</TD></TR><TR><TD>-4.5</TD><TD>-220/+180</TD></TR><TR><TD>-5/-5.5</TD><TD>-240/+190</TD></TR><TR><TD>-6</TD><TD>-270/+210</TD></TR><TR><TD>-6.5</TD><TD>-300/+220</TD></TR><TR><TD>-7</TD><TD>-330/+250</TD></TR><TR><TD>-7.5/-8/-8.5</TD><TD>-360/+280</TD></TR><TR><TD>-9/-9.5</TD><TD>-400/+300</TD></TR><TR><TD>-10</TD><TD>-450/+325</TD></TR><TR><TD>-11 </TD><TD>-550/+375</TD></TR><TR><TD>-12</TD><TD>-600/+400</TD></TR><TR><TD>-13</TD><TD>-650/+450</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
One of the most common questions I am asked in reader emails is why we don’t offer moneylines for spreads outside the 2-14 range. The reason is that outside these ranges it becomes difficult to balance action. If a spread moves from –1.5 to –1, you don’t have much room to move on the moneyline. Players will simply ignore betting the +1 and take the dog at +105 or even, lowering the vig for the house. Above 14, the moneylines are just too high. Bettors seldom lay the big price and then the House sometimes takes big hits when the big upsets come in (like last year’s Super Bowl).