A half point can be the difference between a win, a loss and a refund. Point spread and totals bets look simple until a final score lands exactly on the number. This lesson shows how a favorite at -3.5 settles against -3 and -2.5, how an over or under works off the combined score, and why whole numbers can return your stake. It then covers the rule traps: basketball markets that include overtime, hockey lines that come in two-way and three-way forms, and soccer prices built on 90 minutes. Those details decide whether two quotes are even the same bet. Grade each ticket against a real final score before comparing prices, and you stop mistaking a different bet for a better one.
Learning objectives
Grade common spread and total examples, distinguish two-way and three-way markets, and recognize rule mismatches.
