Half-Point Calculator
This calculator allows you to quickly understand the value of buying or selling half-points when betting on popular sporting events. You can use it for NBA spreads and totals, NFL spreads, NCAA basketball and NCAA football, along with MLB totals. It is a great tool for experienced bettors and novice handicappers alike. Read on to learn more about how much a half-point is worth, the advantages of using this calculator, when to purchase or sell half-points, how to use this tool and the best sportsbooks for buying and selling half-points.
Half Point Calculator
(Takes Decimal or US Odds)
How Much is a Half-Point Worth?
Most sports betting sites allow you to buy half-points from a point spread for $0.10. Let’s say the Minnesota Vikings are -110 to cover a -5 point spread against the Pittsburgh Steelers. You could then buy a half-point and bet on Minnesota -5.5 at odds of -120, or sell another to bet on Minnesota -6 at -130. This increases your chances of success, but decreases the potential profit you stand to make. If you bet on Minnesota -5 and the Vikings win by 5 points, it is a push and you simply get your stake back.
However, if you had bet on Minnesota -5.5 instead, you would make a profit. Yet if the Vikings were to win by 6 points, your profit would have been diminished by purchasing half a point, so it is a delicate balancing act. This tool can help you make sense of it. You can use it to understand the changes in the edge on the favorite and the underdog by buying or selling points, allowing you to understand the value of doing so.
Advantages of Using This Half-Point Calculator
This calculator makes the process of figuring out whether to buy or sell half a point – or multiple half-points – quick, simple and efficient. It quickly presents you with the fair value for half-point purchases and sales on NBA, NFL, NCAA basketball, NCAA football, and MLB (totals only). Many advanced handicappers use this strategy to bolster their bankroll over the course of the season, but it can be complex and painstaking. It can also be disastrous if used incorrectly, so this calculator simplifies the process and allows you to make informed decisions. You can choose from two options: American odds or decimal odds. This is the most helpful advanced half-point calculator you will find, as it tells you the edge on each outcome and the push probability, but the information is displayed in a clear and accessible format.
How to Use a Half-Point Calculator
Follow these steps when using this calculator:
1. Enter the league you are betting on (NFL, NBA, college basketball, college football, MLB totals).
2. Enter the bet type (spread or total).
3. Choose the odds type (US or decimal).
4. Enter the spread or total. For example, if it is a 5-point spread you would enter “5” and if it is a 238.5-point total you would enter “238.5”. If it is a pick-em, enter 0.
5. If you are betting on the spread, enter the odds on the favorite to cover it in the Fave Price box. If you are betting on totals, enter the odds on over.
6. If you are betting on the spread, enter the odds on the underdog to cover it in the Dog Price box. If you are betting on totals, enter the odds on under.
7. Click “Calculate”.
You will then be presented with a wealth of statistical information underneath. There will be seven different rows. The middle row tells you the actual spread or total line that you just entered into the calculator. The rows above and below show you the impact of moving the spread in either direction.
An Example
Let’s say Tampa Bay is playing Carolina in a big NFL game. The spread market might be for 2.5 points. You might find a sportsbook offering +102 on Carolina -2.5, and -110 on Tampa Bay +2.5. If that is the case, you would enter the following:
• League: NFL
• Bet Type: Spread
• Odds Type: US
• Spread: 2.5
• Fave Price: +102
• Dog Price: -110
Hit “Calculate” and the middle row – the meeting in the middle point – will then display the information you have just inserted. This is essentially the halfway point, where the line will meet in the middle. The row above will then tell you payout odds on Carolina if you buy a half, making the spread Carolina +2 instead. You will now find a favorite price of -102, and it tells you the edge on Carolina at that price. If you want to buy another half on Carolina, you will see the impact of a 1.5-point spread in the row above that. If you want to sell half points, go in the other direction from the meet in the halfway point and look at the options below the middle row for a -3, -3.5 or -4 point spread. Both driving directions see the spread move further from the halfway point.
This information corresponds to the same vig as the initial payout odds. If you want to buy a half point on Tampa Bay, you would find all the necessary information in the row below the middle row (a +3 spread instead of a +2.5 spread). If you want to buy two half points, you will see a +3.5 spread displayed above that. Just bear in mind that the calculator becomes increasingly less accurate the farther away from the starting spread/total it moves. You can scroll up or down to see wider line movements, but we recommend you stick to 1.5 points either way for greater accuracy.
You can then edit this bottom section of the calculator. Let’s say a rival sportsbook that you generally use is offering -110 on Carolina -2.5 and -110 on Tampa Bay +2.5. You can go in and enter -110 in the Fave Price for a spread of 2.5, -120 for a spread of 2, -130 for a spread of 1.5 and -140 for a spread of 1. You can enter -110 in the Dog Price box for a 2.5-point spread, -130 in the Dog Price box for a 3-point spread (it generally costs $0.20 to move to a half-point on the 3 as it is such a common margin of victory, -150 in the Dog Price box for a 3.5 spread, -160 for a 4-point spread.
This will change the approximate edge in each example, telling you which are the best and worst bets you can make when buying a selling half-points. You should look for as low an edge as possible. In this case, the best bets are Tampa Bay +3.5 and Tampa Bay +4. The worst bets are Carolina -1.5 and Carolina -1.
When to Purchase Half Points
This page helps you learn the best bets and worst bets you can make when buying or selling to push spreads and totals in different directions. If you like betting on football, you will know that the most common margins of victory are 3 points and 7 points. The push probability on a 7-point victory is 5.72%, and the push probability on a 3-point victory is 9.79%. It is often worth moving a -3.5 spread bet to -2.5 for $0.50. This is a move of two half-points.
Another example of a good time to buy or sell two half-points is moving from 9.5 to 10.5 or vice versa for $0.20, or moving two from 13.5 to 14.5 or vice versa for $0.20. You might want to consider buying a single half-point for $0.25 to move a spread market from -3 to -2.5, or from +3 to +3.5. If the spread is set at 10, 14 or 17 points, it is generally sensible to buy a half-point either way for $0.10. This is better than the point at which the spread will meet halfway, as you will gain a better edge.
Best Sportsbooks for Buying and Selling Half-Points
Bettors are always keen to learn the top online sportsbooks for spread betting and the best sportsbooks for totals betting. You should stick to safe, reputable sites with a long history of offering great odds, fast payouts and superb customer service, such as BetOnline, Bookmaker, Bovada, Heritage Sports, Intertops and YouWager. BetOnline excels for buying and selling on spreads and totals, as it allows you to purchase up to four halves either way at $0.10 apiece, as opposed to the industry standard of three. Some only allow you to buy two half-points, so the ability to buy four at BetOnline is really appealing.