Sports Betting Gambling: Point Buys

Buying Points: is a method of allowing the bettor to improve the pointspread of a football or basketball game by actually "buying points" for the team he/she wants to wager on. Bettors can buy points in 1/2 point increments up to 3 points, depending on the contest. Sportsbook offers 3 point buys on football contests and 3 point buys on basketball contests. Each 1/2 point costs the bettor an additional 10% vigorish.

 For example, the Denver Broncos are playing the Kansas City Chiefs, and the line on the game is the Broncos -6 1/2, with a total of 42. If a $100 wager is placed on the Broncos -6 1/2 with a 1/2 point buy, the player has a wager on the Broncos -6 points, and must put up $120 to win $100, instead of the usual $110 to win $100. If the player requests a full 1 point buy to move the pointspread down to -5 1/2, he/she would have to put up $130 to win $100. Buying the pointspread down 1 1/2 points to 5 would cost $140 to win $100, and the full 3 point buy down to 3 1/2 would cost the bettor $170 to win $100.

Conversely, the bettor may also buy points on the Chiefs side, and get the line at plus 7, 7 1/2 or 8 points, all the way up to plus 9 1/2 points with the same increase in vigorish.
Bettors may also buy points for football and basketball totals. In this particular game, bettors could buy an "over" wager with a maximum line move down to 39, or an "under" wager with a maximum line move up to 45.

Example 1:

Dallas +10

Minnesota -10                 Total 42

Player A places a wager on Dallas to win $500 and buys 2 points. A standard wager on Dallas +10 would be $550/500. With a two point buy, Player A would be wagering on Dallas +12 and risking $750 to win $500.

Oakland +7

Kansas City -7                  Total 37

Player B places a wager on the Over to win $200 and buys 2 points. The official wager for Player B is a $250 wager to win $200 on the Over 35. If Player B wanted the same wager only on the Under, the official wager would be risking $250 to win $200 on the Under 39.