Sports betting is a way for you to put money on your favorite team to win or lose. There are a number of different ways to bet, including point spreads, over/under bets, and moneyline bets.

Point spreads are a way for bookmakers to make sure that a game has a balanced amount of bets on each side. For example, the Washington Commanders are four-point favorites to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. They will need to win by at least five points.

A point spread is a value assigned to every betting matchup. The underdogs will have a positive spread value, and the favored team will have a negative spread value. In the case of a push, the underdog wins.

Moneyline bets are the simplest type of sports bet. You wager a fixed amount on a team and are awarded the sum of that wager if your pick wins. If your bet loses, the sportsbook keeps your money.

Over/under bets are popular wagers. These bets are based on the total combined score of two teams. Underdogs have a higher risk of winning, while the favorites have a higher probability of winning.

Futures bets are another popular type of sports bet. Typically, these bets focus on players and teams that are expected to reach certain statistical benchmarks. They also take into account the long-term outcome of a game. Unlike point spreads and moneyline bets, futures bets have an asymmetrical payoff.