What Does ATS Mean in Betting Explained

If you've ever glanced at a sports betting line, you've almost certainly seen the acronym 'ATS'. It's everywhere. In a nutshell, ATS stands for 'Against the Spread,' one of the most popular ways to bet on a game. It’s how offshore sportsbooks like Bovada level the playing field between two teams that might be mismatched on paper, creating balanced action on both sides.

Cracking the Code of ATS Betting

When you bet against the spread, you’re doing more than just picking who will win or lose. You're betting on how a team will perform compared to the sportsbook's official prediction—the point spread. Think of the spread as a handicap given to the underdog to make the game a more even betting proposition.

This method forces you to think more strategically than just picking a winner. To get comfortable with it, you first need to get a handle on the key pieces that make up every single spread bet.

The Building Blocks of a Spread Bet

At its core, every ATS bet you see—whether on BetUS or BetOnline—is built on three simple components:

• The Point Spread: This is the number set by oddsmakers that represents the predicted margin of victory. It's the "handicap" that defines the bet.
• The Favorite: This is the team expected to win. You'll see a minus sign ( – ) next to their spread. To "cover the spread," they have to win by more than that number.
• The Underdog: This is the team expected to lose. They get a plus sign ( + ) next to their spread. They can cover by winning the game outright or by losing by fewer points than the spread.

To give you a quick cheat sheet, here are the terms you'll run into constantly when looking at ATS lines.

Key ATS Betting Terms at a Glance

This table breaks down the essential vocabulary you need to start making sense of ATS betting lines.

Getting these basics down is the first real step toward making smarter wagers. Once you have this foundation, you can start looking at lines with a lot more confidence.

For a deeper dive into the unique language bettors use, be sure to check out our complete guide on essential sports betting lingo. Mastering the terminology is the fastest way to feel like a pro.

How Point Spreads Actually Work

Think of it like giving the slower kid in a footrace a head start to make things interesting. That's really all a point spread is. It’s a handicap that offshore sportsbooks like MyBookie and BetUS put in place to level the playing field between two mismatched teams, which in turn creates a compelling reason to bet on either side.

Once you get the hang of it, the mechanics are pretty straightforward. The point spread is always marked with a minus sign (–) for the team expected to win (the favorite) and a plus sign (+) for the team expected to lose (the underdog).

• The Favorite (-): This team is picked to win, so they have to "give" points away for betting purposes. To win your bet, they need to win the actual game by more than the point spread number.
• The Underdog (+): This team is the long shot, so they "get" extra points. Your bet on them wins if they win the game outright OR if they lose by less than the point spread.

In essence, the point spread shifts the betting question from a simple "Who will win?" to a more nuanced "Will the favorite win by enough to cover, or will the underdog keep the game close?" Nail that concept, and you've grasped what ATS betting is all about.

Reading a Real Betting Line

Let's break down a real-world example. Here’s a typical NFL line you'd find on an offshore sportsbook like MyBookie.

Here we see the Green Bay Packers at -7.5 (-110) and the Chicago Bears at +7.5 (-110). This tells us the Packers are the favorite by 7.5 points.

If you bet on the Packers, they have to win the game by 8 points or more for you to cash your ticket. If you take the Bears, your bet wins if they either pull off the upset or just lose by 7 points or fewer.

That (-110) you see next to the spread is the odds—what bettors call the "juice" or "vig." It's basically the sportsbook's commission. It means you need to risk $110 to win $100, no matter which side you pick. This is standard practice for offshore books like BetOnline and Bovada; it’s how they guarantee they make a little money regardless of who covers.

If you want to go deeper, our complete guide to understanding point spreads breaks down how this works for different sports.

Decoding the Three ATS Bet Outcomes

So, you’ve placed your against the spread bet. Now what? Unlike a straightforward moneyline bet where you just pick the winner, ATS wagers add a fascinating layer to the game. It’s not just about who wins, but by how much.

There are three ways your ATS bet can play out. Getting a handle on these is the key to truly understanding what ATS betting is all about.

Whether you’ve backed the heavy favorite to win big or the underdog to hang tough, that final margin of victory is everything. Let's break down how you can win, lose, or even get your money back.

When the Favorite Covers the Spread

This is the outcome most people think of first. For a favorite to cover the spread, they can’t just win the game—they need to win by more than the point spread. A simple victory isn't enough; they have to deliver a dominant performance.

Imagine you're checking the lines on BetUS and you see the Dallas Cowboys are listed as -7 favorites over the Washington Commanders.

• You Win If: The Cowboys win by 8 points or more. A final score of 28-20, for example, means they covered the spread and you've got a winning ticket.
• You Lose If: Dallas wins by 6 points or fewer. A 24-20 victory gets them the "W" in the standings, but for your bet, it’s a loss.

How an Underdog Can Win Your Bet

This is where things get really interesting, and it’s why so many experienced bettors hunt for value with underdogs. A team getting points can cover the spread in two different ways, giving you multiple paths to victory.

The beauty of an underdog bet is that the team doesn't actually have to win the game for you to cash your ticket. They just have to perform better than the market expects.

Let's use our same matchup, but this time you bet on the Commanders at +7. Here’s how you win:

1. They win the game outright. If the Commanders pull off the upset, your +7 bet is a guaranteed winner, no matter the score.
2. They lose by less than the spread. If the Commanders lose the game but keep it close—say, a 24-20 final—you still win your bet. They lost by only 4 points, which is less than the 7 they were given.

The Push: What Happens in a Tie

A push is just the betting world's term for a tie. This happens when the final score lands exactly on the point spread. Using our example, if the Cowboys win by exactly 7 points (like a 27-20 final) on a -7 spread, nobody wins or loses. The sportsbook simply refunds all wagers on that line.

To prevent this scenario, you'll often see offshore sportsbooks like Sportsbetting.ag and Bookmaker.eu use half-points in their spreads, which is called a "hook." A spread of -7.5 makes a push impossible. The favorite either covers the number or they don't—there’s no middle ground.

Why ATS Records Are More Revealing Than Wins

Any casual fan can look at a team's win-loss record and tell you if they're good. But sharp bettors know that's only half the story. The real secret weapon is a team's record Against the Spread (ATS).

A team's straight-up record tells you who wins games. Their ATS record tells you who is a good bet. A team might be undefeated, but if they are consistently overvalued by the public and offshore sportsbooks, they could be a terrible team to wager on.

Finding Hidden Value in ATS Stats

The ATS record cuts through all the hype and media noise. It reveals one crucial thing: how a team performs against expectations. This is a direct measure of their ability to beat the number set by oddsmakers at offshore sites like Bovada and MyBookie.

This is where you find the real betting value. Think about it: a struggling team with a losing record might actually be a goldmine. If oddsmakers consistently underestimate them and they keep games closer than predicted, they could have a stellar ATS record, making them a profitable underdog to back at a sportsbook like BetUS.

On the flip side, a championship-caliber team can be an absolute money pit. If they’re constantly favored by a huge margin but fail to win by enough points, their ATS record could be in the gutter despite their on-field dominance.

So, what does ATS mean beyond just a number? It's a performance metric. A strong ATS record shows a team is consistently outperforming what the market expects, while a poor one signals they just aren't living up to the hype.

From a statistical standpoint, ATS is how the pros evaluate a team's betting value, not just their playing ability. You can learn more about the nuts and bolts of betting against the spread on US-Bookies.com.

This is precisely the kind of data that seasoned bettors use on platforms like Bookmaker.eu and BetOnline. They make informed, data-driven decisions that go way beyond a gut feeling or a team's popularity. They understand that a team's knack for covering the spread is a far more reliable indicator of betting value than their spot in the league standings.

If you want to start betting like a pro, stop looking at who wins and start looking at who covers.

Finding the Best Sportsbooks for ATS Betting

Okay, so you get what ATS betting is all about. That’s step one. But knowing the concept is only half the battle—finding the right place to put that knowledge to work is just as critical. The best offshore sportsbooks for spread betting aren’t just platforms to place a wager; they’re packed with features that give sharp bettors a real edge.

When you're shopping for a sportsbook, you need to look past the welcome bonuses and focus on what really matters for ATS betting. I'm talking about competitive odds, early line releases that let you pounce on value before the public does, and the option to "buy points." This feature lets you tweak a spread in your favor for a small price, which can be the difference between a frustrating loss and a win. Not every offshore site gets this right.

Top Offshore Sportsbooks for ATS Bettors

Finding the perfect offshore book really comes down to your personal betting style. For instance, some sites are known for getting their lines out super early, while others are praised for their slick mobile experience. You'll find that different offshore sportsbooks have carved out their own niches in the market.

To help you narrow down the options, I've put together a quick look at some of the top offshore sportsbooks and what makes them stand out for anyone serious about betting the spread.

As you can see, the "best" offshore sportsbook is subjective. A pro who needs high limits and early lines will gravitate toward a site like Bookmaker.eu, which is famous for never limiting winning players. On the other hand, if you're just starting out, the clean layout and straightforward experience at Bovada or BUSR might be a better fit.

Sister sites like BetOnline and Sportsbetting.ag are go-to spots for bettors who want to get their action in early, as they consistently post lines before the competition. Meanwhile, MyBookie and Xbet are fantastic if you do most of your betting from your phone and love hunting for special promotions around big games.

Ultimately, the right site is the one that aligns with your strategy. For a deeper dive, check out this guide to the best US sportsbooks online to compare all the features side-by-side. Picking a trusted book like BetAnything, Bet105, or Cosmobet is key to betting with confidence.

Got More Questions About ATS Betting?

Even with the basics down, it's totally normal to have a few more questions rattling around. When you're first digging into point spreads on offshore sites, a couple of common sticking points always seem to pop up. Let's clear them up.

ATS vs. Moneyline: What’s the Real Difference?

Think of a moneyline bet as the simplest question in sports: Who's going to win? You pick a team, and the odds tell you how much you'll win if they get it done. Easy.

An ATS bet, on the other hand, isn't about who wins, but by how much. You're not just picking a winner; you're betting on how a team performs against the sportsbook's prediction. This is what levels the playing field between a powerhouse and an underdog. It's why you'll see offshore sites like Xbet and BUSR offer odds around -110 for both sides of a spread, a world away from the often lopsided odds on a moneyline.

What Does It Mean to Buy Points?

Buying points is a handy little trick you can use to give yourself a better shot at winning. It lets you tweak the point spread in your favor, but it'll cost you a bit extra.

Let's say a team is favored by -7.5 points. That half-point hook can be a real killer. By buying a half-point, you can move the line down to -7. Now, a 7-point win results in a push instead of a loss. The trade-off? You have to accept worse odds, maybe -125 instead of the standard -110. It's a popular move for bettors who want a little more control, and you'll find this option at most offshore books like BetAnything and Cosmobet.

Is ATS Just for Football?

Not a chance. While football and basketball are where ATS betting really made its name, pretty much every sport has its own version of a spread.

In baseball, they call it the 'run line,' and in hockey, it's the 'puck line.' Both are usually set at a standard 1.5. The concept is exactly the same—one team has to win by a certain margin.

Ever since the late 20th century, a team's ATS record has become a huge part of how we talk about sports. It's not just about wins and losses anymore; it’s about how teams perform against expectations. As you can read in this guide to spread betting from SportsBettingDime.com, it fundamentally changed sports analysis. That's why top offshore sportsbooks like Bet105 and Bookmaker.eu feature spread options across dozens of sports, giving you plenty of ways to put your ATS knowledge to work.

Here at USASportsbookList, our job is to give you the inside scoop on the best offshore sportsbooks out there. We break down what makes each one tick so you can find the perfect home for your ATS betting strategy. Check out our expert guides and grab an exclusive bonus today at https://usasportsbooklist.com.