Alt line

Sportsbooks post a main line priced close to even, usually around -110 on each side. Next to it they list a ladder of alternates. Take a smaller spread, a lower total or an easier prop number and you get more cushion, but you pay a heavier price. Go the other way and you get a bigger payout for a harder target.

Alt lines are useful when you like a side but don't want to lay the full number. The tradeoff is real, though: every alt price has its own breakeven. A play priced at -200 has to win about 66.7% of the time just to break even, so the cushion only helps if the real chance is higher than that.

Most books offer alt spreads, alt totals and alt player props. Prices differ from book to book, so it pays to compare before you place anything.

Example

Say the main line is Bills -7.5 at -110. The alt line Bills -3.5 might be listed around -200 instead. The Bills now only need to win by 4, but you risk $200 to win $100. That price implies a 66.7% chance, so you want to believe Buffalo wins by 4 or more well over two-thirds of the time.