In NFL betting, a handicap of +5.5 means that the team you’re betting on is given a 5.5-point head start before the game begins. Here’s what that means in simple terms:
If you bet on Team A (+5.5):
- Your bet wins if Team A wins the game outright, or loses by 5 points or fewer.
- Your bet loses if Team A loses by 6 points or more.
Example:
Let’s say the game is:
- Cowboys (-5.5) vs Giants (+5.5)
Final Score:
- Cowboys 28 – Giants 24
- Spread Result: Giants lose by 4 points.
If you bet on Giants +5.5, your bet wins because they only lost by 4 (less than 5.5).
If the score had been Cowboys 30 – Giants 20, your bet loses, because the Giants lost by 10 points (more than 5.5).
Key Points:
- +5.5 = your team can lose by up to 5 and you still win.
- There is no push (tie) possible with a .5 spread — it’s either a win or a loss.
Let me know if you’d like to see how this applies to Over/Under or other types of NFL bets!