The Washington Redskins currently are favored by two touchdowns over the St. Louis Rams. According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Washington Times, it’s only the second time since 1992 that the Redskins have enjoyed such a large spread. In 2005, the ‘Skins were 13.5-point favorites over the 49ers. Washington won the game by 35 points. While teams and fans often look to the spread as a sign of whether and to what extent a team is (or isn’t) receiving respect, the truth is and always has been that the betting line is merely a business tool aimed at coaxing bettors to split their action between the two teams. In Vegas, the goal is to have equal money on each side of a given game -- the house then makes its profit via the vig. That’s why the line on a given game often moves. If bettors are flocking to a team that is giving up 14 points, the line will move to 14.5 in an effort to even things out again. If that doesn’t work, it’ll move to 15. And though we still derive enough enjoyment from the sport without having to put our hard-earned (OK, easy-earned) money at risk, when a line moves we’d be tempted to take the underdog if the spread is growing and the favorite if the spread is shrinking.
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