Spread Betting Apps
Check out our guide to the wonderful world of spread betting. We go through the ins and outs of what you might expect to see and discuss the best ways to get started.
UK SPORTS SPREAD BETTING APPS
There are two sides to the spread betting term. It can refer to speculating on price movements in financial markets, like stock exchanges, or it can refer to spread betting on sporting events, which is what we are focusing on.
A sports spread bet offers a whole new level of betting experience compared to fixed odds betting, and is a great way to win big rewards. However, the risks associated with sports spread bets are high.
We explore the elements of spread betting, the terms you're likely to encounter, and the best betting app to get you started.
BEST UK SPREAD BETTING APP
Spreadex
- Only UK betting app to offer fixed odds and spread betting
- Over 3,000 betting markets available across most Premier League weekends
- Top notch welcome offer
- Extremely good customer service
- Eclectic live streaming offering
- Payment options are slightly limited when it comes to eWallets
- The level of information provided can seem confusing to beginners
Place a qualifying £25 fixed odds bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Qualifying bet cannot be placed in-play or cashed out early. A first free £5 fixed odds bet will be credited upon settlement of the qualifying bet. 4 x following £5 free fixed odds bets will be added to your account on consecutive days. After each of your first two free fixed odds bet you will also get a free £5 Total Goals spread bet. Free bets and spins must be claimed within 28 days of opening. Free bet/spin stake not included in any winnings. Ts&Cs Apply. 18+ begambleaware.org
Spreadex is one of the only UK betting apps that provide fixed odds and spread betting from the same app. Spreadex provides a professional feel throughout its app, a huge amount of betting markets and boasts one of the biggest live-streaming catalogues out there.
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Spreadex is the go-to betting app for UK punters looking for a top tier spread betting experience
SPORTS SPREAD BETTING FAQS
Seeing as there are only two sports spread betting apps available for UK punters to choose from, Spreadex and Sporting Index, the choice isn't too hard and we'd consider Spreadex to be the go-to app for those who are looking to experience spread betting. This is due to Spreadex offering a more in-depth selection of markets across 24 sports than Sporting Index, the high levels of live streaming available within the app and a welcome offer that is on par with some of the best out there right now.
In short, yes. Given that your spread losses may exceed your deposit amounts and initial stake. That being said, spread betting can be very rewarding if the bet goes your way and you are correct by a large margin. Just make sure to always assess your situation and downsides before locking in your bets.
Yes, of course. The most popular was you can get with or against a particular horse is through the spread betting index market where there are two indices based on points given and you can back over or under what you think your horse will score. Other spread betting markets for horse racing include Double Number of Winner, Race Squared Number and SP of Winner.
Any losses on your bet that reach ten percent of the bet value are considered 'margin calls'. Spread betting firms use margin calls when they demand more money before closing out your positions at the current price if you do not contribute additional funds to cover the shortfall.
In order to ensure safe spread betting, margin calls are not the best option, as they can quickly lead to difficulties. Stop losses are a better way to manage potential losses.
Stop losses allow you to specify a level at which a bet will be automatically closed out, effectively limiting the amount you can lose on any given wager. Spread betting, however, can produce 'gapping' when fast market movements and large numbers of stop-loss orders are executed at the same time. In such circumstances, your losses may exceed the amount specified by your stop loss, since orders are processed in the order they arrive.
Paying a broker for a guaranteed stop is another option that offers more security. Even though it costs a little more, your loss limit is guaranteed this way.
We went directly to Spreadex with this question to get the best possible answer. You have two options, you either agree with Spreadex to a credit limit where Spreadex will allow you to go into a negative balance or Spreadex will ask you to deposit before placing spread bets to cover potential losses.
BEST BETTING APP FOR SPORTS SPREAD BETTING
Spreadex Betting App
When it comes to spread betting, Spreadex is the gold standard in betting apps. This award-winning betting app offers punters the opportunity to bet on both fixed odds and spread betting markets across 25 sports, including more niche events in table tennis and handball, all contained within the same app, something which is only offered by two betting apps as of now.
Spreadex's huge market selection and intuitive user interface place it in what we'd consider the top tier of betting apps in general, but the addition of spread betting opens an entirely new dimension to the betting experience and the solid welcome offer for new customers makes it a must for punters who are looking for something new.
What we like about the Spreadex app
✅ A massive selection of spread betting markets are available, some of which are unique to Spreadex
✅ High-quality live streaming is available across multiple sporting events within the app.
✅ The app is very fluid and easy to navigate, as all available sports are clearly listed on the home screen.
✅ Their customer support is great. I was able to use the live chat function within the app and get a detailed response within 2 minutes.
✅ Great new customer offer which provides free bets on spread betting, as well as on fixed odds and free spins.
✅ Good focus on eSports, offering a competitive selection of events and markets.
✅ Multiple cash-out choices are available.
What Spreadex could improve
❌ Spreadex could add eWallets to the payment options, which are limited to bank transfers and debit cards.
Place a qualifying £25 fixed odds bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Qualifying bet cannot be placed in-play or cashed out early. A first free £5 fixed odds bet will be credited upon settlement of the qualifying bet. 4 x following £5 free fixed odds bets will be added to your account on consecutive days. After each of your first two free fixed odds bet you will also get a free £5 Total Goals spread bet. Free bets and spins must be claimed within 28 days of opening. Free bet/spin stake not included in any winnings. Ts&Cs Apply. 18+ begambleaware.org
ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO SPREADEX?
The only alternative app that UK punters have for sports spread betting is Sporting Index. If you're strictly looking to get into spread betting, then Sporting Index has plenty to offer to satisfy casual bettors in regard to event and market selection. Sporting Index offers betting across 16 different sports, which obviously is a weaker turnout than Spreadex, but it's when you compare the depth of the markets on offer to those found on Spreadex that Sporting Index's weaknesses come to the forefront.
We compared the pre-match spread betting markets available on Spreadex to those on Sporting Index for the upcoming Premier League match between Liverpool and Fulham.
| PRE-MATCH BETTING MARKETS COMPARED |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Goals | ✅ | ✅ |
| Goals x Corners | ✅ | ❌ |
| First Lady | ❌ | ✅ |
| Liverpool Total Card Minutes | ✅ | ❌ |
| Corners Squared | ✅ | ❌ |
SPREADEX VS SPORTING INDEX
What we like about Sporting Index
✅ Overall, Sporting Index offers a good selection of betting markets for spread betting.
✅ Mobile app is easy to use, despite being quite basic.
✅ Plenty of information on spread betting is available to beginners.
Why choose Spreadex over Sporting Index?
❌ Betting markets are much more diverse on Spreadex than those found on Sporting Index
❌ Sporting Index offers no bet builder on either spread betting or fixed odds, whereas Spreadex offers this for both types of bets.
❌ The Sporting Index mobile app has much more of a basic look and feel to it compared to Spreadex
❌ Sporting Index offer no live streaming from within its mobile app.
❌ Spreadex has a far superior welcome offer for new customers.
WHAT IS SPORTS SPREAD BETTING?
In contrast to fixed odds betting, spread betting is a type of bet where the bookmaker sets the spread (or prediction) and you can buy or sell depending on whether you believe that the outcome will be higher or lower, respectively. The more right you are, the more rewards you receive. However, the losses you suffer can be more significant if you are wrong.
For example, if you placed a spread bet on a total goals market within a football match, the spread might be 2.9-3.1. This means that you can ‘sell’ at 2.9 and ‘buy’ at 3.1.
If you were to ‘buy’ at 3.1 at £10 a point, each goal is worth £10. The amount won or lost depends on the difference between the number of goals scored within the match and 3.1.
No goals: You’d lose £31
One goal: You’d lose £21
Two goals: You’d lose £11
Three goals: You’d lose £1
Four goals: You’d win £9
Five goals: You’d win £19
Six goals: You’d win £29
HERE'S THE FORMULA
‘Sell/Buy’ price - Makeup (actual outcome) = difference.
Difference x original stake = winnings or losses.
IS SPORTS SPREAD BETTING RISKY?
As we have discussed spread betting on sports, by its very nature, can result in some really high returns if your bets go your way. However, on the flip side, there is an increased risk also due to your potential losses being directly influenced by how far from the spread you are.
It is entirely up to you how much risk you are willing to take, and there are several steps you can take to avoid taking on more risk than you are comfortable with:
Start small – As a beginner, perhaps it's best to start small. While you might not be able to win big money with small stakes, you can be confident that the size of any potential losses will be small and your deposits will stretch a little further, allowing you to try out more markets and try out more variations of spread betting.
Pick the right betting markets – The spread betting markets on offer have varying degrees of volatility. It is unlikely that there will be a result in a game of football that is too far away from the spread when a market such as Total Goals is involved. However, in terms of Total Goal Minutes, there is a good chance that the spread could have a substantial deviation, either way.
Cut your losses - When you have placed a bet that is clearly going against you, the safest thing you could do would be to take steps to protect your balance and pull out of the position before the situation gets any worse. Cut your losses early, protect your account balance and make sure you live to fight another day.
HOW TO PLACE A SPREAD BET ON SPORTS
Placing your first Spread Bet can seem overwhelming and confusing because it differs from fixed odds betting, but we're here to help!
A spread bet is placed in the same way as any other bet, by signing up, browsing events and markets, and placing your bet. It's only a matter of considering a few more things and analyzing the spread set by the bookmaker.
For your first spread betting experience, I would recommend using smaller stakes and choosing a low-volatility market - that is, one likely to have outcomes not too far from 'Sell' and 'Buy' prices. Make sure you pick a market that allows for worst-case scenarios.
Buying on the spread
Total Goals in a football match may be priced at 2.8-3.0 and so the worst-case scenario if you place a ‘Buy’ bet is a loss of three times your stake because the lowest possible outcome is a settle price of 0 goals in a match that finishes 0-0. Here, if you had placed a ‘Buy’ bet with a stake of £5 per goal the worst-case scenario is a £15 loss, calculated as:
- 0 (makeup) - 3 (Buy price) = -3 (difference)
- -3 (difference) x £5 (stake) = £-15 loss
This outcome obviously not ideal, but by implementing the steps we've discussed and choosing a market that isn't as volatile, you are protecting yourself somewhat from the losses that could be incurred with more in-depth markets.
So let's move on to what if you win! Let's say you've placed a 'buy' bet in the same betting market as above and a match is packed full of goals (let's not forget the 7-0 whooping United got from Liverpool not that long ago), then you could see a really nice return on your bet. Let's actually take the same price of 2.8-3.0, as above, and use that Liverpool vs Man United result as an example of this:
- 7 (makeup) - 3 (Buy price) = +4 (difference)
- 4 (difference) x £5 (stake) = £20 win
There is information about the specifics of each spread betting market on the Spreadex app, making it easier to choose the right bets for you.
Selling on the spread
Selling on the spread would be betting on the opposite outcome as above, in that you would go for this when you think that a prediction on the spread is unlikely to come in. So, if a Total Goals market in a football match is priced at 2.9-3.0, you would be able to 'sell' at 2.9. Let's use the 0-0 outcome we used earlier and see how this would look if you were to sell at £5 per goal.
- 0 (makeup) - 2.9 (sell price) = +2.9 (difference)
- 2.9 (difference) x £5 (stake) = £14.50 win
Just like with buying on the spread, the difference between the markup and the price you sell at dictates how much you win or lose. So in this example, a match that ended with seven goals would result in a £20.50 loss if you were to sell at 2.9 at £5 a goal.
FOOTBALL SPREAD BETTING
Football is one of the most popular spread betting sports, given that there are multiple predictions that bookies make for a single match, leading to a huge selection of spread betting markets. Football spread betting also includes markets which are unique to spread betting and are determined by multiple variables working in conjunction. Such markets include Shirt Numbers, Goals x Corners and Shirts x Bookings.
Many of the spread betting markets that are available pre-game are available in-play, though, just as with fixed odds betting, the spread will be subject to change throughout the match.
Spreadex offers a massive selection of spread betting markets on individual matches, over a footballing weekend and across an entire season.
Football spread betting allows punters to wager spread bets across a multitude of markets. These markets can be for individual matches, compiled over a match day or weekend or even longer-standing bets which won’t be settled until the end of the season.
INDIVIDUAL MATCH MARKETS INCLUDE:
- Total goals - Total number of goals scored within the match (90 minutes only).
- Total goals minutes - The total time in minutes of goals scored in the match. For example, if goals are scored in the 17th, 32nd and 82nd minutes of the match, the market settles at 131.
- Shirts - The total number of all goal scorers in the match. For example, if goals are scored by numbers 9, 7, 10 and 11, the market settles at 37.
- Corners squared - Total number of corners in a match is taken and then squared. For example, if there were 12 corners, the market settles at 144.
- Goals cubed - Total number of goals in the game cubes. For example in a match with 4 goals the market would settle at 64.
Matchday spread betting is a great way to squeeze the most you can out of a string of matches, or even over an entire footballing weekend. As you may expect, the markets are designed for this longer format and can yield some nice returns, but as with all spread betting the greater the reward the greater the risk.
MATCHDAY/WEEKEND MARKETS INCLUDE:
- Premier League weekend goal mine - Takes into account how many goals will there be across selected matching in the league, with each scoreline awarded points.
- Total away goal minutes - Aggregates away goal times (in minutes) in a selected group of games. For example, if the away team’s total goal minutes are 9,24,45,62,86,90 then the market settles at 316.
- Top of the flops - Based on how many minutes will pass before the selected teams' score.
HORSE RACING SPREAD BETTING
Horse racing works in a similar way to football spread betting. You can get with or against a particular horse through the spread betting index market where there are two indices based on points given and you can back over or under what you think your horse will score.
For races with 11 runners or fewer, there is a 50-25-10 points index:
- 50 points for the race winner
- 25 points for second place
- 10 points for third place
For races with 12 runners or more, there's a 50-30-20-10 points index:
- 50 points for the race winner
- 30 points for second place
- 20 points for third place
- 10 points for fourth place
The points difference will determine the amount you would win or lose in your bet, as it is multiplied by your original stake.
So, for example, if the favourite in a 12-runner race in Cheltenham has a spread of 35-38, you could sell on the spread at £5 a point at 35. But, if the horse finishes first and was awarded 50 points, you would lose £75.
However, if the horse finished 2nd and was awarded 30 points, you would then win £25.
OTHER SPORTS AVAILABLE FOR SPREAD BETTING
There is a wide selection of spread betting opportunities available for tennis fans. Markets are available pre-match and in-play, and as the odds are updated after every point with Spreadex, in-play tennis spread betting offers the opportunity to secure a profit or limit a loss at any time during a match.
The Supremacy bet is one of the most popular tennis spread betting markets, which is based on a bookie's prediction of the winning margin of one player over another. It can be divided into two types of markets: game supremacy and match supremacy.
Other tennis spread betting markets include:
- Total Games - This is simply a prediction of how many games will be played in a given match. In the event you think it will be a straight-set victory, you might make a sale, while if you think it will go the distance, you might buy.
- Cross Courts - One player's individual set games won are multiplied by the other player's set games won, and then added together.
- Total Aces/Double Faults - Using this market, you can predict the total number of aces served or the total number of double faults served.
- Total Points Played - Basically, this is a prediction of how many points a match will have.
There is a huge number of golf spread betting markets available across PGA and European tours. Two of the most popular types of spread betting on golf are 'Finishing Position' and 'Leaderboard Index'.
Finishing Position - Players' final positions can be bet on in Finishing Position markets. A bookie might have McIlroy at 23-26 for The Open, for example. Those who think he will finish higher than 23rd should sell since they expect his final makeup to be lower than 23. You would instead buy if you believed he would surprise and finish below 24th. Assuming you sold at 23 and McIlroy finished second, you would have made a profit of 21 times your stake. If he finished 30th and you had sold, you would have lost 4 times your stake. In the event of a tie, dead heat rules apply. As an example, if McIlroy and Finau both finished 10th, then their scores would be 10.5.
Leaderboard Index - The Leaderboard Index predicts where every player in a tournament will finish, with the top eight given points based on the following criteria: 80 points if the player finishes first, 40 points for second, 30 points for third, 25 points for fourth, 20 points for fifth, 15 points for sixth, 10 points for seventh, and 5 points for eighth. Max Homa might be priced between 4-7 on the Leaderboard Index. If he was third in the tournament he would make-up 30 and profits for those who bought at 7 would be 23 times their stake. (30 - 7 = 23). However, if he finished outside the top ten places, he would make up 0.
Other golf spread betting markets include: Hotshots, Match Bets, Winning Margin and Winning Score.
Spread betting in rugby offer punters the opportunity to bet on individual matches and across tournaments and selected leagues. Spreadex offers a wide selection of rugby betting markets, not only for spread betting, but also fixed odds, so they are certainly worth having a look at if you tend to bet on rugby.
The most common spread betting markets for rugby include:
Tournament / Championship Index - Teams are awarded points based on their position in the table. As an example, the winner of the Six Nations Championship would earn 60 points, followed by 40 points, 20 points, 10 points, and nothing else. As a favourite, England might be predicted to score between 36 and 39 points. If you predict that England will win or at least finish second, you should buy at 39. If England won the whole tournament, they would earn 60 points, and you would be able to profit by 21 times your stake (60 - 39 = 21). In contrast, if they performed poorly and finished third, you would lose 19 times your stake (20 - 39 = -19).
Total Points - A prediction of the number of total points scored over an entire match
Team Points - A prediction on the number of points scored by a particular team within the entire match
Shirt Numbers - A popular betting market based on the prediction of the total of all tryscorers' shirt numbers over the entire match. A tryscorers' shirt number might be quoted as 50-54 by Spreadex. If players with the numbers 10, 13, 22 and 30 crossed the line for a try the make-up would be 75.
Spread betting is popular in American football, and there are many betting markets available.
The supremacy spread bet is a popular form of betting on American football. It measures a team's dominance over another in terms of points.
Spreadex might make New York the favourite to beat Miami by 1-3 points, for instance. In this case, if you think New York will win by more than 3, you would buy at 3 for £50.
If New York won 45-41, their winning margin would be 4 points. Purchasing at 3 would have earned you 1 times your stake or £50. The calculation is as follows: (4 - 3) x your stake = 1 x £50 = £50.
In contrast, if Miami had won the game 37-32, you would have lost 8 times your stake. It looks like this: (-5 - 3) x your stake = -8 x £50 = -£400.
There are also spread betting markets available on other aspects of American Football, including Touchdown Shirt Supremacy, Performance Supremacy, Touchdown Yardage Supremacy, Field Goal Yardage Supremacy, and Penalty Yard Supremacy.
Spreadex offers hundreds of cricket markets relating to runs, wickets, win indices, and individual player performances. You can spread bet on every form of cricket, whether it's an International match, a Test match, a Twenty20 match, or a county match. You can win more if you get the outcome of a performance, match, or series right, but as with other types of spread betting you can lose more if you get it wrong.
Yet again, supremacy spread betting is one of the most popular and exciting cricket spread betting markets. This is the difference between a team's run or wicket advantage over another.
Rather than betting on the outcome of a match - home or away, or draw - you can bet on the margin of victory. When placing a Supremacy spread bet on cricket, the winning margin is calculated based on the run margin the team wins by, or on the wicket margin if the team bats second.
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