While various civilizations and cultures around the world have been engaged in some form of betting for more than 3000 years, the point spread, or ‘betting line’, is a relatively new invention and has only been in use for the better part of 70 years. Its impact in this relatively short period of time is undeniable and as an un-named bookie quoted in a 1951 book by sports journalist Charles Rosen put it: The spread has easily been ‘the greatest discovery since the Zipper’. Without question, it has had a huge part to play in today’s popularity of one sport in particular–the game of American football.
While most certainly an American invention, the true origin of the point spread is cloudy. Some experts believe it was introduced in the 1920’s while others claim it wasn’t widely used until the 1930’s in the New York area. Regardless of its actual birth-date, this much is known–In the years following the 2nd world war, the point spread became the dominant form of wagering for both American football and basketball. It was a bookies dream, helping to make the underdog much more attractive and assuring sports books and...
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