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What Does ATS Mean In Sports Betting?

by Doc's Sports - 10/10/2014

Wilson Football.

The term "ATS" is an acronym for against the spread. ATS is one of the most commonly used non-words in sports betting. If you are betting ATS then you are making a bet involving a pointspread - as opposed to a moneyline bet, a totals bet, a proposition bet, or another type of exotic bet. You can bet ATS in football or basketball, and that is the most common way to bet. ATS betting is not typically available on baseball or hockey. You can also use ATS in regards to your record in bets against the spread. If your record is 4-2 ATS during a particular week then that means that you have made six bets against the spread and have cashed a winning ticket four times. That doesn’t necessarily reflect your entire betting record for the week if you have also made other types of bets.

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An example, you say? Sure thing. Let’s say that Bob wants to bet the Jaguars ATS. That means that he is saying that the Jaguars will cover the spread in their upcoming game. If Jacksonville is +4.5 in that game then that means that Bob wins ATS if the Jaguars win outright, if they tie, or if they lose by four or fewer points. If the spread were +4 instead of +4.5 then the scenario would be the same except if Jacksonville lost by exactly four points then the game would be a push, and Bob would get his money back. A push is not reflected in an ATS record - it’s like a non-bet. If Bob were to win his bet then he could say he was 1-0 ATS on the day.

When betting, ATS bettors need to remember one thing above all else - who wins the game only rarely matters. Bettors who fixate on winners and losers are going to go broke betting against the spread - they should stick to the moneyline. All you need to focus on is how much a team can be expected to win or lose by. A team could win every single game they play and not cover a single spread if they were always heavy favorites, and never won by a wide margin. A team could also lose every game, be massive underdogs in the eyes of the public, and keep games close enough to cover every spread. The straight-up record of teams is irrelevant to ATS considerations.

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