In football betting, -3 represents a point spread. A point spread with a negative number means that team is expected to win the game (the favorite). A -3 football spread means the team needs to win by 4+ points for the wager to win. If the team wins by exactly three points, the bet will be a push (tie) and your stake is returned. If the team loses the game, bets on the team at -3 will lose.