Covering the spread is a term used in basketball betting, specifically in reference to point spread betting. The point spread is a number set by bookmakers or oddsmakers, representing the expected margin of victory for one team over the other. When you place a bet on the point spread, you are essentially betting on whether a team will win by more points than the spread or lose by fewer points than the spread. If a team “covers the spread,” it means that they have won by more points than the spread predicted or lost by fewer points than the spread predicted.