What is the hook in sports betting? How to use it to your advantage.

What is the hook in sports betting? 

The hook in sports betting is a term that stands for a half-point, and it refers to the half-point that often gets added on when betting point spreads or totals. For example, when an against-the-spread line moves from -3.0 to -3.5, the new -3.5 line could be referred to as 3 plus the hook. 

The hook is a number that can also be bought. You can buy the hook on the above mentioned betting line and move the number from -3.5 down to -3.0. Alternatively, If you’re betting the other side of the same game and wanted to buy the hook, you would then be able to move the number from +3.0 to +3.5. 

What does the hook mean in sports betting?

The hook is a term that refers to the 0.5 number that often gets added on to a whole number on a total (prop or game total) or against-the-spread line. The hook exists across almost all major sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and college football) and works to help move numbers across key spots for sportsbooks and oddsmakers, who want to balance action on every bet they offer. 

Another way to look at the hook is that it refers to the half-point that keeps the current point spread or total hovering between two whole numbers. 

Example: Patrick Mahomes’s total TD passes for this week’s game is set at 2.5. The hook in this case means that Mahomes must throw for 3 or more TDs to hit his over, and stay at 2 or fewer to hit his under. There is no number he can land on where both sides push. 

Example #2: The Giants are favored by -2.5 points over the Eagles. The Giants either win by 3 or more points and cover the spread or win by 2.0 points or less (or lose the game outright) and the Eagles cover. 

When you lose a bet by only the 0.5 margin, you often refer to it as “losing by the hook.” 

In the above example, if you had the Giants to cover -2.5 on the point spread and they won 20-18, that would be an example of losing by the hook (since you technically lost the bet by just 0.5 points). 

Removing the hook in sports betting

You can remove the hook in most bets by simply agreeing to take a reduced payout, which allows you to remove the hook and get a better number. This is also referred to as “buying the hook” (or “buying points").

If an NFL spread is set at -7.5, most online American sportsbooks will allow you to buy the hook, or remove the hook, by simply agreeing to take worse odds.  

In the above example from DraftKings, moving the spread from +1.5 to the whole number of +3.0 would remove the hook (at +1.5) but would cost you dearly in terms of payouts. While most against the spread bets pay out anywhere from -105 to -115, moving through +2.0 and +2.5 in this case would reduce your betting odds all the way down to -158. 

Typically, moving a betting line up or down by half a point in your favor (eg -3.5 to -3.0) will mean your betting odds shift from -110 to the -125/-130 range. 

How to avoid the hook in sports betting

The only way you can really avoid the hook in sports betting is to either not bet lines with hooks or simply pay to avoid the hook by choosing an alternate line spread or total with a reduced payout. 

In most cases, it’s in the best interests of sports bettors to simply embrace the hook. In certain cases, like when a number is at -6.5 or +7.5, having the hook can also be somewhat of an advantage. 

The hook at -6.5 is keeping the number below the key number of 7.0, making it a far better number to bet than if it moved to -7.0. In this case, while you would still lose if the game you were betting on finished with a 6.0 point winning margin; since 7.0 and 3.0 point winning margins are the most likely outcomes of any NFL game, the difference between taking a bet at -6.5 (vs getting it at -6.0) isn’t nearly as big a deal as taking a -7.0 line over a -6.5 line. 

Sometimes avoiding the hook so you can move through key numbers will be worthwhile. For example, if you really like a side but the betting line has moved from +7.0 to +6.5, it may be OK to buy yourself off the hook and get +7.0 or even up to +7.5, depending, of course, on how severe the change in odds would be. 

How to take advantage of the hook in sports betting

Since the hook is a number that keeps spreads or totals between whole numbers, knowing when the hook is at an important tipping point (aka around key numbers) can be crucial. 

For example, if a spread were to open at Cowboys +7.5 / Eagles -7.5 and you like the underdog Cowboys, but also think that sentiment on the Cowboys will improve as the week goes on, then grabbing the Cowboys at +7.5, with the hook, could provide you with a huge advantage over other sports bettors who wait and take the Cowboys at +7.0 or worse—when the line eventually moves in their favor.

Dec 25, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Alternatively, if you like the Eagles and figure the line will be moving toward the Cowboys, not taking the hook early in the week at -7.5 would be a smart move. 

Understanding how the hook works and how it affects a line, spread, or total will allow you to make better decisions in the long run and make more +EV bets.  

How to buy the hook in sports betting

You can buy the hook (aka remove the hook) by agreeing to take a reduced payout for a better number. 

Example: The Eagles are offered at -7.5 (-110). In order to get Eagles -7.0, you are agreeing to take them at -130 odds, instead of the -110 odds initially offered. 

When to buy the hook in sports betting

Buying the hook is usually reserved for when you want to move a spread or total down or up and past a key number. You cannot buy the hook in moneyline bets. 

Example: Buying the hook to get the Cowboys at +7.0 instead of +6.5. 

Things to watch for when buying the hook in sports betting 

The main thing to look for when buying the hook is the payout shift that is associated with the move. Every sportsbook or oddsmaker will differ slightly in terms of the odds they offer in relation to taking an alternate line or buying a hook. 

In this sense, it’s good to familiarize yourself with the practice of line shopping before you decide to buy a hook or bet an alternate line of any kind. 

Is buying the hook worth it in sports betting?

Buying the hook, and buying points in general, is not an advisable long-term strategy. The reduced payouts make it harder to be a winner over the long term. 

However, as with everything in life, there are always a few exceptions and there will be cases where you get good enough deals or odds where buying the hook becomes a good decision.

You can put these strategies into practice at DraftKings, where you can get $200 in bonus bets INSTANTLY when you sign up below and place your first bet of $5 or more: