Against the Spread (ATS)

Definition:

In sports betting, ATS (Against the Spread) records track how often a team covers the spread, rather than just winning or losing games outright. A team’s ATS record may differ significantly from their win-loss record.

They serve two main purposes:

1. Help bettors evaluate a team’s betting performance independent of actual wins and losses.

2. Identify trends (ex. strong home ATS team, weak road ATS team).

Real-World Example

• The New York Giants finish the season with a 6–11 win-loss record.

• But against the spread, they went 10–7 ATS, meaning they covered more often than they won.

• Bettors backing the Giants ATS would have been profitable despite their poor season.