A +1.5 spread is commonly seen in baseball betting, the standard runline  for MLB. This spread means the underdog must win outright or lose by exactly one run to cover the spread. Alternatively, a -1.5 spread means that the favorite must win by at least two runs. Many baseball games are decided by fewer than two runs.

When you points bet, your profit or loss on a game is based on how many points your bet wins or loses by. If your bet wins by two points, you win twice your bet amount. If your bet wins by 10 points, you win 10 times your bet. But if your bet loses by two points, you lose twice your bet amount.