Sports betting is not short on the lingo. Sometimes the lingo doesn’t even need its own term, but the term still exists. The hook is a less frequently used term with a simple explanation.

The hook describes the half point on a point spread or total. For example, if a point spread is 6.5, the hook is .5. If the point spread is 7 points, there is no hook.

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As discussed in our point spread explainer, the half-point exists in point spreads and totals to remove the possibility of a push. Half points, goals and runs are impossible, so a line with a hook can never push. As long as the game is completed, winners and losers will be on a betting line with a hook.

Losing by the hook is when a bet loses by a half-point. In some cases, losing by the hook could be a bad beat.

The concept of the hook isn’t important to know. It’s just another term for an easily understood concept. However, the hook is important in sports betting, no matter what you call it.

Say the San Francisco 49ers opened as a 2.5-point favorite at the Arizona Cardinals. It moved to a 3-point spread and closed at 3.5 points. If you got the 49ers at -3.5 and they won 24-21, you’d have lost by the hook and be cursing the fact that you got a bad line. Anyone who got the 49ers at the opening line would have won by the hook.

Removing the hook

If you get burned by enough hooks, you may start to curse that extra half-point. It’s possible to avoid the hook by buying the half point. Dozens of alternate lines are commonly offered by sports betting books now. Even if the regular line is 49ers -3.5, it’s still possible to bet the 49ers at -3, but the odds won’t be as good. The regular line will usually have odds of -110 (or something close to that). Instead of getting the 49ers -3.5 points with -110 odds, remove the hook by taking the 49ers at -3 with, say, -125 odds.

The price of the hook will depend on the sport and the line. For example, buying a half point in football on a common point differential (for example, 3, 4 or 7) will be more expensive than if the line is 15.5.

It’s easy to buy that half-point, remove the hook, or do the opposite and get an extra half point of breathing room. Figuring out whether or not that is a good move is more complicated. Buying points can be expensive, and hooks don’t always factor in whether a bet wins or loses. If the hook is that important, the best way to do it is to shop the line and find a sportsbook with a half-point different line.