This is a middle bet because of the overlap of the different spreads. Taking an underdog at +4.5 on one sportsbook and then taking the favorite at -1.5 with another sportsbook is a middle bet. Generally in ATS betting a middle bet requires you to take the underdog team for a larger positive spread compared to the favorite team at a smaller negative spread. Moneyline markets can’t be used for middle betting as there is no total or spread attached to it, meaning it is impossible to create a scenario where both bets could win, which is the goal of betting on the middle.
The most common market used for middling is betting ATS, however betting on the total and player props is also viable. You can bet on the Middle through placing bets on any market which has a total or spread associated with it. Here the bettor will win both bets, in other words, “catch the middle”. An example of this would be if a bettor bets on the Chicago Bulls -4.0 and New York Knicks +6.0 and the game ends 110 -105 to Chicago. The idea is to bet on both sides of the spread or total in order to create a situation where one of the bets is guaranteed to win, while both bets could also win.
A Middle is a situation where a bettor takes advantage of differing spreads or totals across multiple sportsbooks.
