Definition of Buying Points

What does the term "buying points" mean in the world of betting? What is the definition of "buying points"?

If you bet on the NFL or college football, you have likely come across the term "buying points".

A typical line for a game may look like this:

USC, -15, -110
Washington, +15, -110

So, if you want to take Washington +15 points, you would receive a 90% return on your investment if they end up covering.

But what if you want to "buy points"? For instance, what if you want 20 points and not 15?

You can accomplish this by "buying" points. Let's consider the following line on Washington where you are buying five points:

Washington, +20, -275

So, in this case, if Washington loses by less than 20 points, you would win your bet. HOWEVER, the odds are significantly worse.

In the first case (Washington, +15), you would need to bet $110 in order to win $100 in profit back.

In the second case (Washington, +20), you would need to bet $275 in order to win $100 in profit back.

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This is "buying points" - the more points you buy, the better chance you have of winning. Of course, when buying points you are also sacrificing return.