Two kinds of numbers run through this network: prediction-market prices — the crowd's live probabilities on championships and awards — and the sportsbook lines on every game page. Here's how to read both, in plain language.
What a prediction market is
A prediction market trades yes/no contracts on real outcomes — “Will Ohio State win the Big Ten?” People who think yes buy and push the price up; doubters sell and push it down. The price is the crowd's live answer, not one bookmaker's opinion.
The price is a probability
A contract settles at $1 if the outcome happens and $0 if it doesn't, so a price in cents reads directly as a percent chance: a 68¢ YES means the market puts it at about 68%. That's exactly how the championship and award boards here turn prices into odds.
The sportsbook numbers on game pages
The spread
The point spread is the market's margin: a −6.5 favorite is expected to win by about a touchdown. “Covering” means beating that margin: the favorite winning by more, or the underdog losing by less (or winning outright).
The total (over/under)
One number for the combined final score of both teams. Betting markets price whether the real game lands over or under it. It's the market's read on pace and scoring, not on who wins.
The moneyline
A straight price on who wins, no margin involved. Negative numbers mark the favorite (−200: risk 200 to win 100); positive numbers the underdog (+170: risk 100 to win 170). The gap between them tracks how lopsided the market thinks the game is.
Line movement
Lines open early in the week and move as money and news arrive. Game pages show both the opening and current value. A spread that moved from −4 to −6.5 tells you the market got more confident in the favorite.
Where you see this here
Every game page lists per-sportsbook lines with their movement, and the game simulator plays the matchup out 10,000 times using those same numbers. Its win probability, projected score, and cover odds are all anchored to the market.
Lines are shown for information only. Nothing here is betting advice. If you choose to bet, please bet responsibly and only where it's legal.