What Does PK Mean in Betting?
When you see PK on a sportsbook, it stands for pick’em. It’s also called pk’em or pick, but they all mean the same thing. They mean that the oddsmaker doesn’t see either team as a favorite, not even by a single point.
Meaning Of PK in Betting
Placing a PK bet means that you believe that team will come out on top by any amount. The spread on PK picks is 0, so taking either team against the spread in a PK bet is effectively the same as betting on the Moneyline. The difference is the Moneyline may offer different odds for either team, while the PK spread odds will almost always be the exact same.
Getting Started with Point Spread Betting
When you bet on the spread you’re not only wagering on a potential winner but also what the margin of victory will be.
A team with a negative number in front of their spread margin is the favorite in that game. This means that when you bet on them against the spread, you are betting on them to not only win but win by greater than the allotted margin for that game. So if the Las Vegas Raiders are -3.5 against the Denver Broncos, the Raiders would have to win by at least four points to beat the spread.
On the other side of that, the team with the positive number next to it against the spread is the underdog and has a bit more leeway to beat the spread. In the same Raiders-Broncos game, the Denver Broncos would be +3.5. If they were to lose by three or fewer points, they would beat the spread. If they win the game outright, they also win against the spread.
So in a PK bet, both teams are at 0, which means that whoever wins beats the spread, no matter the margin.
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Odds of PK Betting
Typically, when you see odds when betting on the spread, they are at -110 for both sides, with slight variance possible. PK betting is no different.
If you’re wondering why the PK bet is even an option if the odds are the same, because it is essentially a Moneyline bet at that point, it’s because the odds on the Moneyline may be different. The Moneyline attracts different bettors, and different factors could give a team a very slight edge to win, according to the sportsbook, even though they have the teams even against the spread.
For example, the Buffalo Bills could be -110 on a PK spread, while on the Moneyline, they’re -112. Let’s say they’re playing the Kansas City Chiefs in this game. The Chiefs would also be -110 on the PK spread but could be -107 on the Moneyline. If you want to bet on the Bills, you’d be better off betting on the spread, while if you favor the Chiefs, the Moneyline has better odds.
The difference won’t be drastic, but sportsbooks offer PK bet odds because they do differ from the Moneyline odds rarely.
Point Spread Payout: Explained
To understand how the payouts work for a point spread, it’s easiest to look at one. Here’s an example using the NBA:
New York Knicks +4.5 (-110)
Chicago Bulls -4.5 (-110)
Based on that, you can see that the Bulls are 4.5-point favorites against the spread, which means they must win by at least five points to be a winning bet. You also see the odds at -110, which means that it roughly has an equal chance of happening as not happening.
However, the -110 is also crucial because it determines how much you get paid if your bet wins. At those odds, you win $0.91 for every $1.00 you wager. So your total payout on a $1.00 bet would be $1.91.
The odds always determine the potential payout depending on the risk of taking it, but with point spreads, they are usually -110 or somewhere in that vicinity. The odds are close to even because the point spread is supposed to take away the advantage of the favorite and give bettors better odds on them.
Here are some of the common bet amounts and the payouts at -110 odds.
| Wager | Payout |
| $5.00 | $9.55 |
| $10.00 | $19.09 |
| $20.00 | $38.18 |
| $50.00 | $95.45 |
| $100.00 | $190.91 |
| $110.00 | $210.00 |
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How to Read PK Odds
You should read PK bets the same as any Moneyline bet, where you take who you believe will win regardless of how it is done or by how much. Then, take a look at the odds compared to the Moneyline and take whichever is better for what you want, if there’s a difference.
The +0 or -0 can look confusing at first, but it’s really as simple as picking a potential winner.
Should PKs be Bet on
The beauty of a PK bet is that even though it’s against the spread, there isn’t a margin for the team that you consider a favorite to fail if they win. While even a narrow 1.5-point favorite can come up short against the spread with a one-point win, a PK pick will always beat the spread if they win.
If you like a team to win and they’re marked as a PK it’s definitely worth considering betting on them. If their odds against the spread are better than their Moneyline odds, you should absolutely bet on them as a PK pick. If they’re the same odds on the spread and Moneyline, it doesn’t make a difference either way.
While not a massive difference, a PK pick can be a way to make a couple of extra dollars than betting on the Moneyline would.
PK's and Moneylines
Although they function the same, there is a distinction between a PK pick and a Moneyline pick, which is why sportsbooks will sometimes offer both at the same time.
For starters, you can still take alternative spreads on a game, so sportsbooks have to offer a standard spread as a baseline. Buying and selling points from zero will still earn them money on the spread. You can’t take an alternative Moneyline, as the Moneyline is simply taken on the winner of the game.
Further, people bet differently on games when there is a PK spread. Moneyline bettors and spread bettors have different tendencies, especially in games that are supposed to be close. Sportsbooks know this and will use the information to help their profits.
PK Betting FAQs
What Does PK Mean in Basketball Betting?
It means that both teams have an equal chance to win on paper. The spread is 0, and if you want to bet on this game, you should pick whichever team you believe will win, as the margin of victory doesn’t matter.
What Does PK -10 Mean in Betting?
A PK -10 means that one of the teams likely has a handicap of -10. That also means that the other team could possibly be handicapped at +10. The odds offered on either of those would probably be the same.
What Does PK Mean in College Football Betting?
In football, when teams are a pick'em it means that they are equals, and there isn’t a favorite to win. It can be a useful way to bet as you only have to pick the winning team for a PK bet.
What Does PK Mean in NFL Betting?
Just like in college football, a PK pick in the NFL means that neither team is favored to win. The teams are viewed as equivalents by the sportsbook, so there isn’t a margin on the spread to worry about.
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What Does PK Mean in NHL Betting?
It means the same thing in the NHL, although the NHL puck line functions slightly differently than NFL and NBA point spreads. When you see a PK in the NHL, it means that neither team is a favorite over the other.
