A +1.5 spread is commonly seen in baseball betting, the standard runline for MLB. This spread means the underdog must win outright or lose by exactly one run to cover the spread. Alternatively, a -1.5 spread means that the favorite must win by at least two runs. Many baseball games are decided by fewer than two runs.
A spread of +7 means the underdog must either win the game or lose by fewer than 7 points to win the bet. Let's say an NFL game is listed like this: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers. Team Line.