Margin of cover is a long-time tool of original cappers used to measure the reliability of the often deceptive ATS and OU records. It is much like margin of victory, except it measures margin relative to the point spread or OU. With over-under, “overs” are listed first. Some Johnny-Come-Lately handicappers call this the sweat barometer.
Best teams to bet on at Bovada
Team ATS Record ATS margin
| North Texas | 3-1-0 | 20.0 |
| App State | 2-0-0 | 19.2 |
| Fresno St | 2-1-0 | 18.3 |
| Texas Tech | 3-1-0 | 15.8 |
| Alabama | 3-1-0 | 14.4 |
| Florida Intl | 4-0-0 | 13.9 |
| Utah State | 4-0-0 | 13.9 |
Best teams to bet against this season at Betonline
Team ATS Record ATS margin
| Nebraska | 0-3-0 | -18.0 |
| Louisville | 0-4-0 | -17.9 |
| Florida St | 1-3-0 | -16.8 |
| Rutgers | 1-3-0 | -16.5 |
| Fla Atlantic | 0-4-0 | -14.6 |
| UCLA | 1-2-0 | -13.8 |
| N Mex State | 1-4-0 | -13.8 |
Best over teams at MyBookie
Team OU Record OU margin
| Toledo | 3-0-0 | 22.2 |
| Houston | 3-1-0 | 18.1 |
| Penn State | 4-0-0 | 17.6 |
| App State | 2-0-0 | 17.2 |
| Utah State | 4-0-0 | 15.5 |
| Nevada | 3-1-0 | 14.0 |
| S Alabama | 4-0-0 | 12.8 |
Best under teams at MyBookie
Team OU Record OU margin
| E Carolina | 1-2-0 | -15.8 |
| Louisville | 1-3-0 | -15.8 |
| Stanford | 1-3-0 | -14.9 |
| Utah | 1-2-0 | -13.5 |
| Ball State | 0-4-0 | -13.0 |
| Washington | 0-4-0 | -11.5 |
As an example, if a team is a 10-point favorite and wins by 20 points, their margin of cover would be 10. The losing team would be -10. Likewise, if the total is 50 and 40 points are scored, each team would have an OU margin of -10. Joe Duffy of OffshoreInsiders.com has used this tool for years, but check out his picks to find out precisely how.