Spreads on Splash are automatically populated and updated through our data provider, Sportradar. Commissioners do not need to wait for Splash to manually enter spreads each week.
Understanding the difference between when spreads become available, when they lock, and when entrants can make picks is important when configuring your contest.
When are spreads added?
Spreads are automatically populated as soon as they become available from Sportradar. In many cases, this can happen more than a week before the games are played, usually populated on Tuesday week of.
There is no specific day or time when Splash manually enters the spreads.
Once a spread is available, it can continue to update dynamically as the line changes.
What is the Spread Lock Time?
The Spread Lock Time determines when the spreads stop dynamically updating for that week's games.
For example, if your Spread Lock Time is set to Tuesday at 12:00 PM ET:
Spreads may appear before Tuesday.
Those spreads may continue changing as updated lines are received.
At Tuesday at 12:00 PM ET, the spreads lock.
Once locked, the spreads will no longer update and those lines will be used for grading.
The Spread Lock Time does not determine when spreads first appear.
What does Picks Availability control?
Picks Availability determines when entrants can begin making their selections. This is separate from the Spread Lock Time.
If you select “Do not allow picks until spreads are set,” entrants can make picks after the previous slate has finished and spreads for the upcoming slate are available.
Because Sportradar may provide those spreads well in advance, entrants may be able to access the upcoming picksheet before the Spread Lock Time.
Does “spreads are set” mean the spreads are locked?
No.
A spread being “set” means a spread is available for the game. It does not mean the spread has reached your contest's Spread Lock Time.
Spreads can be available for entrants to pick against while still dynamically updating.
A simple way to remember the difference is:
Picks Availability = when entrants can begin making picks.
Spread Lock Time = when the spreads stop changing.
Example
Suppose your contest is configured with:
Spread Lock Time: Tuesday at 12:00 PM ET
Picks Availability: Do not allow picks until spreads are set
Sportradar provides the upcoming week's spreads on Monday.
Once the previous slate has finished and those spreads are available, entrants may be able to access the new picksheet on Monday and begin making selections.
The spreads can continue updating throughout Monday and Tuesday morning. At 12:00 PM ET on Tuesday, they lock and will no longer change.
Therefore, setting your Spread Lock Time to Tuesday does not mean the upcoming picksheet will remain unavailable until Tuesday.
Why is this different from RYP or OFP?
Commissioners coming from RunYourPool or OfficeFootballPool may remember spreads being manually entered around a specific time each week.
On Splash, spreads are automatically populated from Sportradar instead.
The default Spread Lock Time of approximately Tuesday at 12:00 PM ET was selected because it closely aligns with when spreads were historically entered manually on RYP and OFP. However, on Splash, spreads can now appear earlier and continue updating until the selected Spread Lock Time.
This allows the system to automatically receive and maintain current spreads throughout the week without requiring a manual weekly spread upload.