Cover (Covering the Spread)
To beat the point spread set by the sportsbook. A favorite “covers” by winning by more than the spread; an underdog covers by losing by less than the spread (or winning outright).
If a fighter was favored by 3.5 points and wins by 5, he **covered** the spread. If he won by only 2, he failed to cover, meaning spread bettors on the underdog win.