Moneyline — who wins, period
The simplest pick. You pick a side, they win, you cash. The price tells you the implied probability: -200 means the book thinks that team wins ~67% of the time; +150 implies ~40%. Moneylines on heavy favorites pay terribly; underdog moneylines are where casual fans find the most value.
Spread — who wins by how much
The book handicaps the favorite by a number of points. If the Lakers are -6.5 vs the Pistons, they must win by 7+ for spread bettors to cash. The spread evens out lopsided matchups so both sides pay roughly the same (-110). Used everywhere because it's the closest thing to a 50/50 line a book can offer.
Total (over/under) — combined score
Doesn't care who wins. You're picking whether the two teams combined score more or fewer points than a number. NBA totals usually sit around 220 points; soccer totals around 2.5 goals. Totals are great when you have a read on pace, weather (soccer), or injuries to defenders.
Which one to track on a leaderboard
Moneylines are the cleanest to grade — there's no half-point math, no pushes (in the NBA), no debate. That's why FanRivo defaults to moneyline picks on the leaderboard. If you're tracking your skill over time, moneylines give you the truest signal.