If you are a bettor who limits yourself to just one sportsbook, you might want to rethink that strategy. It’s just like shopping for a car or any other item. One dealer has the car for $30,000, but another dealer has the same exact one for $27,000.
The same is true in the sports betting market and sharps will tell you that shopping for the best lines is definitely worth doing. It may be a little harder to find that great deal today with lines being more consistent from book to book, but they are out there.
HOW DO BOOKIES MAKE MONEY?
Consider the following. If you bet 1,000 games at -110, you need to win 524 of those just to break even. Betting the same 1,000 games at -105 means you only have to win 513. It’s hard enough to make profits in the betting industry. Why not take advantage of shopping the best lines and make more?
Point Spread Bets
Point spreads are pretty consistent on NFL and NBA games, for example, across sportsbooks. But, remember the goal of a sportsbook is to bring in identical action on both sides of the bet. There are times where you find different odds on the same game. Let’s look at an example.
Chicago Bulls +7.5 (-110)
Toronto Raptors -7.5 (-110)
The above scenario is typical of most sportsbooks. Let’s say that Toronto will be without star Pascal Siakam and you believe the Bulls will cover the 7.5-point spread. To win $100, you must wager $110.
Then you find the same game at a different sportsbook.
Chicago Bulls +7.5 (-105)
Toronto Raptors -7.5 (-110)
To win that same $100, you would only need to wager $105 at this sportsbook. Which one would you choose? It’s like buying the car for $27,000 as compared to $30,000.
America’s Bookie Delivers Real Time Sports Betting Odds
Looking at -105 compared to -110 might not seem like a huge difference. As a bettor though, you have to make every dollar count. If you can find -105 odds on 1,000 games, remember you don’t need to win as many times as you do with the odds at -110.
Moneyline Bets
If you are not line shopping for moneyline bets, you really need to check your strategy. The value in finding the best moneyline is a given. The more favorable your odds, the more money you can win. There are always plenty of wagering options.
Since sportsbooks want to attract equal action on both sides, they will tend to shade the moneyline in either direction as it gets closer to game time. Doing so will facilitate more action on one side or the other. This happens frequently with big sporting events like the Super Bowl or March Madness.
Find the Best Lines
Shopping for the best betting lines was easy when online sportsbooks were relatively new. Now that the market is flooded with sportsbooks, lines are pretty consistent with current market value. Still, if you do the research, there are always great deals to be found.
Check out the top online betting sites for the sports in which you are interested. You can shop NFL, NBA, and other major sports lines at a number of sites via the web.It will take some work, but the reward is higher profits.
