![]() ![]() There is a constant battle between professional bettors looking for advantages and sportsbooks figuring out what the edge is and adapting. There are some relatively simple principles to follow when looking for good bets with that caveat out of the way. This isn’t a strategy for finding winning bets but rather a way to ensure you get the best price on a bet. The gas station around the corner sells the candy bar you want for $1. The convenience store a block away sells it for 89 cents. ![]() The grocery store across the street sells it for 79 cents. All other things being equal, you’d buy the candy bar from the grocery store. Well, the same concept applies to sports bets from different sportsbooks. This requires looking for lines at multiple sportsbooks, which isn’t always an option but has become much easier with the growth of sports betting apps. Of course, the candy bar analogy is so simple in everyday life, but let’s show how that might look in the sports betting context. Let’s say you like the Twins to beat the Indians, so you want to bet them on the moneyline, which means if the Twins win, you win, no matter what the score is. You’ve also decided you want to win $100 on your bet. The next step is to look at different sportsbooks to find the best odds. Sportsbook A has the Twins moneyline bet at -115, which means you have to bet $115 to win $100. Sportsbook B has the Twins at -113, which means you only have to bet $113 to win that same $100. Finally, Sportsbook C has the Twins listed at -120, which means you have to bet $120 to win $100. This should be as obvious as the candy bar scenario. However, instead of a candy bar, you are “buying” a Twins moneyline bet that will give you $100 in profit. If you have access to all three sportsbooks, you will place your bet at Sportsbook B. Sportsbooks intentionally have similar lines to each other because, on the rare occasion they don’t, smart bettors will find the place that has lines out of whack and bet heavily there. The Twins example is straightforward because only the odds can change on a moneyline bet. When dealing with spreads or totals, the line can also vary. Let’s look at actual lines for betting the Spurs against the spread at the Pelicans. Sportsbook A is clearly giving better odds than Sportsbook B. However, the spread is the same, and the odds are better. ![]() Sportsbook C is also clearly better than Sportsbook B. You get an extra half-point, meaning if the Spurs lose by two you win instead of pushing, and you’re also getting -109 as opposed to -110. That’s a free half point and slightly better odds you could get just by shopping lines. Sportsbook C and Sportsbook A offer different spreads. You get the extra half point at C, but A gives better odds. But, again, this is a matter of how valuable you think that half-point is. A half-point is almost always more valuable. Overall, shopping lines does little to guarantee winning bets but is a useful way to cut into the house advantage. One common strategy employed by bettors is to look at trends. Trends can be as simple as riding a team’s hot streak or betting against a team that is in a slump they can’t seem to get out of. ![]()
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