Line shopping is the key that unlocks the best odds and lines at top sports betting sites.
The process is as simple as checking the lines and odds for your prospective bet at multiple online sports betting sites. The result is quite often better odds and improved lines.
What is line shopping, and why is it worth your time? Find the answers below in our complete guide to line shopping.
How do sportsbooks set odds and lines?
The best sportsbooks employ oddsmakers and oddsmaking services to set their lines and odds.
Other sports betting apps simply copy those lines. The oddsmakers and oddsmaking services use computer models and algorithms that consider analytics, statistics, injury and roster news, performance, matchup data, and more to develop the lines and odds.
Betting lines and odds are then subject to change based on the betting public’s reaction and any additional information that comes to light ahead of the game. Sportsbooks will move the line or change the odds if the public bets heavily on one side.
Every sportsbook’s goal is to even out the betting on both sides of every bet. That allows sportsbooks to earn the profit built into the odds and lines without worrying about which side wins.
The betting is rarely the same at every sportsbook. While one sportsbook may be forced to move a line or change the odds because of betting, another won’t. That’s when you’ll spot a difference between sportsbooks. This difference may allow you to book a bet at improved odds or a more favorable line.
The lines and odds may even be different right from the jump. Either way, the differences are why line shopping always makes sense. Shop around, and you can find opportunities to lay less, win more, and improve your chances.
Shop for the best lines at online sportsbooks
Below is a live odds feed that shows you the differences between lines and odds for the same bets at many of the top sportsbooks in the country. Look here for current opportunities.
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