Today’s quick tip for trying to squeeze as much out of sportsbooks as possible is to shop around for odds before making your bets.
That might be Betting 101 for a lot of you who have been working hard to get an edge since Bill Belichick’s hoodie only just one hole in it, but for anybody new to betting or just dipping their toe in the water since single-game sports betting became legal, it’s important advice.
Don Brennan’s daily hit on the world of sports betting. Whether you’re new to sports gambling or an experienced wagerer, this newsletter offers trustworthy insights into the odds game. 19+. Please gamble responsibly.
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There are plenty of sportsbooks at your disposal now, so spread your bankroll around a few of them and always look for the best odds or best line before making your wager. The team that you like in that NFL game might be -3.5 at your usual site, but -3 at a different one. That’s the difference between pushing a bet if they win by a field goal and losing your bet.
Golf is my area of expertise and it’s one of the most important sports to shop around for odds. That golfer you want to bet on to win this week’s tournament could be 20/1 on your site, but 25/1 at another. Even wider discrepancies are quite common.
Shopping around for odds becomes even more important when something dramatic changes in the game or contest you are looking to wager on.
Let’s go back to golf and imagine that this week’s heavy favourite Sam Burns withdrew from the tournament before it began. Burns is the only top 20 player in the field at the Sanderson Championship, so if he withdrew, the odds for every other favourite would be affected. You would be wise to jump in and make your bets before the odds changed if possible, and frequently some sites will react quicker than others so there is an opportunity to be had for bettors.
Same goes for a game such as Thursday’s Dolphins-Bengals game when Tua Tagovailoa was questionable to start (Spoiler alert: he probably should have sat it out). Once it was reported that Tua was indeed going to start, there was movement in the line toward the Dolphins. If you can get ahead of the line moving in those types of games you can scrape some of the edge back from the sports books. And that’s what we’re all trying to do.
Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds.