Line Shopping for the Best Odds
If you want to minimize your losses and be as successful as possible it is important to first manage your bankroll well and then shop around for the best lines (line shopping). Sports betting is a fun activity full of thrills and intrigue but there is no need to risk major loss when you do not have to.
There are ways to maximize your winning potential and shopping for the best possible lines is key to this process. In order for this to be as profitable as possible choose among the very top recommended online sportsbooks that are New Zealand friendly and find the one offering the best lines.
Not all punters shop around for the best lines but even casual bettors will gain an advantage by having the better lines. This is one of the easier things to do when it comes to sports betting which can get complex when it comes to comparing odds and understanding the ins and outs of them.
What Line Shopping Actually Means
Just like purchasing anything of value, you must first shop around to find the best prices. Line shopping is much the same because it means you are finding the best odds that have the highest return for your bet.
The aim is to decide on a line, or type of bet, and compare them amongst a handful of New Zealand’s top online sportsbooks.
This entire process can become far more involved if you are a serious punter but everyone should consider the basic best line available if they are serious about winning. The lines offering the best return are the ones that should always be chosen.
Basic Examples of Line Shopping
Three common types of bets available at NZ mobile betting sites online are money lines, point spreads and totals. These require you to either pick a winning team or a total number of points.
A team or points favoured to win will have a certain number of odds associated with them. This is the probability of that team winning or that number of points being scored.
Each online sportsbook may have a slightly different line such as a team favoured to win by a certain number of points that differ by even half a point. If the line is 6.5 at one site and 7 at another it is best to choose the 7 because the odds are higher with a better return.
Common Line Shopping Terms Explained
Two major terms found when line shopping include steam chasing and stale lines. Steam chasing is when one side of the bet gets a lot more money than the other. The line will then jump to attract punters to bet on the other side.
Stale lines relate to steam chasing where one line starts moving, all online sportsbooks start to move that same line.
One may however be too slow to move the line which makes it a stale line. These can be profitable if caught in time because the return will be much higher than those that have started the move.