Do you want to know why the pointspread moved from -7 to -8 on your favorite team last week? Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at a Sportsbook? If you’ve answered yes to either question, then you’ve come to the right place. In the weeks and months ahead, this column will … Read more
Last week, I discussed what a pointspread really represents. For those of you that missed the article, I will recap here. The pointspread is not the handicapper’s predicted margin-of-victory, but it is in fact the handicapper’s opinion of what number will be required to split the wagering evenly on both teams. Now I will discuss … Read more
Last week, I discussed how a pointspread is derived by a sportsbook. Now that we know where spreads come from, we can discuss how best to take advantage of them. One of my most memorable lessons as a novice bookmaker in Costa Rica was from one of the nicest and funniest guys you will meet … Read more
Last week, I discussed how shopping around for the best number can really help you make more money. Now I want to talk a little more about why the numbers are different at different sportsbooks. As discussed earlier, sportsbooks make their money by withholding a small commission on winning wagers. If Player A bets on … Read more
Last week, I explained how and why sportsbooks try to balance action. Now would be a good point to take a break from the weekly lessons and review everything that has been discussed to date with a look at a week’s worth of football games at Bodog Sportsbook from the House’s view. I want to … Read more
Last week, I introduced the terms public money and sharp money and went over in detail the reasoning behind the line moves for the first round of NFL playoff games. This week I wanted to talk about key numbers and the NFL was kind enough to provide a couple of textbook cases. Based on the … Read more