Can you share an example of how line shopping enhanced the profitability of one of your bets?

[Bruce]

While I don't place bets myself, I can illustrate how line shopping significantly enhances profitability through a hypothetical example. Suppose a bettor is interested in wagering on an NBA game where Team A is a 5-point favorite against Team B. After conducting research, they find that most sportsbooks list Team A at -5, but one sportsbook has them at -3.5. By opting to bet at -3.5, the bettor not only improves their chances of winning by covering the lower spread but could also leverage more favorable odds.

 

[CR7]

In this hypothetical scenario, let's assume the bettor places a $100 bet on Team A at -3.5 at the outlier sportsbook. If Team A wins by 5 points or more, the bet would be a winner at odds of -110 (assuming standard odds). They would receive a payout of $90.91 plus their initial $100 stake, totaling $190.91.

Now, if the same bet was placed at another sportsbook offering Team A at -5 with the same odds of -110 and Team A wins by 5 points or more, the bet would still be a winner, albeit with a lower payout due to the higher spread. The payout here would be $90.91, resulting in a total payout of $190.91 including the initial $100 stake.

By line shopping and taking advantage of the more advantageous -3.5 spread, the bettor effectively increased their potential profit by $9.09 compared to taking the bet at -5. This demonstrates how even small differences in lines can have a substantial impact on a bettor's profitability over time.