Sports Betting Guide and Terms - Opening Line

Definition

The opening line, in the sports betting world, refers to the literal opening of a betting line. Besides the outlaw line, it is the freshest line available to bettors. The online sportsbooks of www.pinnaclesports.com and www.betcris.com are a few of the bookmakers that offer the opening lines of sporting events.

Why bet this line?

Since the opening line is the original line set by the oddsmakers, many feel that this is the truest line possible. After the general public gets the line, the betting line usually shifts in response to the amount of money that is bet into the line. Often, these line movements affect the bettor. For example, if the opening line is basketball team A –2.5 points and closes at –5 points, but the final results show that team A won by 3 points, then bettors who backed team A at –4 and –5 points lost their bets (if they had bet team A earlier in the betting process, they would have won or at least pushed their bets). Such movements are unpredictable, and much like gambling, are part of the game. It is up to the sports gambler if he / she would want to gamble on the opening line or wait for the public to make their move. Each has its own merits and disadvantages.

Tendencies

It has been the experience of the author that opening lines change throughout the week for football and overnight for basketball (since basketball games are on a daily basis). One tendency that is predictable is the favorite in a sporting event. One rule of thumb is to bet the favorite early in the betting process and betting the underdog before the event. This is due to the public and their love and tendency to bet the favorite. The line usually shoots up against the favorite and for the underdogs. In other words, the line for the favorite becomes less attractive as more people bet into the betting line.
Public underdogs

Underdogs who have become the betting public darlings undergo a reverse in the betting process. Their lines become less attractive the more the lines are available to the general public. In this case the favorite should be bet right before game time to get the best possible lines.

Summary

In closing, the opening line is the line that is originally set by the oddsmakers. It is usually the freshest and truest line possible for a game event and is not yet influenced by public money. Not all sportsbooks offer the opening line—the offshore, internet sportsbooks that do offer opening lines include www.pinnaclesports.com and www.betcris.com.