Line Shopping

Line shopping is the practice of checking odds at several different sportsbooks before placing a bet, with the goal of securing the most favorable price available. Just as a consumer might compare prices at different stores before making a purchase, a sports bettor compares the odds offered by various bookmakers on the same event. Even small differences in odds can have a meaningful impact on long-term profitability, making line shopping one of the simplest and most effective habits a bettor can develop.

Different sportsbooks frequently post different odds on the same game or proposition. These discrepancies arise because each book has its own customer base, risk exposure, and approach to setting lines. One book may shade a line toward the popular side to balance its action, while another may be slower to adjust to new information. A bettor who always accepts the first price they see is leaving money on the table compared to one who takes thirty seconds to compare options and place the wager where the number is most advantageous.

Example

You want to bet on the Dallas Cowboys as a 3-point favorite. Sportsbook A offers Cowboys -3 at -115, Sportsbook B offers Cowboys -3 at -110, and Sportsbook C offers Cowboys -3 at -105. If you place a $105 bet at Sportsbook C (-105), you win $100 profit on a Cowboys cover. At Sportsbook A (-115), you would need to risk $115 to win the same $100. Over the course of a season, consistently finding -105 or -110 instead of -115 on bets of this size saves a significant amount in juice paid, which directly translates to higher net profits.

Key Points

• Low effort, high impact: Line shopping requires minimal time and no advanced analysis, yet it is one of the most reliable ways to improve long-term results.
• Requires multiple accounts: To effectively shop for lines, bettors need funded accounts at several different sportsbooks so they can act quickly when they find the best price.
• Matters most on the margin: The difference between -110 and -105 may seem trivial on a single bet, but across hundreds of wagers it adds up to a substantial difference in overall return.
• Applies to all bet types: Line shopping is valuable for moneylines, spreads, totals, props, and futures. Any market where multiple books offer odds is a candidate for comparison.
• Odds comparison tools help: Several websites and apps aggregate odds from multiple sportsbooks in real time, making it faster and easier to identify the best available price for any given wager.