How to Shop for Betting Odds as Lines Shift
Picking out a fantasy eleven creates some tricky scenarios when a decision simply boils down to the transfer fund. It may not be possible to get the exact team that you want because of the wiggle room left in your budget, which is related to the game’s market value.
Just like having to decide whether to pick Lewis Dunk over Harry Maguire, when it’s time to swing by the bookies, things are not just as simple as grabbing the first odds that you see. Not all £5 million rated defenders are the same, and neither are betting odds.
The bookmakers are far from being the same, too. So it’s important to go shopping and look through football odds and fixtures because just like picking up the best deal on your fantasy holding midfielder, you also want to maximise your value in odds.
Small Margins
The upticks and slides in market odds are finely nuanced things. You aren’t going to see Liverpool priced up at even money at one bookmaker when everywhere else across the board they are 3/10 odds-on favourites to win a match.
It’s small margins. Small margins make a big difference. Shaving half a million off the price of a backup defender, for example, can help you push the boat out on picking a better-starting midfielder. An extra point here and there in odds can stack up to a positive.
How to Shop for Odds
There are a couple of ways to approach shopping for odds. The first is the manual approach. That’s when you directly visit different betting sites to see what the current odds on your preferred selection are at the time.
Punters often leverage positions by holding an account with more than one bookie. Then it’s a matter of seeing which has the best price and betting with them. The other approach is using an odds comparison tool online.
These will scour a bigger number of betting sites and indicate the industry-best quote on the option. It’s a great tool, but not always practical if you don’t want to register with countless bookies.
But an odds comparison can show what you can expect to be good value. You will see what the top price is, for example, and if your bookie gives you something at least close to it, then you should be satisfied.
Averages
No punter gets the very best price on every single betting selection that they make. It’s not feasible, especially as the odds shift around from one moment to the next. So the goal is to look at the bigger, long-term picture and get a good average.
It’s about finding the bookmakers that consistently give close-to-the-best quotes on your preferred bets.
Using Line Movement
Patience plays a big part in getting the best odds. It’s well worth planning your bets and then taking a couple of days to watch how the market is reacting. You could wait until the line moves in your favour and judge when the best value is.
Generally, the better odds are going to be taken early, however. That’s before the bulk of the public support comes in and makes things erratic. The opening odds on a market are set by bookie traders, which are a decent initial representation of probability and typically involve more risk, because of unknown variables like injuries and tactics.
What Influences Odds Movement?
Many things cause the odds to shift. Naturally, strong teams are quoted as favourites when a market opens. But then once punters start making their wagers, the bookie ideally wants a balanced book.
So the more money that goes on the home win in Man City vs Man Utd, the shorter the odds will get for that option. That’s to try to tempt punters to get some action on the lengthening odds on the away win for balance and less liability.
There are other things, like team news changes, especially injuries to key players. Sometimes the markets won’t swing in your favour. Sometimes they will.
Looking for Offers
If you hit up the grocery store, one of the first things you probably do is look at sale prices and what may be on special offer. The same approach can be done to get a boost of odds by looking at deals like enhanced price boosts or money-back specials.
It’s recommended not to just grab a betting bonus because it’s there, especially if it involves placing a bet on something that you don’t usually wager on. The offer should fit your betting pick.
If it’s accas for example, then look for an acca boost where a bonus is paid on a successful bet. This can add value, even if it’s not the best initial odds on the table for your selection.
