What Affects the Sports Betting Line?

By Tom Wilkinson

While day to day information is combed over by the sports odds makers, it is important for sports bettors to note that many of the power ratings and other data used by the sports odds makers is made up and compiled before that sport’s season begins.

Power ratings are set by the sports odds makers and compiled by formulas and factors taken into account such as the statistics from the prior season, personnel changes, long term injuries, morale stories (good or bad). The final power rating that the sports odds makers come up with is then adjusted throughout the season based on that team’s performance.

Ultimately the sports betting odds makers will try and set a sports betting line for the online sportsbooks and casino sportsbooks that attracts equal action to both sides of the game although, in many cases, the sportsbooks and online sportsbooks don’t mind “lopsided” (unbalanced) sports betting action by sports bettors if it is on the team that is unlikely to win. If the sports books and online sportsbooks to attract equal amounts of sports betting action to both sides of a game they will pocket the 10% vigorish/juice from the losers as their profit for handling the sports wagers.

When preparing a sports betting line, the sports betting odds makers will get together and compare numbers for the game in question and also take into account the perception of the “wise guy” and “sharps” among sports bettors that will jump all over a weak sports betting line. After the group of sports betting odds makers compares their numbers and debates the merits and likely sports bettor reaction to the numbers the final sports betting line is determined.

Locale is yet another factor that you may not at first take into account when sports handicapping a game. The sports betting odds makers will often jack up the sports betting line on teams such as basketball’s Lakers, pro football’s Cowboys and college football’s Notre Dame, and baseball’s Yankees because of the tremendous public interest on those teams from sports bettors. The heavy LA presence of sports bettors in Vegas often costs LA teams value against the odds.