Line Shopping: The Free Edge Everyone Ignores

The single easiest way to improve your betting results costs nothing and takes minutes. It's line shopping—having accounts at multiple sportsbooks and always betting where the odds are best.

Here's an example from last Sunday: I wanted to bet on the Eagles -3.5. At my primary book, the odds were -115. I checked three other books. One had Eagles -3.5 at -105. Same bet, better price. Over hundreds of bets, that difference adds up to thousands of dollars.

Why most people don't line shop:

Laziness. It's easier to just use one app.

Spreading bankroll feels uncomfortable. Having $1,000 at one book feels more substantial than having $250 at four books.

Unawareness. Many casual bettors don't realize lines differ significantly between books.

Let me make the math concrete:

Assume you make 300 bets per year at an average stake of $100. If you don't line shop and pay an average of -115 instead of the best available -105, you're paying $10 extra per bet. That's $3,000 per year in unnecessary vig.

Even if you only find better lines on half your bets and the average savings is $5 per bet, you're still talking $750 per year. For minutes of extra work.

My line shopping system:

I maintain accounts at eight sportsbooks. I keep them funded based on how often they have the best lines. The ones that rarely have competitive odds get minimal deposits.

I use an odds comparison site to quickly see all available lines for any bet I'm considering. Takes about 30 seconds.

I wait until closer to game time for big bets. Lines converge as kickoff approaches, but sometimes you'll find an outlier book that hasn't adjusted.

Beyond point spreads:

Line shopping is even more valuable for player props and totals. The variance between books on props can be enormous. I've seen the same player over/under listed as 24.5 at one book and 27.5 at another.

Same for futures. Championship odds vary wildly between books. Always shop before locking in a futures bet.

The bottom line:

Line shopping is free money. There's no strategy, no analysis, no risk—just taking the best price available. If you're not doing it, you're handicapping yourself before you even pick a side.