Opening line
What does "opening line" mean in sports betting?
The opening line is the first price a sportsbook posts on a game or market, before news and betting money start moving it.
Opening lines start as the oddsmaker's estimate. As information and bets come in, the price moves toward the close. Books often take smaller bets early and raise their limits as they gain confidence in the number.
Betting the opener can get you a number the market later moves away from, which is positive closing line value. It also means betting before late news, like an injury, is out.
Example
A team opens -120 (54.55% implied) and closes -140 (58.33% implied). A $100 bet at the open pays $83.33 in profit. The same bet at the close pays $71.43.
Related terms
Moneyline
A moneyline bet is a wager on which team or fighter wins outright, with no point spread involved.
Implied probability
Implied probability is the win chance a price suggests. It turns odds into a percentage so you can compare them with your own estimate.
Closing line value (CLV)
Closing line value (CLV) measures whether you got a better price than the final price before the game started. Beating the closing line consistently is one of the best signs of a real edge.
Line movement
Line movement is when a sportsbook changes a spread, total, prop or price after it opens, usually because of news or the money coming in.
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