[rake922]

I could understand if all the lines change because they all find out a key player will be out of lineup.

But I see that lines move for no apparent reason at basically every book +/- around 7 minutes!

Celtics went from a 10 pt favorite to a 9 pt favorite at every book at around 11AM

[Reload]

Steam can hit the games everywhere at once. Books see the lines change on the screen at a couple of places, and they'll move it fast to protect themselves also. Having a line service does not even help sometimes when they all move so fast at the same time.

[cobra_king]

Books will follow a major books line change to protect themselves from steam players and from scalpers. For example. Pinnacle moves their line from -3 +105 to -3 +115. When this move happens, the -3 -110 books who do not move immediately with the pinnacle move will take unbalanced action on the one side, therefore exposing themselves to far more risk then they would ideally want. This action will continue almost unabated, until Pinny moves their line back to below scalpable levels, or the exposed book changes their line.

[moonbeam]

Originally Posted by cobra_king

Books will follow a major books line change to protect themselves from steam players and from scalpers. For example. Pinnacle moves their line from -3 +105 to -3 +115. When this move happens, the -3 -110 books who do not move immediately with the pinnacle move will take unbalanced action on the one side, therefore exposing themselves to far more risk then they would ideally want. This action will continue almost unabated, until Pinny moves their line back to below scalpable levels, or the exposed book changes their line.

That´s why all american sports sucks

[THE HITMAN]

It's been an intriguing question for me, I seem to see the same thing. I understand the protection against steam thing, but if a house needs action one way (team A) to balance (50% on each side) they may be asking for more lopsided action. Now, if all houses were at the 50/50 point, I could see the monkey see, monkey do thing. But they aren't. And alot of the places limit bets to a couple/few thousand per. So, how much steam could you open yourself up for? Not that much before you just make a line adjustment.
I'm just thinking that following a line service doesn't do you much justice if you inparticular have only 40% action on team A and now you are going to make them even less attractive for bettors ? ............

[BuddyBear]

Most books are too afraid to take a position on a game. They just follow the lines of really three major books (pinnacle, cris, and greek). If those lines move, there is a real good chance you'll see movement at the other books within a few minutes, or even seconds.

That's why arbing can be so dangerous.....

[Thor4140]

How about this reason. The books know they have a referee like the dirtbag who got caught last year Donagy in their back pocket so they want lopsided action one way?

Do you guys realize how impossible it is to get 50/50 action on each side? With Parlay's, teasars, reverses, it is impossible to even come close. You have a game like Memphis which started out a pk. They look so dominate last game and UCLA has basically looked like . People who have bet it to 2 would bet it to five. They wouldn't switch sides at 2.5, 3, 3.5, or even 4. If you know how to read a line you have to be insane to think these books want 50/50 action on each side. You look at the Sixers game last night they wanted everyone and there mother on Atlanta. Hot Hot Atlanta at home but the line is moving to the Sixers This is not a case of books wanting equal action on both sides.

[cobra_king]

Major books don't strive for equal action on a game, in fact i think in many cases they want a position on a game. But i think the question more relates to why other books follow the big books moves so quickly. Smaller books don't have the volume to withstand massive hits from scalpers and steam players so they are forced to move their lines in conjunction with the major books moves due to this exposure.

[Justin7]

It's simple: big players.

Winning players with computer and math guys keep winning. Their bankroll grows, until a play of their hits takes out every book you know of.

When these guys play, they try to hit all the books at the same time. If they hit just a couple of them (i.e. Pinnacle, Cris and Oly), the others will move before they get a bet. These big bettors identify the market leaders (the 3 I mentioned), and will usually hit off-screen first. In some cases, they can bet what they need without moving "the screen".

Another phenomenon you sometimes see is big players hitting books on SBR lines for the sole purpose of making other books move the line. In NFL, if you bet 30k at Pinny, 20k at Cris and 10k at Oly, you'd move all the lines. 60k in bet means you spent 6k on juice. If you want to bet 600k on the other side, paying 1% for a half-point isn't a bad deal.

If you're doing smaller markets, even mid-sized players can do it. 4k can move the screen in Arena football mid-week, and even NCAA baskets can be manipulated for less early in the week in smaller conferences.