Middlers, a question for you

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Another Day, Another Dollar
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Do you more often look for lines that are just off at different books or do you more often try and predict the line moves?

Thanks
 

Rx God
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I do both. It depends on the sport as to which I do more often. I'm pretty good with bases moves, but I want a portion of the season to go by first. I'll take Steam maker's O/N NBA moves. With NFL it's not hard, esp. MNF games around a 7 spread, or the late Sun game.

Many profitable middles ( in theory) abound in college anything with enough books, those I will play blindly. If it's there, in real time I take it some I plan for, some I just find.
 

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Both

At what percentage?

Probably more so on the prediction of line movement.

---FISH---
scalper
 

Another Day, Another Dollar
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When you guess wrong on the line, do you just have to settle for eating the vig if you can't get out?
 

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The General said:
When you guess wrong on the line, do you just have to settle for eating the vig if you can't get out?

Yes, but with various outs and monitoring of the lines, usually get out at a fairly cheap price.

Very rare to guess wrong where the line actually moves the OTHER way.

---FISH---
 

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As an example say a game opens -4.5 and suppose 90% of the shops have the game at -5 and you see a -4.5 out there and you gobble it up.

Almost impossible that line will go BELOW -4.5 ........and a very good chance it will go over -5 if one thinks it should and possibly will go to -6.

This is just one of many scenarios one can employ as a scalper/middler.

---FISH---
 

Rx God
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The General said:
When you guess wrong on the line, do you just have to settle for eating the vig if you can't get out?

I've done that many times, but far more often it moves right. I eat the vig on occasion ( buy back same line), but I overbet my position to start with planning a buyback for a middle. I bet unequal middles. Money management is needed, you can't hang 10 % of BR out there and get stuck with a 5-point move against.

If stuck with a negative move that I couldn't really buy back ( reasonably), I'd ride it out and hope for the best, that's why there is a limit on what % -age you can bet, without taking great risk. 20 % is way too much ! I'll say about 8% max, on a move prediction for a middle, and that's pushing it hard, real HARD ! That's with planning to take the other side for a portion.

I keep normal bets around 2-4 %, sometimes less.
 

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In bases I look for overnight sides that I expect to show enough movement. Also like to look for simultaneous totals, say 8.5 and 9/9.5 where I can get a cheap or free side/middle.
 

Rx God
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Woody0 said:
In bases I look for overnight sides that I expect to show enough movement. Also like to look for simultaneous totals, say 8.5 and 9/9.5 where I can get a cheap or free side/middle.

What's a half run worth to you on 9, for example ? At what point would you take over 8.5 and under 9, hoping for a 5-4 or similar final score, to side the total ?
 

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I like to calculate the return, if it hits, against my net cost. In the above case I need about 20-1. I just find it easier this way rather than thinking in terms of how much vig a half run is worth.

For example over 8.5 (-105) and under 9 (-105) costs $5 if 9 doesn't hit for a return of $100 if it does. I'm conservative and usually don't play anything worse than this.
 

Rx Wizard
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Fishhead said:
As an example say a game opens -4.5 and suppose 90% of the shops have the game at -5 and you see a -4.5 out there and you gobble it up.

Almost impossible that line will go BELOW -4.5 ........and a very good chance it will go over -5 if one thinks it should and possibly will go to -6.

This is just one of many scenarios one can employ as a scalper/middler.

---FISH---
been researching some stuff all nite and ran across this. This is for anyone, the above example is based off of openers only, correct? What time does openers come out, and on average how long to you see a similar move like the above one. This wouldn't be advised off of middle of day move correct? Any more info on this would be great.
 

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ice man said:
been researching some stuff all nite and ran across this. This is for anyone, the above example is based off of openers only, correct? What time does openers come out, and on average how long to you see a similar move like the above one. This wouldn't be advised off of middle of day move correct? Any more info on this would be great.

Openers come out at OLY, CRIS, PINNY, and a few other places in the early evening prior to next days games.

Yes, early morning(like right now), are a great time to monitor lines and pick up valuable information.

TIP- In the middle of the day, many sportsbooks are sleeping because the action is SO SLOW they are not monitoring the action...........this is often a good time to pounce.
 

Rx Wizard
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do you advise this at all on cbb (read where your not a huge cbb middler). I picked up Citadel +14 -105 (now -13/13.5 everywhere but Pinny) and Elon +3 -105 (-2.5 most places). Just small token bets while trying to learn this and if the line starts to go back my way I have some time to react. I feel the reduced juice is the key in this.
 

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ice man said:
do you advise this at all on cbb (read where your not a huge cbb middler). I picked up Citadel +14 -105 (now -13/13.5 everywhere but Pinny) and Elon +3 -105 (-2.5 most places). Just small token bets while trying to learn this and if the line starts to go back my way I have some time to react. I feel the reduced juice is the key in this.

Reduced juice is a BIG key...........you will find that the juice is actually more important than the number many times, as for example many places do not move off the number.

Wish I could explain all this better to you, but it is virtually impossibe in this setting.
 

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NCAA BBall other then poor openers, most of the lines start to get hit around 11:00 am or even a little later now. Seems like some books are throwing up lines later and later every year. My guess is sharp groups are waiting so they can hit #s across the screen.
 

SportsOptions/Line up with the pros
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You guys are right, the juice is key in all of this. Amazing how many people look at everything first before that though. It's funny watching Pinnacle manipulate the sqaures where they want them with how they do their juice. Speaking of Pinnacle be careful with their leans, they got the best price on Citadel right now because they want you on that side. Many sharps will tell you that place is the toughest for them to beat. I got to say too, that Citadel team is horrible, might be the worst team in Division I, if not they are close.

One other thing that is just my opinion. Personally I am more comfortable taking leads when I go with the chalk in these big spread games. It's not always right and you figure what works best for you but I believe you got more upside when you do that early rather than taking the dog. For instance just glancing at LiveLines you can see that San Diego opened at 9-, now the price is 11- and 12. Gonzaga opened 8- and is 9- at most places, good chance it will go up some more. It's less likely you will take a +14 early and then see the line drop all the way down to 10 than it is the other way.

Don't get me wrong, this is my own opinion. I work best this way and have a better feel but it might be totally different for you. Follow it and come to your own conclusions. Tonight for example if given the choice I'd have taken the other side of the Citadel game at 13 (-105) if available rather than the +14 (-105) side of it. I think the game has a better chance of rising two points to 15 than it does dropping two points to 12. Could be wrong, let's see what happens. Like Fish says this stuff is so hard to get across typing in a forum, anyway good luck man.
 

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McIrish--agree

Here is an ANGLE that I LOVE to use........

If PINNY is considerably low on the moneyline with a FAVORITE..........love taking the points with the underdog at a shop where I can find the highest number.

:103631605 :103631605
 

SportsOptions/Line up with the pros
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Me too Fish, love it. Pick my spots but been doing that for quite a while now with solid results. They are telling us where we need to be on these games, we just have to "listen".
 

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