buying points in basketball could be the most foolish thing a bettor can do. there can be decent arguments made for occasionally buying points in a football game, but there is no decent argument for ever buying points in a basketball game. very simply, if you think the half point will matter in a hoops game then there is no reason to bet that game in the first place especially considering there are plenty of games to choose from that night, the next night, and the next week. in football, all points are 'earned'. in basketball, teams can get free points standing 80 feet from the hoop.
tell me that you never lost a basketball game by half a point..how many games fall compared to football?? Have to respectfully disagree with you on this issue...
ive lost plenty of games by a half point. and ill lose my share by a half point this upcoming season as well.
but ill give up handicapping hoops before i give the bookmaker a +120 edge on my wagers.
its not going to happen.
trying to beat the books laying -110 is a challenge enough. but to lay -120 is downright silly. 20% edge on a bet every night? no thanks.
the people who buy points consistently LOVE to have a (+4.5) underdog lose by 4 in the final seconds so they can say 'see, thats why i buy points', as if that justifies the decision.
but they never say much when their +4.5 and +7.5 dogs lose by 13 and 17 and they routinely give away even more money in juice to the books.
the -120s, -120s, and -120s over the months will put you at more of a disadvantage than the few times getting a push or W on a 'bought hook' will.
i know this is one of those round-and-round debates. but with all the books out there, nobody should ever have to 'buy' anything from books when a little shopping and a little discipline will get you the same advantage at no cost.
big difference between a guy trying to isolate a game and choosing to take the number out to 7 with a clear purpose
.... and then the guys who are buying points on every game on the board just because they 'want the extra cushion' and dont want the chance of 'losing by the hook'
the former, again, has a clear purpose and has a method behind his madness.
the latter, unfortunately, is just a scared bettor who would rather give -120 on his bets every night than have to deal with the world tragedy of an occasional 1/2 point loss. buying the pts allows him to sleep extra well at night because he can win two or three times a season on the hook while ignoring the rapings he's taking giving -120 on all of his other losses.
the player buying half points on 2-3 basketball games a night is the one that is welcomed with wide open arms by books.
and in the once-a-season case where a guy who bought points on all 3 of his games happens to wins them all by the hook, the books would/should pay the guy quickly and with a smile on their face because they will have an enormous edge on all of his action in the future if they can keep him playing there and buying pts 2-3 times a night.
huge difference between a systematic approach toward occasionally moving the line with the buy on a game you have isolated, and then the other side where you have guys just flat out donating money to the books with -120, -120, 120 simply because they like the safety cushion as well as the thrill of winning a game by the hook and, ostensibly, 'pulling one over' on the books becuse they were wise enough to buy the hook (oxymoron)
VD poses: What about the player who wins two or three times a night buying those half points...happens way more than you think...
SH: No it doesn't. As noted earlier in the thread, the 1/2 point only plays in occasionally and if you're giving up 10cents extra per wager you'll burn up any gain you may receive from the far less than one in ten WinsDueToHalfPoint.
Baskets is my favorite sport to bet because it is so actuarial in nature with such a large statistical sample. I much prefer to "Give points" and get plus pricing. Right now, I'm not aware of any book other than Pinny that permits that. Anyone help me with this?
SH: No it doesn't. As noted earlier in the thread, the 1/2 point only plays in occasionally and if you're giving up 10cents extra per wager you'll burn up any gain you may receive from the far less than one in ten WinsDueToHalfPoint.
Baskets is my favorite sport to bet because it is so actuarial in nature with such a large statistical sample. I much prefer to "Give points" and get plus pricing. Right now, I'm not aware of any book other than Pinny that permits that. Anyone help me with this?
My half point calculator may provide bettors with a good estimate of the value of buying or selling a half point on the margin.
