What is the opening line in sports betting?

Video lesson: What is the opening line in sports betting?
Read the transcript

What is the opening line in sports betting? The first odds posted by sportsbooks for an event. In plain terms: the opening line is the book's first guess, posted early with low limits. The market spends the week correcting it. “Has the opening line on the Jets dropped yet?” Let's use this example. A game opens Kansas City minus six on Sunday night. Money hits it all week and by kickoff it closes minus seven. Bettors who liked Kansas City got the best of it at the opener — that gap is the whole game. Lines and prices can differ by sportsbook. Nothing here guarantees a result or tells you to bet. Lines move and books differ. Nothing here is a guarantee or a command to bet — it's how the number works.

The first odds posted by sportsbooks for an event.

Read the written Opening Line lesson