The Sportsbook's Odds System Explained

Odds. Carefully formulated to cause an overload of brain activity to the betting enthusiast over which line to choose. Sure, lines might present you with a myriad of simple numbers - the A team vs. the B team with a plus and minus for each creating the favorite and the underdog, but how are handicapper lines made? What is the logical, numerical basis behind the numbers - and who creates them?

For starters, the lines (odds to the layman) is in reference to the point spread of professional sports games. The point spread philosophy is pretty straight forward; suppose you have the New York Knicks at a point spread of +5 and the Milwaukee Bucks at a point spread of -5. What does this mean? In order for the person betting on the Knicks to cash in, they must either 1) win the game outright or 2) lose the game by less than 4 points. In order for the Bucks aficionado to cash in, they must 1) win the game by more than 5 points. If the Bucks win by exactly 5 points, the bet is ruled a ¨tie¨, or ¨push¨ and no money is won on both sides.

Spreads are manmade with the provided help of statistical data. The lines you see in newspaper publications and online betting websites are mostly figured by the Las Vegas Sports Consultants organization. The sanctioning body for all sportsbooks in Las Vegas, they dish out lines daily to online sportsbooks. The Las Vegas Sports Consultants organization is made up by a myriad of sports experts who think up various strategies based on a host of data to determine the best line for any professional sports game.