American Betting Lines and Odds - Proven Strategies to Make the Most of Your Sports Betting Numbers

Online or off, with a reputable US Internet sportsbook or your local shady bookie, your sports betting lines decide whether you are a winner or a loser. But there are ways to ensure that you get the best possible line every time. The first step you need to take is to open an account at a legally licensed and reputable offshore US sportsbook. You can learn more about this on our American sports betting laws page. This guarantees your lines and odds are accurate and acceptable. You also need to hold accounts with at least 2 or 3 of the top online sportsbooks which honor American sports bettors. Our sportsbook reviews will assist you in finding a strong option that is a good fit for you. This always guarantees you the best possible line. And depending on when you bet, you can lay or get more or fewer points as a favorite or underdog bettor if you know when to place your wager. Let's take a look at proven strategies for getting the best sports betting lines and odds every time. If you find these strategies to maximizing your potential betting lines and odds beneficial, then you may also want to check out our sports betting tips page for additional helpful information for improving your results.

Sportsbooks like Bovada cater exclusively to US gamblers. So you will always see American betting lines on that sports betting site. At BetOnline you have your choice of American, Decimal, and Fractional odds. But as a US sports better, American betting lines and odds are what you're concerned with. Basketball, baseball and football wagers at the professional and college levels are expressed in point spreads, money lines and totals, no matter what type of bet you place. Take a look at a typical National Football League betting line:

The spread on this game is 6 1/2 points. The minus sign means that Atlanta must give up 6 1/2 points to Tampa Bay on the final score. If you take the Buccaneers, they can win outright, tie or lose by 6 points or less and still win the bet. Atlanta must win by 7 points or more if you bet on them. The +230 number means that a $100 wager on the Bucs will win $230 in profit if they win the game outright. This is betting the money line. Since the Falcons are favored, you must wager $275 to win $100 in profit if you bet on Atlanta to win the game straight up. You can also bet the total. The number 45 shows how many points both teams must combine for, either over or under, for you to win a totals bet. Take the over if you believe that more than 45 points will be scored by Atlanta and Tampa, bet the under if you think fewer than 45 points will be scored.

Bet favorites early and underdogs late. American sports betting sites do not make their money off of professional gamblers. Their profits come from public bettors. You and I know, as do the best online bookmakers, that the public loves betting favorites. So why not use this to your advantage? The number makers at sports betting sites know that public gamblers are going to move a favorite's point spread up. So if you like the favorite in a matchup, get on board early before Joe Public forces you to give up more points. The same holds true with underdogs. Wait closer to game time if you like betting on the underdog in a particular contest. For instance, if the Oklahoma City Thunder opens as a 3 1/2 point favorite over underdog Atlanta and you like the Hawks in this matchup, do not bet early. The public will pound Oklahoma City, and you could end up getting as many as 5 1/2 or even 6 points by betting the underdog late.

Even though we point out those sports betting sites that honor US gamblers while offering the most attractive betting lines and numbers, you still need to hold multiple accounts open. Think about it. If you bet sports with only one bookmaker, you have to go with the odds and payouts that company offers. However, when you have 2 or 3 sports betting accounts with different online sportsbooks, you always have a choice. It is not unheard of for 3 top rated US sports betting sites to have 3 different point spreads, money lines and/or totals on the same contest. And when you control multiple sportsbook accounts, you will begin to see trends that reveal which website offers more attractive betting lines and odds for a particular sport.

In 2012 the Atlanta Falcons made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game. They came within 5 yards of going to the Super Bowl. That year Atlanta posted a 13 - 3 record, and was 9 - 6 - 1 against the spread (ATS). In 2013 the spread and money line wagers on Atlanta reflected the previous season's success. The Falcons went just 7 - 9 ATS in 2013. The bloated lines for Atlanta based on the previous season would have cost you 3 more losses than the year before. Sportsbooks base a lot of their actions on public perceptions. If a team has a huge year, the next year they will be favored in more games and by more points, almost every time. And the reverse is true. If a usually strong football, baseball or basketball team has an awful year, you can probably find some value on that same team's betting lines the following season.