Balance in Sports Betting

Balance.

Yup, this is the very word bookies always practice. Of course, they do this to make any betting proposition as favorable to them as possible. They just want you to think that they are just making it fair for us bettors but it's not that.

Bookies balance the books to put some money on one side that fails in comparison to a favorite. For instance, the Cleveland Browns will be hosting the Oakland Raiders. We very well know that the Raiders will always pound on the Browns, no matter what time of the year it is. In spite that, a bookie could have a line that may look like this.

Cleveland Browns

Oakland Raiders -1

This would mean that the Raiders are only a one point favorite over the Browns despite the fact that we know the Raiders can beat the Browns with a 14 or even a 21-point lead.

Of course, the money will pour on the Raiders. When the bookies realize that there's no action going on the Browns' side of things, they will ''balance'' the books.

See, the term ''balance'' is used ever so slightly here.

When this happens, the line could look like this.

Cleveland Browns +21

Oakland Raiders

Now, you have the Raiders as heavy favorites and the Browns with a +21 point advantage to start the game. This will make bettors find it harder to bet on the Raiders. It could even bring them to the point where they would be more comfortable betting on the Browns.

See how bookies ''balance'' everything?