
An interesting thing is happening in the UK online sports betting market. In soccer, which is by a distance the biggest draw for bettors, sportsbooks are falling over themselves to build incentives for their betting markets. Some offer early payouts if, for example, your team is winning at half-time or leading by a score of 2-goals, even if they are leading on 90 minutes despite what happens later in the game.
On paper, these things look like great promotions. Anyone who has bet on soccer in the past will know that a team with a 2-0 lead can throw that away in a matter of minutes, so the fact that the bookies will pay out on that is most welcome. But is there a sting in the tail? There is usually a reduction in the odds compared to what you would get if you won ‘normally.’ Some UK bookmakers have been transparent about this, offering two distinct markets – one for the regular match winner and the other for the match winner with 1 of the safeguards mentioned above – whereas others have not been as blatant.
Getting Value in Super Bowl Odds
Nonetheless, it reminds bettors that it is worth shopping around. Right now, we are in the middle of the NFL Playoffs, and most of us will be looking for some value in the Super Bowl odds, yet many of us will not spend much time trying to find the best price. Of course, we should be clear that the range of odds gets narrower as the Playoffs progress. You aren’t suddenly going to see wild swings in the markets. Yet, there is always a difference in opinion between significant sportsbooks.
The best time to find the discrepancies in the betting odds is arguably earlier in the season. To give an example, we could cite the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings were sitting among the rank outsiders for Super Bowl LIX last September before the season began, which usually indicates that a team will see more significant margins in its odds from sportsbook to sportsbook. The Vikings were as big as +8000 for Super Bowl LIX with some sportsbooks and as low as +3000 with others. That’s a massive difference. And, if you had found those 80/1 odds preseason, you’d have been pretty excited around late December.
Eagles Showed that Longshots Have a Chance
Of course, as we know, the Vikings did not win the Super Bowl this season. Yet, there were points in their 14-3 season when they looked like they would make an impact. The fact is not about the Vikings, however. Instead, it illustrates that these ‘differences in opinion’ exist. If you want a real-world example of a team with vast odds of winning the Super Bowl and who would have had significant swings from sportsbook to sportsbook, then look at Super Bowl LII winners, the Philadelphia Eagles. The team had significant fluctuations in the odds before 2017, trading at +6000 at some points in the preseason.
The point, as such, is that it’s worth reminding ourselves from time to time that these differences exist. Many of us will happily accept the odds from our current sportsbook because it feels easier than setting up a new account with another. The opportunity is there to shop around, especially when you have some conviction about a team or a player. It’s always worth doing your homework before placing a bet on the NFL or any sport you follow, and that means researching the team or player you are going to back and the odds you receive.