It might feel easier to bet at one sportsbook. Your money is all in one place, and you know exactly where to go to find what you want to bet.
But if you're in a legal betting state, the quickest way to go from loser to break-even bettor (and hopefully beyond) is by using multiple sportsbooks.
Here's why:
1. You'll Get the Best Line Far More Often
Would you rather bet Alabama at -3.5 or -4.5? The Dodgers at -130 or -140?
Easy. You want the better price in almost every scenario.
And if you're consistently getting better prices, even by just a few cents per bet, you're much closer to becoming a winning player.
Don't worry about the process of finding the best line by digging through every book, either — you can use our odds comparison tool to find the best line for every game in seconds.
Let's say you're a baseball bettor who bets $100 per game on mostly short favorites and small underdogs. You go 210-190 (52.5%) over the course of the season. That's a terrific year! But did you turn a profit?
If the average line you bet is +100, you'll have made $2,000 over the course of the season. If the average line is -110, you'll break even. Just a few cents per bet will make a huge difference in the long run.
| Record | Average Price | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 210-190 | +100 | $2,000 |
| 210-190 | -105 | $1,000 |
| 210-190 | -110 | $90 |
| 210-190 | -115 | -$739 |
You generally want to look at sportsbooks that charge the lowest vig, but if the price is still better at a high-juice book, you should bet it there.
2. Promo Money!
The bonuses sportsbooks are giving away are mainly reserved for new customers. But there's lots of cash out there as sportsbooks rush to acquire users.
In states with at least four sportsbooks — like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana or Illinois — the bonuses can really add up.
For example, FanDuel currently has a "bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets if you win" offer for new customers.
3. Not Everything is Available at Every Book
A dirty little (not so) secret in sports betting is that many sportsbooks rely on the same odds provider. So if you can't find a bet at SugarHouse, you probably can't find it at Unibet (the layouts are awfully similar, aren't they?).
This applies to bets beyond basic point spreads and moneylines like props, futures and live betting. Every book will give you a line on the Chiefs-Ravens spread.
Player props and more niche markets won't be available everywhere and for every sport.
4. Different Rules for Different Books
As you niche down into sports, you'll find that different books treat things differently.
For example, at BetMGM, they pay out ties in full for golf finishing position bets. If you bet a golfer to finish Top 20 at 10-1 and he ties for 20th with five other golfers, most books will pay you out at 2-1 instead. At MGM, you'll get the full amount.
5. Timing
Another not-so-secret in the sports betting world is that most books simply copy odds from a few sources. Bookmakers watch a screen, see if a market-setting sportsbook moves, and then move themselves. They'll also let other books open betting action first, and wait until the line settles before posting.
