Leya Vinnik
A line is a set of all available sports events in a bookmaker’s office and their odds. The line is formed on the basis of the conclusions of the bookmaker’s experts on analytical data. Having calculated the probability of a certain event occurring, experts form odds for bets.
Each bookmaker has a different line width and can include more than 30 sports disciplines. The choice of outcomes is better if the discipline and event are popular and there is an opportunity to analyse more statistical indicators.
We will tell you what line movement in a betting shop is, about markers and line painting, betting markets and odds. We will also talk about the features of lines in Ukrainian bookmakers and answer popular questions.
How the line is formed
Lines in bookmakers are formed in three ways:
- Special software – under the supervision of the bookmaker’s traders, special programs analyse the data to form the best lines and select the best markets.
- Sports analysts are experts who create and control lines.
- Through bookmakers – this option eliminates the need to cooperate with analysts or use software to create lines.
Strong line in the bookmaker’s office
Among professional bettors, this term means that bets on arbitrage situations, i.e. surebets, do not work on the line. Strong bookmakers provoke arbitrage situations themselves because they can react quickly to market changes. If the surebets turn out to be winning, the line is considered weak.
Line movement
Live and pre-match odds change periodically. Usually, green or red marks appear, as in the bookmaker GGBet. This indicates their increase or decrease. Such changes are called line movement.
Corrections are made if factors appear before the match or during the game that can significantly affect the outcome. For example, the team’s morale, injuries, personal problems, etc.
The movement is also driven by the interest of bettors. At first, experts or betting software perform analytical work and form coefficients. When players start actively betting on this event, the indicator gradually increases.
An external factor of influence is the over/under. The coefficient decreases when there is a large number of bets on one outcome that are significant in size. At the same time, the coefficient is increased for the second outcome. Such a change allows the bookmaker to draw the attention of players to another outcome in order to somewhat even out the indicators and avoid losses.
Line painting
A bookmaker’s line-up is defined as all available markets and bets on a particular event. A broad list is a list with a large number of additional markets. Large bookmakers can offer more than 100 markets for one event. A broad line-up is more typical for popular sports such as football, hockey, and basketball.
The main markets in bookmakers are:
- Result.
- Total.
- Head start.
Additional markets can include the number of substitutions in the match, the percentage of ball possession, etc. For example, Favbet offers additional markets on the first goal, the number of penalties in the game, the number of red cards and the total number of red cards, etc. for the football match between Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Exotic markets are quite promising for bettors. Events in such lines are difficult to analyse in full. Therefore, the bookmaker can make a mistake and the player will get a chance to win. It is worth noting that bookmakers lay higher margins in exotic markets.
Odds in bets
The coefficient is the probability of a game situation occurring. This indicator can also be used to estimate potential winnings. For example, at Bbet, in the match between FC Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona, the odds of a draw are 3.80. Therefore, if this event occurs, the player receives a payout: bet x 3.80.
Question.
Which Ukrainian legal bookmakers have the best line?
Evaluating the choice of disciplines, the schedule, and the odds, we can mention Vbet and Favbet.
How to evaluate bookmaker lines to choose the best one?
In the ranking of legal Ukrainian bookmakers, select several sites and visit them to see the line-up, disciplines, and events in person. A good line includes not only top events, but also not very popular ones.
What lines do Ukrainian bookmakers have?
In 2024, Ukrainian betting companies offer two types of lines. The first is Live, where bets are placed after the start of the game and during the match. The second is pre-match. These are bets that are available only before the start of the competition.
