A betting line will tend to move after it is posted. This is because the book will adjust the line to encourage more betting on one side in order to balance the action. Line moves are frequently the result of professional sports handicappers taking advantage of a weak line.

Follow the Pros

Pro handicappers have made careers of being better handicappers than the books they bet against.They have large bankrolls and will frequently bet the maximum amount allowed by the book.  If the book adjusts the line as a result it is called a “steam” move – a move in response to a load of cash coming in on one side of the line.

Some sports bettors have learned that they can profit by watching and following these steam moves. Their reasoning is that instead of learning how to handicap they can just follow the lead of the proven winners. The line moves indicate how the pros are betting. The steam player just jumps on board for the ride.

Steam Example

For example, a professional handicapper from above has found what he believes is a weak line posted at a sportsbook.  Team A is posted as a 7 point favorite when the pro ‘capper believes they should be a 9 point favorite. He places a limit bet on Team A of $10,000. The book takes the bet, but reacts by raising the spread to 8 (Team A -8) in order to encourage more betting on Team B.