What Is an Outlaw Line In Sports Betting?

If you are a sports betting enthusiast, you might have heard of the term “outlaw line” and wondered what it means. An outlaw line is the earliest line in sports betting, which is released by the bookmaker or the sportsbook to a select group of professional bettors before it is available to the public. An outlaw line is also known as the overnight line, the early line, or the sharp line. In this article, we will explain what an outlaw line is, how it is created, and how it affects your betting.

What Is an Outlaw Line?

An outlaw line is the first line that is offered by the bookmaker or the sportsbook for a certain game or event. It usually includes the point spread, the moneyline, and the total. For example, an outlaw line for an NFL game might look like this:

• Patriots -3 (-110)
• Jets +3 (-110)
• Over 44.5 (-110)
• Under 44.5 (-110)

This means that the Patriots are favored by 3 points, and you have to bet $110 to win $100 if you bet on them to cover the spread. The Jets are underdogs by 3 points, and you also have to bet $110 to win $100 if you bet on them to beat the spread. The total is 44.5 points, and you have to bet $110 to win $100 if you bet on the over or the under.

An outlaw line is usually released a few days or hours before the game or event starts, depending on the sport and the market. An outlaw line is only available to a select group of professional bettors, who are known and respected by the bookmaker or the sportsbook. These bettors are also called sharps, wiseguys, or syndicates. They have access to the outlaw line through a special phone number, a private website, or a personal contact.

How Is an Outlaw Line Created?

An outlaw line is created by the bookmaker or the sportsbook, who sets the odds and the margins based on their own analysis and research. The bookmaker or the sportsbook uses various sources of information and data, such as statistics, trends, ratings, models, algorithms, and experts, to estimate the probability and the outcome of a game or event. The bookmaker or the sportsbook also considers the expected betting behavior and preferences of the customers, and tries to balance the betting action on both sides of a game or event.

An outlaw line is not necessarily the same across different bookmakers or sportsbooks, as they might have different opinions and methods of setting the odds and the margins. Therefore, it is possible to find different outlaw lines for the same game or event at different places. For example, one bookmaker might have the Patriots -3, while another bookmaker might have the Patriots -3.5.

How Does an Outlaw Line Affect Your Betting?

An outlaw line affects your betting in different ways, depending on whether you have access to it or not, and whether you bet on it or not.

• If you have access to an outlaw line, you have an advantage over the other bettors, as you can place bets before the line is adjusted based on the betting action. You can also use the outlaw line as a reference to compare with the regular line, and look for value or discrepancies. For example, if you bet on the Patriots -3, and later the line moves to Patriots -4, you have an advantage. On the other hand, if you bet on the Jets +3, and later the line moves to Jets +4, you have a disadvantage.
• If you do not have access to an outlaw line, you have a disadvantage over the other bettors, as you can only place bets after the line is adjusted based on the betting action. You also have less information and certainty about the probability and the outcome of a game or event. For example, if you want to bet on the Patriots, and the line moves from Patriots -3 to Patriots -4, you have a disadvantage. On the other hand, if you want to bet on the Jets, and the line moves from Jets +3 to Jets +4, you have an advantage.

To Sum Up

An outlaw line is the earliest line in sports betting, which is released by the bookmaker or the sportsbook to a select group of professional bettors before it is available to the public. An outlaw line is created by the bookmaker or the sportsbook, who sets the odds and the margins based on their own analysis and research. An outlaw line affects your betting in different ways, depending on whether you have access to it or not, and whether you bet on it or not. An outlaw line is a common phenomenon in sports betting, and you should be aware of it and how to deal with it.