Even the smallest edges in betting can make a difference and that’s why value hunting is quickly gaining prominence across the country. Casual bettors, sporadic wagerers and keen sports fans alike, while you may not notice those extra cents on each line, or ignore the extra change on your betting balance, if you look at your margins in the long run, the surplus can snowball very quickly.
Line Shopping Knowhow
What may be pennies and nickels after day 1 can roll into dimes and quarters by the end of the week, and even a few additional dollars before you know it.
And how do you do it? You shop for better prices and more preferable betting lines. Line shopping, as it is called among bettors, is a strategy within itself. You hunt for better prices, monitor lines and look for discrepancies, so that you can find those bets that come with a better edge, and can make that little bit more if you win. The more frequently you bet, the longer the odds you pick, and the more money you spend per wager, these are all impacted by the quality of the lines and odds prices you pick.
So, answering the question, the goal of line shopping is to scan the odds at different sportsbooks, look for the best lines, and capitalize by taking those higher value bets. On a surface level, this is a very simple strategy that practically any bettor can use. You can do it manually, but that means sacrificing time and focus on betting markets on a near constant basis – for the ideal results, of course. Though if you use odds scanners and betting tools, this process really becomes as simple as it seems in theory. On this page, we will discuss how line shopping tools work, how to discern the better scanners and software, and how to align your strategy to make the most of the opportunities that arise.
Best Line Shopping Betting Tools
When drafting our shortlist for the best line shopping betting tools, we wanted to create a diverse list that includes options for all. We factor in the features that you get, the price for subscriptions, user friendliness, and the efficiency of the software. For line shopping alone, the following criteria are also vitally important:
- Number of sportsbooks
- Range of sports events/betting markets
- Speed of line scanners
- Filters and alert setup possibilities
We analyze these, and more, further in depth below the shortlist. Right now, we will go into the top tools that stand out for their line shopping capabilities, with unique functionalities for high value and precision.
#1. OddsJam
One of the most well known and used betting tools in the US, OddsJam does not make the top of the list based on reputation alone. It really does practically everything you could need, with detailed odds scanning, devigging odds, bankroll management, deposit optimizers, crisp EV+ suggestions, and even advanced betting strategies like arbitrage or middles wagers. There is a subscription solely for fantasy bettors, that does the same with fantasy line shopping, middles and EV rates for your fantasy picks.
We also have to note that OddsJam has one of the biggest sports coverages, with over 20+ sporting categories and events from all over the world. The depth of markets goes into all alternate lines, partial game derivatives and niche player props, so you can expand your horizons and pick out better wagers. Bet tracking is made easy with the sportsbook syncing and detailed metrics that OddsJam provides on your historic bets. It doesn’t stop at ROI and profit lines, but also gives you valuable CLV data, profit by sportsbook, and measures your success with different betting markets.
OddsJam Pros:
- Top rate bet tracking with CLV, profit by bet type, and more
- Covers 20+ sports with comprehensive betting market depth
- Expert odds devigged, sharp books, and fair odds price analysis
- Deposit optimizer, arbitrage bets, EV+, and fantasy optimizers
OddsJam Cons:
- The subscriptions are expensive
- Could have more subscription options for different bettors
- Some of the books covered are not regulated in the US
#2. Outlier.bet
Outlier.bet is a versatile betting tool with many practical functions, and the subscriptions are well distributed on a price for what you get basis. The betting tool comes with a variety of features, including statistical research, data and visuals, and competitive odds trackers with integrated line movement trackers. You get all of this at the basic Outlier.bet Premium, but if you splash out for the Premium+ you can also add EV and real time odds movement charts.
The betting tool simplifies the process of scanning lines, with excellent filters and an expansive coverage of niche player props and alternative betting lines. We also liked how it connects statistical analysis to odds checking, so you don’t just read the lines and look for what’s best, but also get valuable context for your next betting predictions. The subscriptions are affordable, and even the most expensive package, Outlier Pro, will only set you back around $30 per month if you get an annual billing ($359.99 per year).
Outlier Pros:
- Excellent stat research and odds checking in one
- Includes EV+, arbitrage, middles, and other advanced strategies
- Great price for what you get, especially with annual billing
- User friendly and highly efficient research
Outlier Cons:
- Could have more niche sports coverage
- Bet syncing only for a handful of books
- Doesn’t have wide sportsbook and alternative betting platform coverage
#3. Pick The Odds
Pick The Odds has many uses, including arbitrage bet optimization, EV+ hunting, bankroll management, and odds screens that update as fast as 1.6 seconds. The betting tool has a scientific feel to it, with specific filters, sportsbook weighing, and tools through which you can plan detailed stake sizing strategies. Beyond these, it has promo conversion, middles, and low holds tools, betting software that would blow up the price beyond what most low budget bettors can afford. However, Pick The Odds solves this for you with 4 different subscription packages.
For odds tracking alone, you can opt for the basic always free package, which doesn’t cost a cent and actually includes arbitrage and EV wagers, only these are capped to 2% ROI. You can browse the odds and tweak the results to look for the sports games and betting markets with the best value. The only shortcoming of the free subscription is that it has a 15 second odds refresh time. But if you pay for the Starter package, this is reduced to just over 1 second, with no caps on arbitrage wagers and 4% caps on EV+.
Pick The Odds Pros:
- Customizable filters, sportsbook weighing and data driven approach
- Wide range of features including arbs, middles, bonus conversion and EV
- Free basic subscription, and an affordable Starter subscription
- Great for bet tracking and covers loads of sportsbooks
Picks The Odds Cons:
- Slightly longer odds refresh times
- Many covered books are not regulated in the US
- Not optimized for mobile usage
#4. OddsNotifier
A UK betting tool, OddsNotifier has a subscription package for US bettors and it is designed to keep you updated with odds movements and hot betting opportunities. Instead of an odds scanner, you get an EV+ scanner, which observes opening lines, perceived value, and stays sharp for any drops or rises in the odds prices. OddsNotifier claims to be able to do this in 0.3 seconds, which is quicker than most of the competition. The design leaves a little to be desired, but it covers all the major US sports, college events, and global sports leagues you could possibly want to bet on.
You can set up your own alerts and go into extraordinary detail with your projections. Then, let OddsNotifier do its thing and notify you when your optimal odds are reached, and you can go ahead and snap up those offers. This extends to live game coverage too, with in play bots to detect movements, odds shifts and even minute markets. OddsNotifier also provides market insights, which can help you gauge the public sentiment, and you can track your bets with the sheets tracker.
OddsNotifier Pros:
- Specializes in tracking odds and getting the best value
- Excellent line movement monitoring and alert setups
- Includes plans specifically for US bettors
- Odds Dropper tool covers significant movements
- Very fast odds scanning and alert speeds
OddsNotifier Cons:
- Doesn’t have arbs or other strategies
- You have to sign up through Telegram (must be connected to your account)
- Many of the 250+ sportsbooks are not regulated in the US
- Pay in GBP not USD
#5. Monster.bet
Monster.bet has a wide range of betting tools to offer, and it has 6 different subscription packages. The tool includes EV+ analysis, game projections, historical data research, odds screens, sharp money tools, and advanced betting strategies like arbitrage and middles. It also has a MonsterGPT virtual assistant, which you can enter specific prompts into and get valuable data regarding your bets or the betting odds. The Data Lab is offered in all the packages, and it goes to great lengths to crunch the numbers and create player and game projections, as well as prop hit rate matrixes.
But for line shopping specifically, your best bet is the Odds Pro subscription, which comes with Monster.bet’s detailed odds screen and real time line movements across dozens of sportsbooks. Monster.bet also includes an EV+ tool in this subscription, which is powered by statistical data and odds movements to gain superior probabilities and hit rates for your next bets. It is one of the pricier tools out there, but Monster.bet lives up to its price tag with well thought out features and data driven strategies.
Monster.bet Pros:
- Data labs for matrixes, hit rates, and comprehensive research
- Odds screen covers all the major US sportsbooks
- MonsterGPT analyzes detailed prompts and brings valuable results
- Lots of subscription options for US bettors
- Arbitrage, middles betting and sharp money tools
Monster.bet Cons:
- Even the smaller subscriptions are still expensive
- No package with the odds screen only
- MonsterGPT requires credits to use
Features To Look For
Odds checkers and scanners are among the most common betting software out there. They only need an odds API that sources and tracks odds from different sportsbooks, potentially with in-built sportsbook syncing, should the betting tool also provide 1 click bet functionalities. That sportsbook syncing is one of the features that distinguishes a better odds scanner from an inferior one, but it is not the only feature you should keep an eye out for.
We have encountered various types of functions and features when reviewing US betting tools, and there are a plethora of aspects and conditions that we look for when scoring any line shopping tools. Below, we will go into more depth about these nuances and how they can enhance or limit your line shopping betting strategies.
Odds Scanner Speed
One of the biggest complaints we see among people who use betting tools is that the odds are fake or the odds scanners don’t work. In the majority of cases, this is because they are displaying older odds prices, and don’t update quickly enough, or in some cases automatically, and so bettors feel like they are getting mispriced. We have reviewed betting tools that display their odds scanning speeds, with some that come within milliseconds of delivering real time odds.
Tools that only deliver odds with 5 seconds latency or more can run into problems. Odds prices can move very quickly in a matter of seconds, and you may only get a few seconds or minutes to capitalize on a good opportunity. So you need those odds to update as quickly as possible, and for automatic refreshing to keep you in the loop.
Filters and Alerts
Odds scanners are very useful, but without filters, you can get endless lists of irrelevant information. Proper filters and custom setups allow you to narrow down the odds scanner search to only the sports games, betting markets, or even odds ranges that you are after. It also helps save precious seconds when you are looking for valuable bets, especially ones that can change drastically in a matter of moments.
No one can sit behind an odds screen for hours on end, it consumes too much time, may lead to nothing, but more importantly, it can be potentially dangerous. You should never spend too much time scanning odds or browsing bets, even if you aren’t spending any money. It can easily lead to overwhelm, and at that point, you are prone to making poor decisions. There are betting tools, however, that have full alert setups, where you can get notifications if the odds reach a certain price, and then you can strike.
Sportsbook Coverage and Syncing
The best betting tools have widespread US sportsbook coverage, tracking the odds not just at all the top US sportsbooks but also at the DFS apps, peer to peer betting sites, social sportsbooks and even prediction markets. Having more coverage opens up more opportunities, giving you an idea of which books are Sharp Sportsbooks and an approximation of the Fair Odds. That is, the odds that have been devigged. You can sign up at as many sportsbooks as you like, and even use fantasy apps or prediction markets to get better odds, but you will have to divide your bankroll that many more times, and this requires a strict system to not spread yourself too thin.
Another warning we have about having more sportsbook coverage is that some betting tools may cover sportsbooks that are not actually based in the US. Nor officially licensed or regulated in the US. So be sure to avoid these blacklisted betting sites.
Sportsbook syncing is a feature where you can create a bet instantly. You see the odds on the betting tool odds screen and click on them. This prompts a new window to your sportsbook, with the bet already selected and added to your slip. With bet slip syncing, you don’t waste a second catching red-hot odds, and the best betting tools provide these functions. Be sure to check which sportsbooks the syncing works with, as some betting tools only have syncing for selected sportsbooks.
Sports Covered and Depth of Markets
A lot of US betting tools and scanners focus on the major US sports, possibly with college sports as well. You can easily find betting tools with NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness and College Football Playoffs scanners, but many tools don’t cover much beyond that. If you are looking for soccer, golf, tennis, UFC/MMA, motorsports or even eSports odds scanners, the pickings are a lot slimmer.
Then, there are the actual wagers to consider. Moneylines, point spreads and totals are very common, but if you want to look for alternate betting line spreads/totals, player props, partial game derivatives or other game and team props, you will have to look for better betting tools.
Live Betting Odds
Most betting tools that we have reviewed with line shopping have pregame wagers. Live bets are also offered in abundance, but a lot of tools will have separate subscriptions, or higher premiums to get odds screens with live bets. It is a lot more technically demanding to have live bets, as these change a lot more drastically and quickly than pregame wagers. Scanning speeds are far more important for live odds too. These aspects push the price up significantly, so if you are planning to just place pregame wagers, be sure to shop around for cheaper tools without live betting coverage (or those that have, but don’t cost too much).
Live bets are where big opportunities arise, and you can get much higher value or more lucrative hedged betting opportunities. Besides speed, a tool with bet syncing and alert notifications is extremely valuable here. Be sure to check the subscription prices, and what they include, as live bets may only be offered with larger packages. Ones that may include advanced hedged betting or EV strategies too. You will have to weigh the features and prices, is it worth buying middles and arbitrage bets too if you just want live odds?
Bet Trackers
A tool that doesn’t get enough mention is a good bet tracker. This is a software that logs and records all your bets, creates metrics based on your historical results, and helps tweak your betting strategy for the future. It ties in to line shopping because you can learn about which bets you have the most success with. This can help you make smarter decisions when line shopping for future bets, as well as form the basis of a stake sizing strategy.
The top bet trackers out there don’t just give you ROI, profit, number of bets won, and those simple stats. They also track the length of the odds, compare the price you got to the CLV, and provide breakdowns of where you got the best value on the wagers you picked.
CLV and EV+ Tools
Closing line value is the odds when a betting market closes, which is basically right before a game starts for pregame wagers. This is the line that all bettors want to beat, and it ties closely to line shopping. The best CLV betting tools have line shopping features, but they also track historical lines and use algorithms or simulators to project where the lines will move. CLV features are more costly, as these tools need to store all the previous line movements and display these in charts or sheets, but they add another element to your line shopping. You aren’t just picking the right sportsbook, you are also picking the right moment in time to get the best value.
EV+ betting relates to the implied probabilities of the offered betting odds VS the actual probabilities of the bet winning. When a bet is mispriced, or the statistical research suggests that the risk to reward ratio is favorable, you have a positive Expected Value bet. These tools make assumptions, but not blind ones based on a hunch. Instead, they source odds data or analyze statistics to project accurate probabilities of the bet winning.
EV+ betting tools also add to the price, and they can vary wildly based on the tool you pick. Because each betting tool has its own algorithm, sourced data points, sportsbook weighing, and method to calculating EV.
Maximize Your Bankroll and Betting Strategy
Line shopping can be used in endless ways, this is data that you can:
Use to determine the fair odds and good prices
Stake your bets at the best prices
Use to look for a sharp sportsbook to sign up to
Assess your chosen bet vs alternatives (moneyline vs partial game derivative, point spread vs alternate line, etc)
You can use a line shopping tool to find sportsbooks with favorable odds, and pick that book. If you are planning to sign up at multiple books, it is more effective, as you can take advantage of the best prices between the sharp books that you have. But with all this line shopping, value hunting, and bet analysis, having a solid bankroll and betting strategy is pivotal to keeping your feet planted and not falling into any gambler’s fallacies.
Stake sizing helps to control your budget and make the most of the money you have on your balance. By weighing different bets and looking for better prices across numerous US sportsbooks, you can find the best value wagers and then make the following calculations to determine how much money to stake on that bet.
Choosing a Line Shopping Tool
For the completely uninitiated, it is best to start with simpler tools to learn the ropes. These are more affordable and give you the essentials needed to get started. They may be enough for all your needs, as you may not need advanced AI strategies or automated bet tracking to get your strategy going.
But if you want more from your betting tools, then there are definitely more advanced options for intermediate to advanced bettors, with a greater expanse of strategies, analytics, and features to optimize your sports betting.
Test Tools and Your Strategy
Line shopping tools can vary heavily in price, from free tools with limited features, to the premium betting tools that can cost hundreds of dollars a month. Be sure to factor this into your sports betting bankroll, as you may be looking at a heavy investment if you choose the latter.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars blindly. If you sign up for a betting tool through our links, or using our codes, you can get discounted first subscriptions or even free trials. This gives you time with the betting tool to try out all the different features and see whether it matches your expectations or not.
