[dmm]

I'm not an MLB bettor, so I was hoping for some clarification on "action" starting pitcher bets. It's my understanding that if you choose "action" and the book changes the lines after a pitcher scratch, you'll be given new lines instead of lines of your original wager. However, this passage from "The Everything Guide to Sports Betting" by Josh Appelbaum of VSiN and Action Network seems to disagree with my understanding:

For example, say you bet on Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers early in the day as -140 favorites against the Cardinals (+130). But then an hour before game time, Kershaw is scratched with a late injury (and replaced by a much worse pitcher). The sportsbooks would take the game off the board and then might repoen the line at Dodgers +110 and Cardinals -120, based on the pitching change.
If you had bet "action" on the Dodgers -140, you would still be locked into your bet at that same exact price, despite the pitching change. So instead of being able to bet Dodgers +110 at their new line, you would be forced to stick with your -140 bet, which means you got awful odds on the Dodgers. However, if you had bet "listed pitcher" on Dodgers -140, your bet would be voided.
Not all scratched pitchers can affect your bet negatively. Sometimes it can work in your favor. For example, in the instance listed above, say you bet the Cardinals "action" at +130. You would then be locked into that juicy plus-money payout. So even though the Cardinals repoened at -120 after the Kershaw scratch, you would still keep your +130.

Would you actually be "locked into that juicy plus-money payout", or would the sportsbook change your line to -120 on the Cardinals bet? Are there any books that don't change the line on an action bet after a pitching change?

[Waterstpub87]

That passage is wrong. Everywhere, atleast off shore adjusts it.

All books do it. It is a huge liability the other way. Consider:

Team A's shittiest pitcher is up at plus money. The rumor is that he is questionable. Anyone who wants that side takes action instead of listed, because it can only be better. Anyone on the other side is taking listed. That pitcher is indeed out, and the line flips. Now they have action on one side at +120, and action at the other side at +120. Can't balance it.

They don't allow you to do it, for the same reason you want to.

[MeanPeopleSuck]

I don't know if it's still true, but as recently as a year ago, Nitrogen sports did NOT update its Action lines on baseball.

I know, I know how crazy that sounds, but they really didn't. I tried to work it as an angle on pitching changes, etc., but without success -- they were annoyingly fast updating their live lines.

But if you'd bet that game Action earlier, you got that line.