When to bet, based on opening line value vs higher limits closer to game time...

[smartbets]

Over the years I have read and heard about lower limits on overnight and opening lines, and then higher limits about an hour or less before the start of a sporting event.

I have often wondered what causes syndicates/sharps/people who bet large amounts of money on sports to not all wait until 30 minutes before the start of an event to begin making their wagers??

Now this is assuming they are not trying to create a middle, or manipulate the market by pushing an opening low limit line the way they want, then hammering the opposite side at the better line that they created, which is their true position, before kick off when limits are higher. I am talking about when they like a team at +7 or better and the line opens +8 and they start hammering it almost as soon as it is posted online or in Vegas from +8 to +7.5 to +7 -120 and they never had the intention try to buy back the other side, meaning that was their play from the start of the posted opening line.

Is it because they all are worried about being "last to the party", and having other groups bet the more advantageous line before them? Has there been any attempts at collusion so to say, by the groups who bet big to wait until a pre-determined time before the start of events to start betting big? If this was ever attempted, did it fail? Meaning, did some groups start betting before the pre-determined time to get more money down at the better line?

Are these groups able to get enough down even with lower limits so as they do not care about moving the line too much too early in the day?

Thanks for any insight as I have often been curious about this.

[SportsMushroom]

you are answering your own questions

professionals bet opening lines because they are soft/inefficient, even at lower limits, they will keep placing bets as lines change until they have the desired position, and the odds will still be a lot better than if they waited to get the closing line, sometimes they bet the opening line, stop when they feel that the value is gone, and when/if the line moves back they place more money on it

I dont imagine there would be a way for all professionals/syndicates to coordinate betting, first of all there are too many of them, second, there are not enough outlets for a massive coordinated betting spree, and also you can be certain that the value in the line would still be bet down by the public

[That Foreign Guy]

If you wait you may not get the value. Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Another problem with collusion (even if all sharps in a given market knew each other) is that defection is almost compulsory since it's a prisoner's dilemma situation.