Question about MLB moneyline today and bookies

[PureGuava]

My first question is

A. Is it the bookies goal to get even money on both sides?

B. According to Bookmaker, the current moneyline for today's Detroit/Yankees game is -170 Detroit, and +150 Yankees.

At this line, if they were to each get an even bet, would they just break even if Detroit wins? Just to keep things simple, if the Person A bets 170 to win 100 on Detroit and Person B bets 100 to win 150, the book collects $270.

If the Yankees win, the book pays out $250 to Person B and profits $20. Now, if Detroit wins, Person A gets $270 and the book is even for the day.

So is the book currently hoping that the Yankees win? It also seems that the current consensus is about 2 to 1, so they would even be hurt more if Detroit wins.

Wouldn't the book want to increase the price of the Yankees moneyline at this point, in order to get more money on that side?

[daneblazer]

dead as a hammer

[Jefferey13]

My first question is

A. Is it the bookies goal to get even money on both sides?

Nope. They want the money balanced for the odds for the game.

[byronbb]

Even in terms of money relative to the odds. Also bookmaker doesn't worry about $100.

[jjgold]

The average book does not balance on all games, a lot of them do not have enough action too

Some of the more connected books might dish off action if a lot of exposure on one game to even it out

I would say every game and sport is different

[Jefferey13]

Also, while I agree with JJ that they don't balance their games independently, and they will often hedge their money by placing bets through other website, I would argue that they would LIKE to be able to have every game balanced in a perfect world.

Also so many people on here talk about killing the books and the like, and I would argue that aside from small no name books or local guys, the books don't really get killed. This would imply that they are in the business of picking winners hoping the public loads up one side, and I just don't see them doing that. If someone has actual knowledge of the contrary I'd love to hear it.

[vividjohn45]

facts is facts books take +20% on baseball. but guys still want to bet into that. a prime example is guys today were most defintely talking about colon for oakland today at -300. oakland losing 5-4 top 9th,

a dime bettor laying 3000 to win 1000 right now. i thought oakland kinda sucked. pre allstar they was talking they were the sh.it. post all star is fall from grace. then a guy lays 3 to win 1.

lol.

[Jefferey13]

facts is facts books take +20% on baseball. but guys still want to bet into that.

You do realize that people who bet on baseball don't pay the 20% unless they were to take both sides of the same bet right? It doesn't matter if books set the line at 20 cents or at 100 cents. If I think a line should be set at +110 for a team but a book has them +130 I am going to take it. Why do I care if the book has the favorite at -130 or -230?