Can someone give me a definitive answer on what bad lines are?

[BChrisB]

I'm not talking about a posted bad line by error of the book either.

You see at least one comment a day (if not dozens) about someone saying this site gives bad lines and/or stale lines etc, etc.

How can there be a bad line going both ways from any book. First off, everyone should line shop, if your not, your an idiot. However, how can you have a bad line go both ways? Even slow lines are better if it doesn't move against the side you are taking. I just don't get it, maybe I'm not seeing it or something but how can you have a bad line go both ways?

[scurd8]

Only thing I can think of is if a spread is not in your sides favor...which would mean it is in the other teams favor..however the other teams side could be Juiced to high hell like Bodog likes to do.

[BChrisB]

Only thing I can think of is if a spread is not in your sides favor...which would mean it is in the other teams favor..however the other teams side could be Juiced to high hell like Bodog likes to do.

Thats the only thing I can think of too. Even when people complain about one site having slow lines, if the line didn't move quickly for "your" side, then that is a good thing. It just baffles me because people complain about it a lot but I still think it's only a bad line for one side.

[fury]

Honestly I think people here just say that to make it look like they know what they are talking about. You're right, only one side of a point spread can be a "bad" line. Moneylines can be bad lines both ways though.

[Dark Horse]

I'm not talking about a posted bad line by error of the book either.

That's what a bad line is.


A book may shade a line, but nobody would consider that a bad line. And if a line is off, people jump on it instead of calling it a bad line.