Every single week, millions and millions of dollars are taken in by sportsbooks around the U.S. on college football sides. On the Sunday before game week, an initial betting line is offered — an opener — and the feeding frenzy begins. 

Sharp bettors and syndicates use their edges to identify inefficiencies in that number. When that happens, sportsbooks then adjust the line to get as close as possible to the most efficient number.

Here’s a hypothetical NBA example: Sportsbook A opens the Grizzlies as a 3-point favorite at home against the Sacramento Kings. Well, the Kings are on their fifth game in 11 days and Domantas Sabonis is questionable. Sharp bettors think the Grizzlies should really be 5-point favorites, and so they immediately jump on the opener of three, causing sportsbooks to inflate the offered line.

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