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What Does Dime Line In Sports Betting and Wagering?

by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

dime

If you want to become a serious handicapper, the very first rule you need to live by is bankroll management. Bankroll management mean several different things including sticking to a standard size bet whether that be $10, $25, or $100 or never play more than two percent of your entire bankroll on any game, unless you are absolutely certain the value is worth the risk. But in my opinion, the most important rule of bankroll management finding the best lines available. Don’t be sucked in to betting a -120 line, when there are -110’s available to be had. The line of -110 is what we call a “dime line” and is the most common line found while betting the point spread option.

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What Does Dime Line Mean?

When you hear someone use the term “dime line” they are referring to any line where the “juice” or “vig” is 10 percent. In other words, every single bet you make that has a -110 line, is a “dime line” bet. This means that in order to profit $100, you must bet $110.

How Sportsbooks Profit off the Dime Line

Since the “dime line” is the most common price for point spread bets, the sportsbooks ability to make money off them are second to none. Sportsbooks rely on their linemakers to set lines that would ideally draw in balanced action on both sides. If they are successful in doing so, the book will make a profit without any risk because of the 10 percent vig. For example, the losing bettors will pay $110 each time they want to try and profit 100. Winning betters will get $100 as the profit each time they make a $110 bet. This means that the extra $10 is the commission the books make for facilitating the bets. The best part is, sportsbooks often don’t care which team covered the spread.

The Benefits of Playing the Dime Line

The “dime line” is the most common price for point spread bets, but it is not the only line available. Since betting the point spread is the most popular way to be football, a lot of square bettors don’t consider the price they are paying when placing a bet. For example, some squares will place a bet on the Chargers at +3 (-120) without even thinking to look around for a better price. Often times, you will find the same line at a different sportsbook for (-110), thus saving you your 10 percent. This saving may not make a difference at the moment, but over the long term, betting a higher line means a higher winning percentage is needed to break even.

If you constantly bet into -110 lines, you would need to win 52 percent of your bets to hit the break-even threshold. With -120 lines, you would need a 54.5 percent win clip to break-even. The higher the line, the higher the win percentage you will need.

The betting game is already tough enough, so trying to win an extra two percent of your plays puts so much added stress on yourself and the bankroll. If you have the ability to play -110 on a consistent basis, you will find yourself on the road to long-term profit instead of the gloomy path to being broke.

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