It can be a good idea to analyze the odds on the market. If you want to judge your own performance, or if you want to find odds that stand out, it definitely makes sense to know which bookies you should keep an eye on.
As a general rule, the Asian bookmakers – also known as the sharp books – have more precise odds than the European soft books. But there are still some key differences between them, and several of the Asian books can be used for comparison purposes.
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Pinnacle leads the market
Pinnacle is widely regarded as the bookmaker with the most precise odds. The reason is that Pinnacle has the highest limits of all the open bookies, so sharps and syndicates will help adjust the lines.
While Pinnacle’s opening odds aren’t always precise, they usually get very precise with time. If you want to measure your performance against the closing odds, Pinnacle’s closing lines are typically used.
When Pinnacle moves, the rest of the market moves as well. Therefore, most serious bettors agree that it is best to compare with Pinnacle’s odds when you want to analyze performance or spot outlying value.
Don’t forget the other Asians
However, don’t forget about the other Asian bookmakers. While Pinnacle is leading the pack, the odds are usually quite similar to the other Asian sharp books after all.
SBOBET, IBC and ISN are the other big books with relatively precise odds, so they can be used just like Pinnacle. If you are using a broker or an odds comparison site, you can measure based on the highest odds among all of these bookies, and it should give you the data you are looking for.
BetCRIS is a North American bookie of which we can say the same. Some cryptocurrency books like Cloudbet also provide odds that are somewhat precise – at least on the Asian lines.
So while Pinnacle is the best bookmaker with the most precise odds, we cannot forget about the other Asian books that are excellent at pricing outcomes, too.
Soft books are (mostly) useless
When it comes to bookmakers with precise odds, we have to analyze the Asian markets. Because the soft market – meaning the typical European sportsbooks – is somewhat useless in this regard.
The soft books are adjusting their lines based on Pinnacle and the Asian market. So you can’t use their closing lines for much, and if there is odds that stand out from the soft market, it might not necessarily mean a lot.
Bet365 might be an exception since it has decent Asian lines that move somewhat fast. But the rest of the Euro market is mostly useless when it comes to estimating precise odds. Not to forget that they basically live off of their high margins and limits. Because of the personal limits they put on winning players, soft bookmakers are unable to adjust the value based on the market. They can only follow the Asian market (which they do).
Don’t get us wrong – the soft bookmakers are still very useful. You can certainly have fun betting with them, and you can often profit quite a bit until personal limits hit you. Their odds are not as precise as the sharp bookies, but that can be a good thing for the players.
Analyzing closing odds
If you ask which bookmaker has the most precise odds, it is probably because you want to use those odds for analytics.
And as we know, the best way of measuring betting performance – especially in the short run – is by comparing the odds you are betting to the closing odds on the market.
We recommend that you use Pinnacle’s odds when analyzing closing odds. That has proven to be the best solution, although you can also compare with the highest closing odds among the Asians.
You do this the following way:
- Keep track of all your bets
- Note down the odds in a spreadsheet
- Once a game is over, find the Pinnacle closing odds on OddsPortal
- Write that down in the spreadsheet
- Make up for the margin (usually 2-3%): Closing odds * 1,03
- Subtract the closing odds from your odds in a separate field
- If it is a plus, you have beaten the closing odds. If it is a minus, you have lost to the market
- Make a cumulative closing odds tracking
Remember that the closing odds aren’t efficient in the singular game, but on average – over time – it is a very efficient way of measuring performance.
Taking advantage of standouts
Another way of using the most precise odds on the market is by comparing those odds to those of the rest of the market and see if anyone stands out.
For example, if Pinnacle has odds 1.90 on a certain scenario, and a soft bookmaker has odds 2.00, that will probably be a value bet. Simply because Pinnacle has the most precise odds and adjusts fast to changes in events and on the market.
So if you get an opportunity to bet odds that is higher than what the most precise bookmaker offers, definitely take it.
There are models that automatically track the entire market and alert you when something stands out. Trademate Sports and Rebel Betting are two popular software programs that compare the entire market to Pinnacle and help users find value in the easiest way possible. It is a very efficient way of betting, at least in the short term, as long as you have access to soft bookies without being limited yet.
With that said, you can also compare the soft bookies to SBO, ISN, or another sharp book to find value.
It is recommended you do this just a few hours prior to a game since there are too many variables if you do it very early.
How brokers can be used
Bet brokers are absolutely amazing in several ways. The best ones give you access to all the top Asian bookmakers and exchanges, which allows you to find the top odds on the market every single time you bet.
By using a bet broker, you can get access to the best bookmakers, and it will be an easy way of comparing the odds with each other while picking the best one available.
Sportmarket is a popular broker that gives you access to Pinnacle, SBO, ISN, Matchbook, Betdaq and other sites from just one account. In the Sportmarket Pro platform, statistics are also kept so that you can always analyze your overall performance.
If you want the best chances of winning long-term, use a bet broker. If you want to compare odds or check out the current prices with the market-leading Asian bookies, bet brokers will also be effective for that purpose.
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In other words, when you try to find the most precise odds on the market, forget about the soft bookies and look towards the Asians. Pinnacle is usually the best sportsbook when you want to use odds for analytics. A bet broker will let you bet with the entire Asian market, which is also good for research purposes.