Sports Betting Tips

Pro-Line Players - Padding the Government's Pockets

One question I've been asked a lot is: do you have any Pro-Line tips? My answer is always the same: I have one Pro-Line betting tip for you: Stop Playing Pro-Line!  Let me first start by saying that if you live outside Canada, this article probably doesn't apply to you. Pro-Line is a government sponsored sports betting system implemented in Canada, offering people an alternative to online sport books. You're probably thinking, "wow, that sounds pretty cool--Canada has legalized gambling!" On the surface it appears pretty good, but like many government-sponsored things: looks can be deceiving.

Don't Bet The House

While it is true that Pro-Line offers the sports better an opportunity to get in on the action, what's also true is how much the odds are stacked against the players. There is no single game betting option, so you must bet on at least a two game parlay, which obviously decreases your odds. Pro-Line also has this little thing called the "tie", which means if a game is decided by a certain number of points it is considered a tie, so even if the team you picked to win is successful, you get credited for a loss. A football tie is a game decided by 3 points or less, basketball is 5 points or less, and a baseball tie is a 1 run margin of victory. This essentially boils down to having three possible outcomes for each game, instead of the standard two, which seriously decreases your chances of winning. The potential payouts are large in comparison to online sport books, so it makes for fun low risk/high reward betting--just don't get carried away and bet too much money.

No Value in Spreads and Totals

Pro-Line does offer the more commonly accepted methods of sports betting as well as the above method and again, you have to parlay at least two games together on a ticket. Again, you're probably thinking that's not so bad--until you see the actual odds that are offered. The standard price for a game at a respected sport book is -110, or if you were to convert to a decimal format, around 1.91 to 1. Pro-Line spreads and totals, however, typically fall in the 1.65 - 1.75 per game range--a substantial drop in potential winnings. Think of this way: betting $25 on a two game spread/total parlay Pro-Line ticket pays about $75. If you bet the exact same thing at a sport book, it would pay about $91--that's over $15 difference on a puny $25 bet, so you can imagine how much of a difference this would make if you are betting larger amounts.

Overall

While it is true that there may be some occasional line value on Pro-Line, it is basically a losing proposition. The odds are either stacked against you, or they're not paying anywhere near as much money as they should be. People always like to think they have winning Pro-Line tips, but they're facing an uphill battle.  If you're the type who is just betting 5 or 10 bucks every once in a while, then Pro-Line is perfectly OK for some recreational fun.

However, if you're playing everyday and find yourself spending $100+ on an average weekly basis, then you are seriously wasting your money. I know there is a certain convenience in going to your local store or bank to cash a winning ticket versus having to wait for your online sport book to pay you, but you will win FAR less often, and FAR less money than you would if you played at online sport books. Believe it or not, I don't recommend anyone start gambling, but if you're already in the game, then you're much better off playing at an online sport book. You can place your bets from the convenience of your own home and can even bet on games that have already started--something Pro-Line does not allow. We highly recommend Sports Interaction as our top pick.

Still not convinced? I couldn't fit all my reasons against playing Pro-Line into one article--check out Part Two of why you should stop playing Pro-Line and instead play at an online sports book.

--ajec

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