The best price paid $4.02 more per winning $100 than the median book.
01 · Why it matters
The cheapest edge there is
Take a true coin flip at −110 and you lose $4.55 per $100 on average. That is the cut (4.55% on balanced action) showing up in your results. Every way of winning has to beat that number first. Line shopping is the one way that needs no opinion about the game at all: the bet is the same, only the price changes.
Books disagree more than most people expect. They take different action, move at different speeds and shade different players. On any busy slate, one book is usually a few cents better than the rest on the side you want.
02 · What we measured
What the best price was worth at the close
We took the closing price of every NFL player prop in eight main markets (yardage, receptions, attempts and completions) from 95 games this season. Where four or more books posted the same player, line and side, we compared the best price on offer with the median book's price. That is 5,331 props, 28,631 prices and 348 players.
Typical gain
+$4.02
One in four props
+$7.26
One in ten props
+$11.00
| Against | Typical prop | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The median book | +$4.02 | +$5.30 |
| The worst book | +$8.93 | — |
40.4% of props had a best price at least $5 better per $100 than the median book, and 12.9% had one at least $10 better. Only 1.6% had no gap at all.
03 · Over a season
What that adds up to
Worked example · 100 prop bets of $100
- Extra profit per winning bet, typical
- +$4.02
- Winners out of 100, at about half
- 50
- Extra over the season
- +$201.00
The gain lands only on the bets that win, because a better price pays more when you win and costs the same when you lose. Half of 100 bets winning is the plain assumption. The point is the size: a few dollars per bet, every bet, for no extra risk.
04 · How to shop
How to shop without spending all night on it
- Open accounts at three or four books. Most of the gain comes from the first few.
- Decide the bet first, then look for the price. Shopping should never change what you bet.
- Check the line as well as the price. 5.5 at −120 can be better than 6.5 at −105 on a low-count prop.
- Use one screen that lists every book on one line: the odds screen and Line Shop do that.
Before you bet
What this means for your next bet
- Never bet the first price you see. Look at three books at least.
- Compare the price and the line together, not the price alone.
- Expect a few dollars per $100, not a windfall. It adds up because it is free.
- If one book is far better than every other, check the line before you bet. It may be stale or about to move.
Method
How we measured this
One row per game, market, player, line and side, using each book's closing price. We kept eight main yardage and count markets and prices between −250 and +250, and only rows where four or more books posted the same line. For each row: the profit $100 earns at the best price, minus the profit at the median book's price. The figures are the median, the upper quartile and the 90th percentile of that gap across all rows.
- Sample
- 5,331 props quoted by four or more books
- Window
- Sep 10, 2026 to Oct 26, 2026
- Measured
- Oct 29, 2026
- Source
- Dynatyze closing-price archive
Questions3 questions
How much is line shopping worth?
On 5,331 NFL player props at the close this season, the best price paid $4.02 more than the median book on a typical winning $100 bet, and $11.00 or more on one prop in ten. On a bet that wins half the time, the typical gain is worth about half that per bet. Results vary by sport, market and timing.
How many sportsbooks do I need for line shopping?
Three or four books capture most of the gain. Each extra book helps less than the one before, and every account needs its own bankroll.
Is line shopping legal?
Yes. Choosing where to place a bet is ordinary consumer behaviour. Some books limit accounts that consistently take their best prices, which is worth knowing before you build a strategy on one book.
Responsible gaming
Dynatyze is analytics and education for people 21 and over. It is not a sportsbook and never takes a bet. Every number on this page describes the past or the arithmetic of a price; none of it promises a result, and results vary.
Set a budget before you bet and keep to it. If gambling stops being fun, help is free and confidential at 1-800-GAMBLER, and our responsible gaming page lists more ways to get support.
Continue reading
Research and education only. Results vary, and nothing here promises a profit. Every number from our own data names its sample and its dates; every worked example is the arithmetic of the prices shown.