When to buy half points??

[Bennojd]

We all would love our wagers to be games that are blowouts in our favor; of course it doesn't always happen that way and sometimes games are so close that a half point is the difference between a win, loss or push.

This subject may have hit the forum before but I haven't seen it so I thought with the end of college hoops and March Madness around the corner it is a good time to bring it up.

I buy half points and think they are valuable.
This is my own rule of thumb and some of you may do it differently.

College hoops only:
I buy a half point from (-3 1/2) or less to even.......and (+3 1/2) or lower to make an even number for a push.
When I say even........I don't mean 2, 4, 6, etc.; I mean a ROUND number..........you can push a round number but obviously can't push any number w/ a "1/2."
So like last night some of you may have had Bowling Green (-3 1/2) over Toledo..........in that case I would have bought a half point down to (-3) and would have got a push instead of a loss since Bowling Green won 79-76; or if I had Toledo (+3 1/2) over Bowling Green.........in this case I also would have bought a half point up to (+4) so it's a nice round number.........Toledo would have won either way but if they would have lost by 4 at least you get a push and not a loss.

**I'm curious as to how others on this forum use half points, not only in college hoops but other sports as well.................so when responding state the sport and then give your input on how you use half points.**

Thanks,
Bennojd

[bgh2003]

I never buy points in basketball. The odds are just too slim that the 1/2 point for which you pay an extra 10 cents per dollar will help you. Take the Nuggets hosting the Lakers last night. Denver was getting 3. Do you buy a 1/2 point just in case the Lakers win by 3? How likely is that?!? If you did, you laid -120 to win -100. Your $500 wager just cost you $600 rather than the $550 you would have paid for the regular line. Every now and then, the extra point(s) will save you, but more frequently they don't make a difference, and if your bet loses, it costs you more money.

Football is different because of the key numbers that usually make for a point differential (3, 6, 7, 10). If you're getting 3 in a football game, maybe you buy a 1/2 point to avoid the push. Same with 7. It's far easier to predict that a game is likely to be decided by one of those numbers, and it makes more sense to buy off the number. Not so in buckets.

[heleanth]

I think if I bought a half point in every game I played where the line was 3 1/2 or less, I would lose money over the length of the year. The way I look at it, if I need to buy a half point, I should not be betting on that game.

Just one opinion, I'm sure others more knowledgeable than me will have different ideas.

Interesting topic. Thanks for raising it, Bennojd!

[S49erman]

how much does your book charge you to buy a 1/2 point

[bigjimt]

The only time I buy pts is in football,

Agree with the previous mentions dealing with the high scores lowering the value of a half point.

With the line variances in basketball, you can usually pick up that half just by line shopping.

[Bennojd]

S49erman

Regular wager= -110
buy half point= -120

Bennojd

[frankb03]

Originally posted by bgh2003
I never buy points in basketball. The odds are just too slim that the 1/2 point for which you pay an extra 10 cents per dollar will help you. Take the Nuggets hosting the Lakers last night. Denver was getting 3. Do you buy a 1/2 point just in case the Lakers win by 3? How likely is that?!? If you did, you laid -120 to win -100. Your $500 wager just cost you $600 rather than the $550 you would have paid for the regular line. Every now and then, the extra point(s) will save you, but more frequently they don't make a difference, and if your bet loses, it costs you more money.

Football is different because of the key numbers that usually make for a point differential (3, 6, 7, 10). If you're getting 3 in a football game, maybe you buy a 1/2 point to avoid the push. Same with 7. It's far easier to predict that a game is likely to be decided by one of those numbers, and it makes more sense to buy off the number. Not so in buckets.

I agree with you 100%. With all the scoring in basketball and all the games buying a 1/2 point is probably a very big losing proposition.

Same with teasers. IMO teasers are sucker bets. More so in basketball.

[Pwong8543]

Half Point

I often buy the one-half in order to avoid the loss. I will never buy the 1/2 in order to win. I can live with a push, but the 1/2 point loss hurts too much.

[Intraware1]

buying pts is a losing prop....vegas wouldnt offer it...if it wasnt a losing prop....i had this arguement with someone on another site a year+ ago...he bought 1/2 on every game he played...lololol....1st off...you cant buy 1/2pts in hoops...there are no key #'s in hoops...so what good is buying off 4 or 3...buying in hoops is wasting money....about the ONLY time i would consider even doing it...would be if i had my biggest bet of the year...and say the teams was -5.5....then and only then would i maybe say to myself...ill buy the 1/2 just to be safe if it should land 5....nothing worse than losing your biggest bet of the year by a hook....as far as football goes...only time i would buy is maybe from 7.5 down to 7...3.5 to 3......what people have to realize that you need to hit 52.38% just to break even laying -110....that % jumps to 54.45% when your laying -120.....people who are losers (i dont mean to be rude), dont realize how much more difficult this is to overcome.....ask any PROFESSIONAL gambler....they will tell you what a reasonable % one shoots to hit...and that range is between 53-56%....anyone that tells you they can hit 60% in every sport is full of shit...its tough enough to hit 55%...when you added on that extra 10cents vig...it just makes grinding out the profit....all the more difficult...if you play for recreation then one can do what they like, but if this is something you take serious...buying pts is something that would never enter your head.......

[Bennojd]

In case I confused anyone I listed exactly in what situations I will buy a 1/2 point:

Assuming I shopped my three offshore sportsbooks for the best possible line for a given game; now this is what I will do:

*For college hoops only*
(-3 1/2)........buy half point to (-3)
(-3).............leave it alone
(-2 1/2).......buy half point to (-2)
(-2)............leave it alone
(-1 1/2)......buy half point to (-1)
(-1)...........leave it alone
(-1/2)........NO SUCH LINE
(PK).........leave it alone

(+3 1/2).......buy half point to (+4)
(+3)............leave it alone
(+2 1/2)......buy half point to (+3)
(+2)...........leave it alone
(+1 1/2)......buy half point to (+2)
(+1)...........leave it alone
(+1/2)........NO SUCH LINE
(PK).........leave it alone

Bennojd

[mary]

I PLAY WITH BETMILL.COM-----REASON IS 3 PLAYS OR MORE YOU GET 1-2 FREE---IT HAS SAVED ME AND WON ME LOTS OF CASH

[logan3372]

BENNOJD

I NEVER BOUGHT A 1/2 POINT BUT,I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE 1/2 POINT LAST NIGHT IN THE B.G GAME LOST BUY HALF COST ME.
I think one should buy the point at 3-3 1/2-6 - 6 1/2 9 - 9 1/2
imo.

[S49erman]

Just line shop and you will find youe 1/2 point...maybe even more for free.

[frankb03]

When to buy 1/2 point

Friday's it's free with Betcom. LOL

Although, they suck. They inflate the favorites 1/2 - 1 point almost every game. Sometimes as much as 1 1/2 points.

[savage1]

Bennojd-I pretty much subscribe to your philosophy.
Sometimes I will do it on a higher line;it depends on my perception of the game.
Sometimes I will even bet the game a little less to justify buying the 1/2 point;true you don't win as much, but it just gives me peace of mind and a certain comfort level if game should lose.