Normally, every game imaginable is available for betting on a sportsbook. Even obscure sports or minor leagues have betting lines. Sometimes, though, a bet goes off the board.
That means no one can bet on it until the sportsbook puts it back up for betting. The phrase “off the board” comes from the fact that if you are looking at a board with sports bets on it, the game’s line would no longer be listed on the board. So sometimes, the game won’t be listed for bets. Sometimes the line will be shown as “off” or with the acronym OTB.
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This usually happens when a significant change to the game becomes known, whether it’s a major injury or crazy weather conditions. For example, the previous line now appears to be way off. Letting bettors bet the old line could be bad news for the sportsbook, so they don’t allow betting to resume until they figure out what’s going on and confidently set a new line.
Major injuries are the most common reason for a game to be taken off the board. Think about Patrick Mahomes, an NFL MVP in his prime, getting hurt in practice leading up to a game. If the Kansas City Chiefs were 8.5-point favorites before the injury, anyone betting against them with that 8.5-point spread is potentially getting a significant advantage. A disproportionate amount of bets would bet against the Chiefs, and the sportsbook would potentially be looking at losses from that game. If Mahomes is definitely out and the book is fast, they can put the line back up quickly with, say, a 3-point spread. But if Mahomes’ injury puts his availability in question for the game, they might keep the game off the board longer until they know his status.
The same works for Steph Curry getting injured for the Golden State Warriors. Any star-driven sport is susceptible to injuries significantly shifting lines, which may cause a sportsbook to take the game off the board. Even in baseball, having a Cy Young-caliber pitcher like Max Scherzer get scratched and having the Washington Nationals cobble together some relievers to pitch the game will have a huge impact on the moneyline odds runline the over/under the total.
This is one potential advantage for savvy bettors. If you see a report of a significant injury, try to get the bet in fast before the game is taken off the board or the line is changed. Even once a game is taken off the board, any preexisting bets are still valid at the line when they were placed. Don’t feel bad for sportsbooks who are slow to react. They have plenty of other built-in advantages. This is one to take when you can get it.
