Closing line
also: closing price · CLV
A sportsbook's last posted price before tip-off, the standard yardstick for whether a bet was a good one.
The closing line is where the most information has been priced in, so beating it consistently is the usual test of an edge. Closing line value is the gap between the price you took and the close.
Before 2023-24, ESPN keeps one final pregame line per book, and we store it as the close. From 2023-24 there are both opening and closing lines, and from 2024-25 usually one book.
The common mistake
A line from before 2024 is a final line, not an opening one. Do not measure movement between an open and a close for those seasons.
Where to get it
Related
Closing line from the API
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