Picture the scene: you sign up with the first sportsbook you come across online, enticed by a large bonus offer. Just three months later, however, you find that you've been betting at NFL spread odds of -115, when other books were offering odds of -110 on the same lines.

Across 100 winning bets of $10, wagering at the shorter odds would produce 4.3% lower profits overall. This issue is frustratingly common online, but it's also one that can be resolved by learning how to compare sportsbooks effectively.

In this educational guide, we'll teach you how to compare the leading sportsbooks. We'll cover the 10 most important factors to consider, which can help you to select the book that best suits your betting style and needs. We've extensively tested all major sportsbooks stateside to create this framework.

By learning this methodology, you can compare sportsbooks for yourself and determine which one offers optimal value. You can then check out our best sports betting sites guide to view our own sportsbook rankings and analysis.

Why Comparing Sportsbooks Matters

Using the example above, we can see that the simple process of line shopping could boost your profitability by 4.3%. By identifying the best possible odds for a particular market, you may even be able to reduce your stake amounts and save more of your bankroll. But why else should you compare sportsbooks online?

Discovering Unique Pros and Cons

When comparing sportsbooks, you're looking for the site that best suits you, as opposed to an objective market leader.

Each sportsbook has unique pros and cons, which may refer to their betting market coverage, welcome bonuses or alternative promotions such as profit boosts. Understanding these differences can help you to make a more informed choice.

Bonuses Aren't Everything

Although large welcome bonuses can be enticing, not all of these promos offer value. Some may have prohibitive rollover requirements, for example, which dictate how much you'll have to bet before withdrawing any winnings.

Usually, these requirements will have to be fulfilled in between seven and 30 days too, and it's important to ensure that a bonus is affordable and within your means.

Otherwise, you'll risk claiming bonuses with impossible terms and quickly diminishing your bankroll.

State-by-State Legal Implications

Not only are there 11 states in which sports betting remains unregulated, but the availability of specific sportsbooks also varies from one jurisdiction to another.

You'll need to compare sites to identify which ones are available and regulated in your state, and sportsbooks use geolocation software to track your real-time location when you place bets.

Long-Term Value vs Short-Term Bonuses

Most sportsbook bonus offers comprise bonus bets or profit boost tokens. These usually expire after seven or 14 days, so they only offer relatively short-term value overall.

However, you can access longer-term value by leveraging competitive and higher than average odds, especially on specific spreads or totals lines. You should target your odds analysis on your preferred sports, markets and betting lines.