Sports Betting 101: What Does ‘Off the Board’ Mean?

Betting 101: What Does Off the Board Mean?

There are times when bookmakers will stop taking wagers on a particular side or event, removing the bet from the betting board, this is referred to as “Off the Board.” There are a few reasons bookmakers might take an event “OTB,” but more often than not it’s due to a significant injury or breaking news that will drastically alter the spread or line. 

If a player with significant relevance to the spread/line is ruled out, or if their status is up in the air, a sportsbook will stop accepting wagers on that event or game until there is more clarity. We regularly see this in the NBA or NFL, when a star player’s (usually a QB in the NFL) status is up in the air. More often than not, you will see bookmakers re-post a line after they’ve had time to adjust their number. In MLB, sportsbooks will take a game off the board if the starting pitcher gets scratched. The injury not only affects the side but also the total, it doesn’t usually take bookmakers long to post a new number in this situation. 

Odds aren’t only pulled because of injuries — some bookmakers might pull a game or a prop that is getting a ton of unexpected one-way action, especially bets that are being placed in smaller markets. We occasionally see props come off the board while books either adjust the number or juice offered. We’ve even seen events not get re-posted after they’ve come off the board, usually due to information becoming public. For example, a few Super Bowls ago, someone posted footage of the National Anthem being rehearsed while running a timer before the Super Bowl in Tampa. Sportsbooks quickly pulled the over/under prop on the length of the National Anthem, while bettors scrambled to find an available line. While this fan thought he was doing bettors a favor, posting this info publicly prevented many bettors from being able to place wagers on this prop once this offering was taken off the board.