What is closing line value?
The closing line is the last price on a bet before the game starts.
Vig is the bookmaker's cut, built into the price.
CLV is the gap between the price you took and the fair closing price, in points.
An example
These prices are an example. They are not a real bet.
You took +150.
The market closed at -110 on your side and -110 on the other side.
How to calculate it
Turn each price into a chance. The vig is still in that chance.
Add the two closing chances. They add up to more than 100 percent because of the vig.
Divide each chance by that total. The two fair chances then add up to 100 percent.
That is the multiplicative method. The calculator uses the same method.
CLV is the fair closing chance minus the chance your price implied.
One point is one percentage point of chance.
In this example, you beat the close by 10.0 pts. The fair close is 50.00%. Your price implied 40.00%.
One bet is not enough
One number does not say whether a record means anything.
A run of prices better than the close can still be a small sample.
How many bets that takes is on luck or skill.
Check a bet
Enter an example or your own prices. Nothing is saved.
Enter your price and the close
- Beat the close by (pts)
- Fair close
- Your price, as a chance
The full calculator also handles spreads and totals. Did you beat the close?
Got a list? Grade your bets.
Want the fair price by itself? No-vig calculator.
How we grade is in the Standard.