What Is Closing Line Value (CLV)?
Closing Line Value, or CLV, is the difference between the odds you took and the final odds available just before kick-off.
What Does Closing Line Mean?
The closing line is the final available price before the match starts. If you backed Portugal at 2.10 in the morning and the price closed at 1.90, you took a better price than the market’s final price.
Why CLV Matters
Betting markets usually become more efficient as kick-off approaches. More team news, injury information and market money are reflected in the price. Regularly beating the closing line can be a sign that your picks have value.
Positive CLV Example
You back Portugal -1.5 at 1.90. The line closes at 1.75. You have positive CLV because you secured a higher price than the final market price.
Negative CLV Example
You back Over 2.5 goals at 1.80. The line closes at 1.95. The market moved against your pick, which means negative CLV.
CLV and ROI
CLV is not the same as ROI. ROI measures actual profit. CLV measures the quality of the price you took. Over a small sample they can diverge, but over the long term positive CLV often points toward a better process.
Read more in How to Calculate ROI in Sports Betting.
Positive CLV can also be a sign that you found a price with value. See What is a Value Bet?.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CLV?
CLV is the difference between the odds you took and the closing odds before kick-off.
Does good CLV guarantee profit?
Not in the short term, but it is a positive long-term process signal.
Is CLV more important than ROI?
No. ROI measures results, while CLV measures price quality.
Can I have positive CLV and negative ROI?
Yes, especially over a small number of bets.