How SAL Works
Your guide to getting the most out of SAL 9000 across NFL, NBA, and college basketball
Sports Covered
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NFL
All games
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NBA
All games
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NCAAB
National TV games
SAL runs automated analysis before each game, gathering stats, injury reports, and news to provide comprehensive betting recommendations across game lines, totals, and player props.
1How SAL Analyzes Wagers
SAL 9000 takes a balanced approach to every bet by looking at it from multiple angles. Whether it's an NFL primetime showdown, an NBA matchup, or a nationally-televised college basketball game, SAL researches the context, considers what could go right AND wrong, and only recommends bets where it finds a genuine edge.
"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't let you bet on the Jets."
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Research & Context
SAL gathers comprehensive data including player stats, team performance, injury reports, and relevant news. For outdoor sports like football, weather conditions are also factored in. This creates the foundation for understanding how a game might unfold.
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Game Narrative
SAL develops an overall story for the game—how it's likely to be played, which team has advantages, and what key matchups matter most. This narrative guides all betting recommendations.
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Balanced Analysis
For every potential bet, SAL considers both sides:
✓The Case FOR
What statistics, matchups, and situational factors support this bet?
✗The Case AGAINST
What risks, red flags, or opposing factors could make this bet lose?
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Final Recommendation
SAL weighs both sides and compares the true probability to the odds being offered. When SAL believes a bet has a meaningful edge, it gets classified into one of four archetypes based on the strength and type of opportunity. After analysis, SAL continues tracking each wager's odds across sportsbooks to surface line movement and closing line value.
2Understanding Bet Archetypes
SAL classifies every bet into one of four archetypes. This helps you quickly understand the type of opportunity and how to approach it in your betting strategy.
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Core
Tier 1The foundation of any betting strategy. These are SAL's highest-conviction plays where both the edge and the confidence are strong. Core bets represent the best risk/reward opportunities SAL has identified.
When to bet: Core bets are typically your largest positions. If you're only placing a few bets, these should be your priority.
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Conviction
Tier 2Strong thesis-driven bets. SAL has high confidence in the analysis even if the pure mathematical edge is moderate. These bets align well with the game narrative and have solid supporting evidence.
When to bet: Great for building a diversified slate. Conviction bets pair well with Core bets to create balanced exposure.
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Asymmetric
Tier 3High-upside opportunities with positive expected value. These bets may have lower win rates but offer attractive payouts when they hit. The edge comes from the market underpricing the potential outcome.
When to bet: Use smaller stakes. Asymmetric bets add upside to your portfolio but shouldn't be the majority of your action.
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Noise
Tier 4No meaningful edge detected. These are bets where SAL doesn't see a clear advantage either way. The market price appears roughly fair, or there's too much uncertainty to have confidence in a position.
Recommendation: Skip these. Betting without an edge is entertainment, not strategy.
3Anatomy of a Wager Page
When you click into any wager, you'll see a detailed breakdown of SAL's analysis. Here's what each section means:
HEADER
Jayson Tatum Over 27.5 Points
🎯 CoreDraftKings
-115
player points
LINE MOVEMENT
Opening
-110
↑Steaming
Current
-125
Tracks odds changes since SAL first analyzed this wager
KEY METRICS
72.5
Composite Score
+4.2%
Net EV
68.3
Narrative Fit
15.2
Market Divergence
SAL'S SYNTHESIS
SAL's overall take on the bet, weighing both sides and explaining why this opportunity exists...
PRO CASE
The argument FOR this bet with supporting evidence, key factors, and confidence level.
STATS: Recent formMATCHUP: Favorable defense
ANTI CASE
The argument AGAINST this bet with risks, red flags, and reasons for caution.
TREND: Road strugglesSITUATIONAL: Back-to-back
PLACE BET
FanDuel ↗DraftKings ↗BetMGM ↗
One click opens your sportsbook with this bet pre-loaded on your betslip
📊 Composite Score
An overall quality score (0-100) that combines EV, narrative alignment, and confidence. Higher scores indicate stronger overall opportunities.
💰 Net EV
Expected Value—the theoretical edge on the bet. A +5% EV means SAL believes you'll profit 5% on this bet over time if placed repeatedly.
📖 Narrative Fit
How well this bet aligns with the game's overall story. A high-scoring game narrative should support Over bets, for example.
📈 Market Divergence
How much SAL's view differs from the market odds. Higher divergence can indicate value opportunities where the market may be mispricing.
📉 Line Movement
Tracks how odds have changed since SAL first analyzed the wager. Steaming (green) means sharps are betting this side. Drifting (red) means the market is moving against the pick.
🔗 Place Bet Links
One-click buttons to open FanDuel, DraftKings, or BetMGM with the wager pre-loaded on your betslip. Odds shown are from analysis time and may have changed.
4Using the Parlay Builder
The Parlay Builder helps you create smart multi-leg parlays. You can either let SAL build a themed parlay for you, or pick your own legs with real-time correlation warnings.
🦎 SAL Builds Mode
Tell SAL what type of parlay you want, and it will select the best legs that fit your theme.
SAL's Picks
SAL's highest-confidence bets across all categories.
Overs Party
Focus on Over bets for a high-scoring game thesis.
Chalk Buffet
Stack favorites for lower odds but higher hit rate.
Custom Theme
Describe your own thesis and SAL will build to match.
👆 Browse & Pick Mode
Manually select your own legs from the analyzed wagers. SAL will warn you about:
- ⚠️Correlated legs – Bets that depend on each other (e.g., a player's points and assists, or team spread and total)
- 🚫Conflicting bets – Legs that work against each other (e.g., Over on game total + Under on team total)
- 💤Low-tier legs – Adding Noise bets that don't have a real edge
💡 Parlay Tips
- • Stick to 2-4 legs for the best risk/reward balance
- • Avoid correlated legs—they reduce true odds
- • Make sure all legs tell a coherent story
- • Save your parlays and export directly to your sportsbook — track results in My Bets
🔗 Export to Sportsbook
Once you've built your parlay, use the sportsbook export button to send all legs directly to FanDuel, DraftKings, or BetMGM. The betslip opens pre-loaded with your selections—just review and confirm your stake.
5Using the Portfolio Optimizer
The Portfolio Optimizer helps you size your bets using two approaches: Kelly Mode calculates optimal stakes based on your bankroll and mathematical edge, while Allocation Mode lets you deploy a fixed dollar amount across your best bets. Both use archetype-aware adjustments and a risk profile slider for smarter position sizing.
Sizing Modes
Kelly ModeDefault
Calculates the mathematically optimal stake for each bet based on your bankroll, edge, and risk tolerance. Choose Profile-Aware Kelly (accounts for archetypes) or Classic Kelly (pure EV-based).
🎯 Core
100% Kelly
🧠 Conviction
75% Kelly
🚀 Asymmetric
20% Kelly
💤 Noise
0% (Skip)
Allocation ModeNew
Set a fixed amount to deploy (e.g., $50) and SAL distributes it across your best bets. Use the parlay slider (0–50%) to control how much goes to parlays vs. singles.
Auto
Quality-weighted
Kelly
Kelly as weights
Custom
Your % per tier
Risk Profile
Control how aggressively your portfolio is sized with the risk slider:
Aggressive50% Kelly
Higher growth potential, more volatility. For experienced bettors with edge confidence.
Balanced
Recommended25% Kelly
Optimal for most users. Good growth with manageable risk.
Conservative17% Kelly
Lower drawdown risk, steadier returns. For risk-averse users.
Capital Preservation10% Kelly
Minimal risk, focus on protecting capital. Very small positions.
Smart Features
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Probability Shrinkage
Blends SAL's probability estimates with market-implied odds to be conservative and account for uncertainty.
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Correlation Detection
Automatically reduces stakes when bets are correlated (e.g., multiple props on the same player or in the same game).
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Per-Bet & Portfolio Caps
No single bet exceeds 5% of bankroll. Total portfolio allocation capped at 25% to protect against variance.
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Smart Rounding
Stakes are rounded to $5 increments with a $5 minimum. Bets that calculate to less than minimum are automatically excluded.
How It Works
1
Choose Your Mode
Kelly Mode: enter your total bankroll. Allocation Mode: enter the amount to deploy.
2
Set Risk Profile & Strategy
Slide between Aggressive and Capital Preservation. Choose Focused or Spread for diversification.
3
Select Games & Sportsbooks
Filter which games and sportsbooks to include. Toggle "Lines Only" to focus on spreads, totals, and moneylines.
4
Optimize
SAL calculates stakes using archetype-aware Kelly or your allocation strategy, with correlation adjustments.
5
Refine & Export
Add or remove wagers, tweak settings inline, re-optimize instantly, then export to your sportsbooks.
Refine Your Portfolio
After generating a portfolio, you can adjust everything without starting over:
⚙️
Inline Settings
Tap the collapsible Settings bar to change mode, bankroll, risk profile, games, or sportsbooks.
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Browse Wagers
Open the Browse Wagers panel to find and add wagers from any analyzed game.
✕
Remove & Redistribute
Remove any wager and SAL auto-redistributes the freed stake across remaining bets.
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Re-optimize
Hit Re-optimize after any change to recalculate all stakes instantly.
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Expected Outcomes
View your portfolio's projected P&L range (5th/95th percentile and best case).
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Export to Sportsbooks
Send your portfolio to FanDuel, DraftKings, or BetMGM, grouped by sportsbook for efficient placement.
6Placing Bets — Sportsbook Integration
SAL integrates directly with major sportsbooks so you can go from analysis to placed bet in one click. Every wager, parlay, and portfolio includes buttons to open your sportsbook with the bet pre-loaded on your betslip.
Supported Sportsbooks
FanDuel
Full betslip integration for singles and multi-leg parlays with best deep link coverage.
DraftKings
Single and multi-leg betslip support via outcome ID-based URL format.
BetMGM
Full betslip integration with pre-populated stakes and state-aware URLs.
Where You'll Find Bet Links
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Wager Pages
Every wager detail page shows sportsbook buttons next to the odds display.
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Parlay Builder
Export your completed parlay to your preferred sportsbook with all legs pre-loaded.
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Portfolio Optimizer
"Export to Sportsbook" sends all portfolio wagers at once, grouped by book.
How It Works
1
Click the sportsbook button (e.g., "FanDuel") on any wager, parlay, or portfolio.
2
Your sportsbook app or site opens with the bet(s) pre-loaded on the betslip.
3
Review the odds—they may have changed since analysis.
4
Enter your stake and confirm the bet.
SAL automatically tracks bets placed via these links in your My Bets dashboard.
💡 Placement Tips
- • Compare odds across books before placing—SAL shows all available lines
- • Odds shown are from analysis time; always verify current odds on the sportsbook
- • Portfolio export groups wagers by sportsbook for efficient batch placement
7Tracking Results & Performance
Track every bet you place through SAL in one unified dashboard. View singles, parlays, and portfolio bets side by side, add stakes, and watch your performance metrics update as games resolve.
My Bets Dashboard
Singles, Parlays, and Portfolios all appear in one filterable table. Each row shows:
Wager
Description & odds
Stake
Your wager amount
Result
W / L / P / V
Expand any row to see game details, market type, tier, predicted EV, and closing line value (CLV).
Adding Stakes
Enter or update stakes for any tracked wager to enable profit tracking. Edit stakes directly in the table view and save multiple changes at once. Wagers without stakes are still tracked for hit rate and CLV but excluded from P&L calculations.
Performance Analytics
Your Performance tab shows key metrics across all resolved, staked wagers:
ROI
Return on investment
P&L
Total profit/loss
Hit Rate
Win percentage
Sharpe
Risk-adjusted returns
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Equity Curve
Cumulative profit over time showing your bankroll growth trajectory.
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Rolling Sharpe Ratio
Risk-adjusted returns over 10-day windows. Above 1.0 is strong; above 2.0 is exceptional.
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CLV Trend
Closing Line Value over time—whether you beat the market's final price. Includes a moving average for trend clarity.
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Hit Rate Heatmap
Win rates broken down by tier (T1–T4) and odds bucket (heavy favorites to longshots). Quickly spot where your edge is strongest.
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Performance by Source
Compare ROI across singles, parlays, and portfolio bets to see which approach works best for you.
Understanding CLV
Closing Line Value (CLV) measures whether you bet at better odds than the market's final closing line. It's considered the gold standard for evaluating betting skill.
Positive CLV
You got a better price than where the market settled—a strong indicator of +EV betting.
Negative CLV
The closing line moved past your bet price. Not always bad if your thesis was correct.
SAL breaks down your CLV by tier, market type, and sport so you can identify where you consistently beat the closing line.
Automatic Resolution
SAL automatically resolves your wagers after games complete:
Win
Bet hit
Loss
Bet missed
Push
Money back
Void
DNP / cancelled
When a player doesn't play (DNP), the wager is voided—matching how sportsbooks refund these bets. Results typically appear within an hour of game completion.
8Tips for Power Users
🎯 Focus on Core & Conviction
Tier 1 and Tier 2 bets are where SAL has the most confidence. Don't chase volume—focus on the best opportunities.
📖 Read the Game Narrative
The meta-narrative on each game page explains how SAL sees the game playing out. Use this to understand why certain bets are recommended.
⚖️ Check Both Cases
Always read both the Pro and Anti cases on a wager page. Understanding the risks helps you make informed decisions.
📈 Track Your Results
Use the My Bets dashboard to track every wager. Add stakes to unlock profit tracking, equity curves, and CLV analysis. The Performance tab reveals where your edge is strongest.
🎰 Compare Sportsbooks
SAL shows odds from multiple books on every wager. Use the sportsbook buttons to place at the best available line—even small differences in odds compound over hundreds of bets.
💬 Chat with SAL
Have questions? Use the chat feature on game pages to ask SAL about specific bets, matchups, or to get explanations.
📉 Watch Line Movement
Steaming lines (green) mean sharps are betting that side—a signal of smart money agreement. Drifting lines (red) mean the market is moving against the pick. Use movement as a tiebreaker between similar bets.
💵 Use Allocation Mode for Fixed Budgets
Have a set amount to bet today? Use the Portfolio Optimizer's Allocation Mode instead of Kelly. Enter your budget, choose how to split between singles and parlays, and SAL distributes it across the best available bets.
Important Disclaimer
SAL 9000 is an entertainment and educational tool designed to help you analyze sports betting markets across NFL, NBA, and college basketball. All betting involves risk of loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Please gamble responsibly and never bet more than you can afford to lose. SAL's recommendations are not financial advice.