5 ways to try tell if a line move is sharp or not
Lines are moving on the odds screen, how do you tell if they are sharp or not?
You can never be 100% certain if a move is sharp action or not. There could be many motives behind a move that show up on screen.
The most common move is still a sharp bettor or group making a bet on a game, but there are exceptions like buying back against an original position, trying to set up a middle, faking a game or trying to avoid getting CLV.
Experience watching a screen like OddsLogic over time can create a skill to reading the market and understanding moves.
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5 things to watch for that are usual tells of a sharp bet being made are:
1. Which sportsbook did the move originate at? For example, if a move is occurring at any of these sportsbooks and impacting the entire market, it's most likely a sharp position.
2. What were the limits at the time of the move? Bets at any time of the market can be sharp, but moves occurring closer to start time with higher limits are more likely to be a sharp position than not.
3. Is there a pattern? Did the move start with a certain book? Were some books skipped over? Many bettors and groups play into the same places at similar times each day/week.
4. Was it news or info related? Around the time of the move, was there an injury, lineup, weather or announcement of any kind that would impact the market?
5. Was it at a certain time of day when perhaps a known winning service or known sharp money regularly is put in play?