When betting on sports, two of the most important factors to consider are:
- Where is the public?
- Where is the smart money?
Using Action Network's public betting percentages, you can find the answer to these question for every game.
Public Money
To find out where the public is, focus on the Bets column on our Live Odds page. This column represents the percentage of tickets on each side. The higher the percentage of tickets, the more public backing that team is receiving. A decent benchmark for public money is 65%
Sharp Action
To locate sharp action, focus on the Money column, while also comparing it to the Bets column next to it. The goal is to look for low bets + higher dollars—where a team is getting a higher percentage of money despite receiving a smaller percentage of tickets. This is an indication that the large, sharp wagers are potentially coming in on this side.
The ultimate goal is to consider the betting and dollar percentages together in order to locate games that combine the best of both worlds: contrarian—betting against the public and with the house—and also betting on the same side as the sharps, who win at a higher rate than the casual bettor.