What is Sharp (sharp money)?
A professional or professional-quality bettor — or the action that comes from one — typically defined by long-term profit and consistent closing line value.
Sharp money is what books fear and what other bettors track. A sharp's wager carries information — it is a vote that the line is off. Watching sharp action via reverse line moves (the line moves opposite to where the public is betting) is one of the few public-data signals casual bettors can use to identify +EV plays without their own model.
Related terms
The difference between the line you bet and the closing line at the same book — the most predictive single metric of long-run edge.
Betting only when your estimated win probability is higher than the bookmaker's implied probability.
The recreational or public bettor — or the action that comes from them — typically biased toward favorites, overs and household names.
See sharp (sharp money) applied to a real slate
NotaSportsGuru runs the math behind every published leg — Parlay of the Day, player props, match lines — with the model’s expected value and edge on every line.