Friday Sharp Report: Wiseguys Hitting Five Conference Tourney Unders

Great news: This article, which usually requires a subscription, is FREE to read today. Enjoy! While you’re here, take a look at our gambling-focused tools and content, and sign up for our daily email newsletter to get the best sports betting insight and analysis delivered to your inbox.

Wiseguys continued their hot streak on Thursday. They took advantage of neutral courts, tired legs and soft totals and finished 4-1 with their conference tournament Under plays. Betting on Unders may not be sexy, but they cash just the same as spreads.

Betting Friday’s Conference Tourneys: More Major Upsets on the Horizon?

Read now

After examining all percentages and line movement for Friday’s massive 41-game slate, here are five college basketball bets that professional players are focusing on today, including games that start at 6:30, 7:00, 9:00 and 11:05 p.m. ET.

All data as of 3:30 p.m. ET

Providence-Xavier Under 147.5

6:30 p.m. ET

A classic Pros vs. Joes total matchup. More than 70% of bets are on the Over, but the total has fallen from 151 to 147.5 since opening. Why would the books drop the total to give public Over backers a better number? Because they have big liability on the Under.

Stuckey: My Favorite Revenge Spots on Friday’s College Hoops Card

Read now

Wiseguys at Pinnacle hit the Under three separate times, causing a trio of steam and reverse line moves that forced the market to drop the total. Steam and reverse line moves are triggered by Sports Insights' proprietary Bet Signals feature and identify where professional bettors are placing their money.

Clemson-Virginia Under 117.5

7:00 p.m. ET

Virginia is known for their stifling defense. They're first in the country in points allowed (52.9 ppg). But the public sees an insanely low total and automatically says "it has to go over". Not the sharps. More than 70% of bets are going Over but it only accounts for 42% of dollars (indicating all Average Joe money). Meanwhile, despite such heavy Over betting, the line has fallen from 118.5 to 117.5. We've only see one bet signal on the game: Under 117. John Ewing also found a great Bet Labs trend on Unders in games with a total of 120 or less (64% since 2005).

Kansas State-Kansas Under 138.5

7:00 p.m. ET

Despite over/under percents being relatively split, the total has fallen from 141.5 to 138.5 since opening. This movement was caused by sharps steaming the Under at two different offshore books.

The Four Factors: Friday’s Biggest On-Court Mismatches You Can Exploit

Read now

Butler-Villanova Under 149.5

9:00 p.m. ET

Butler is the top scoring team in the nation (87.4 ppg), so square bettors see an easy Over. Not the sharps. Nearly 60% of bets are on the Over but 71% of dollars are on the Under. The big dogs steamed the Under 152. A few hours later, wiseguys hit under 151. This heavy influx of Under smart money caused the market to drop the total down to 149.5.

Southern Utah-Eastern Washington Under 145.5

11:05 p.m. ET

Wiseguys are staying up late and rooting for missed field goals and shot clock violations. Sharps steamed the Under 148 and doubled down on the Under 147.

A few reminders:

• A really high bet percentage is usually a clear indicator of who public bettors (aka the guys who don’t do this for a living) are taking. And breaking news: The majority of public bettors aren’t successful over the long haul.
• To help locate which games the pros are on, focus on the money percentage metric. If a team is getting a much higher share of dollars compared to bets, that’s a good sign that the wiseguys are on them.
• Don’t blindly bet games based on percentages. You also have to look at the line movement. One of the best sharp indicators is Reverse Line Movement: when the betting line moves in the opposite direction of the team the public is betting. Example: Duke is getting 75% of spread bets vs. North Carolina but you see the line move from Duke -1 to +1.5. That’s a sure sign the wiseguys are on UNC.

Thirsty for more in-depth betting analysis? Sign up for a Sports Insights Pro trial and join our Live Betting Hangouts where we break down the entire board every weeknight from 6:30-7 p.m. ET.

The Pro membership also gives you a fully-customizable live odds page with lines from 50+ books, the number of bets on every game, best bet picks, steam and reverse line moves, Sharp Action Report, weather, injuries, line watcher, line predictor and more.

If you have any questions about Sports Insights, the Betting Hangouts, or betting concepts in general, you can find me on twitter @Josh_Insights

Cover Photo via Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Pictured: Virginia head coach Tony Bennett coaches Devon Hall and other players in a recent game against Louisville