Sharp Money Sending Oddsmakers Scrambling in Early Hoops Betting

Tonight's college basketball slate is headlined by a handful of interesting matchups, including Kentucky-Auburn, which is getting the full breakdown from our team of betting analysts.

For those looking to get down with the early risers, a scan of The Action Network's betting tools quickly reveals a much smaller game that professionals are betting now before the masses catch on to the move.

While yesterday's Wake and Rake matchup was a much sneakier sharp play, today's sticks out like a sore thumb. Oakland opened as a 7-point road favorite against Youngstown State and is receiving 82% of all early spread wagers. However, the line has dropped all the way to -5.5 at Bookmaker.eu, an indicator that sharp action is responsible for the move.

Our money percentages confirm this assumption as 50% of dollars wagered on the spread have taken Youngstown State, meaning that the big bets from professional players have already gotten down on the Penguins.

Something that may go unnoticed to the untrained eye is that Bookmaker.eu, which offers very high betting limits, has moved Youngstown State to +5.5, while the rest of the betting market is still sitting at +6. This signals that Bookmaker.eu is heavier (meaning they've taken more money) on Youngstown State than the rest of the market, and has reacted by offering the best price  (-5.5) in hopes of enticing Oakland action.

At most sportsbooks, this wouldn't mean much. But at one of the key, market-setting shops, it's a significant piece of information that only reinforces how much sharp action has come down on this game.

Updated: Feb. 14 at 10:51 a.m. ET

About 45 minutes after posting this article, sharp money pummeled Youngstown State once again, steaming the number down to +5 across the entire betting market.