Wild Card Weekend is finally here, which of course means you're looking to get down on some college hoops. All right, maybe not, but that doesn't mean sharps have turned away from their friends on the hardwood.
Of today's giant slate, three games in particular have drawn some serious wiseguy money as of Saturday morning, beginning with UNC-Pittsburgh at 12 p.m. ET.
>> All odds as of 9:45 a.m. ET. Download The Action Network App to get real-time college basketball odds and track your bets.
North Carolina @ Pittsburgh
12 p.m. ET | ESPN CE
Sharp angle: Over (moved from 152.5 to 155)
Opening at 152.5, this was already among the higher totals on Saturday's slate. Perhaps seeing such a high number drove away some public bettors — who generally tend to love overs — as the under is actually the more popular bet on the total.
Fifty-five percent of bettors, in fact, are backing the under, yet the total has risen almost three points from its opener.
As you could've probably guessed, sharp action has been at the root of the line move, indicated both by money percentages and Sports Insights' Bet Signals.
Despite only 45% of bets hitting the over, it's generated an impressive 77% of actual money being wagered, meaning it's being played by bigger bettors — the ones more likely to be sharps.
An SI Bet Signal was also triggered on the over at a total of 153.5, indicating professional action at that number that caused a market-wide line shift.
Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma
2 p.m. ET | FS-SW
Sharp angle: Oklahoma State (moved from +11 to +10)
The 11-2, 23rd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners are hosting 6-7 rival Oklahoma State. I'm not sure what the line would have to be to get the public on the dog here, but with 70% of bets coming on Oklahoma, 11 points clearly wasn't enough.
It was plenty for sharps, though.
Per Sports Insights' Bet Signals, wiseguys have already poked the Pokes three times — once at +11 and twice at +10.5 — to bring this line down to its current number of +10.
Perhaps more eye-catching, is the amount of money the Cowboys have generated despite their minority backing. Their 30% of bets have accounted for 72% of actual dollars wagered since opening.
William & Mary @ Drexel
4 p.m. ET
Sharp angle: William and Mary (moved from pk to -1)
All right, so it might not be as exciting a game (or available to watch) as the other two listed, but sharps are still finding some value on this Colonial Athletic Association matchup. It sure would be nice if there was a bigger game to bet at the 4 o'clock hour today, though.
Of course, sharps care not about whether a game is meaningful or exciting. They're simply looking for betting value, and they seem to have found it with William & Mary.
The Tribe have triggered two SI Bet Signals, and have moved from a pick'em to a 1-point favorite. A few books have even gone as far as making them -1.
That move comes despite only 35% of bets landing on William & Mary, but once again, those bets account for a significantly higher percentage of money.
In this case, 53% of the coin has landed on the Tribe, which has led oddsmakers to follow the action of their bigger, sharper customers.
