Tied at one game apiece, the Western Conference Finals will hit the St. Louis ice for the first time in the series. And after closing around +115 on the road in Games 1 and 2, the Blues opened at -145 on their home ice in Game 3.
That created a +125 payout for the visiting Sharks, a number that was too good to pass up in the eyes of most bettors. Since opening, San Jose has drawn 60% of bets placed on the moneyline, a backing that caused oddsmakers to drop the Blues down to -135 this morning. That line didn't last very long, though.
Even attracting only four out of 10 bets, the Blues quickly made their way back toward the opening number, as they're now listed anywhere from -140 to -143. Much of the reason for that has been the size of the tickets that have been placed on them.
Their 40% backing has generated an impressive 72% of actual money being wagered. That certainly creates a monetary liability on St. Louis, but with this being the NHL, the relatively small handle (compared to Raptors-Bucks Game 1 and some of tonight's MLB matchups) makes that liability a bit less meaningful.
What is a meaningful takeaway from that discrepancy, though, is that the Blues are drawing much bigger bettors. And which bettors are likely to be making the big bets?
Sharps.
A Sports Insights Bet Signal in the form of a reverse line move came on St. Louis at -135, confirming that sharp action was responsible for the line rise.
Similarly, the under has presented us with a noteworthy discrepancy between bets and dollars. While drawing just 31% of bettors, its made up for 59% of actual money being placed on the total. Like the Blues, it's also triggered an SI Bet Signal, though the reaction in the betting market hasn't been quite as drastic, as the juice on the under has moved only from -105 to -110.
