The NBA Playoffs tip off today, and bettors have unsurprisingly taken notice.
All four of Saturday's games are on pace to be more heavily bet than any of the day's baseball games — the first time that's happened since the MLB season started.
Among those betting the first slate of playoff games have been sharps, who have been finding value on two plays — both of which have come from the same game.
>> All odds as of 11:40 a.m. ET. Download The Action Network App to get real-time NBA odds and track your bets.
Orlando Magic @ Toronto Raptors
5 p.m. ET
Sharp angles: Raptors (moved from -8 to -8.5); Under (moved from 216 to 212.5)
Most sportsbooks opened this point spread at Toronto -8, and early ones had pegged the game even lower at -7.5. But as of writing, the market-wide consensus is up to -8.5 (see live odds here), and plenty of shops have continued the movement up to -9.
Sixty-two percent of bettors have taken the Raptors, but that public backing doesn't seem to be the true cause of the line move. Instead, it's been sharps among that group convincing oddsmakers to adjust their lines.
The 62% of bets on Toronto have generated 79% of actual dollars being wagered, which means the Raptors are drawing the bigger bettors — the ones more likely to be sharps.
Confirming that indication, three Sports Insights' Bet Signals in the form of steam moves have also landed on Toronto. Steam refers to an overload of sharp action hitting the same bet over a short period of time, causing a market-wide line shift.
Speaking of line shifts, the total has also fallen from 216 to 212.5, and once again it's been sharps causing the move. While only 37% of bets have come on the under, those bets have generated 66% of actual money being wagered on the total.
The under also triggered two SI Bet Signals when it opened, revealing early professional action banking on a low-scoring game.
