Things have gone pretty poorly for the Hurricanes through two games of the Eastern Conference Finals. After being outscored 11-4 overall in Games 1 and 2, Carolina will head back home down two games to none.
Sportsbooks varied in how they opened the moneyline for Game 3. While a small number were favoring the B's, most had either the Hurricanes listed as slight favorites or a relatively even line.
As you could probably guess, that's drawn a majority of bets to the hot hands, as the Bruins have made up for 56% of tickets placed on the matchup.
Despite that backing though, it's been the Hurricanes who have moved up to a consensus -120 across the market.
That reverse line movement is generally a dead giveaway of sharp action hitting the less popular side. Why else would oddsmakers want to give the majority of their players a better number?
Well, one reason is that not all bets are for the same amount. In this case, the 44% of bettors taking Carolina have generated 69% of actual money wagered. That certainly creates a monetary liability for sportsbooks, but perhaps more importantly, it shows that the Canes are drawing bigger bettors — the ones more likely to be sharps.
Confirming that wiseguys have been backing the home side, two Sports Insights Bet Signals have been triggered on Carolina at -110 and -115 in the form of steam moves.
Steam refers to a heavy dose of bets hitting the same side over a short period of time that causes an industry-wide line shift, and is a strong indication of sharp action.
