Glossary
Sharp vs. Square (Public Money)
"Sharp" money comes from professional, well-informed bettors whose action books respect enough to actually move their lines on. "Square" (public) money comes from casual bettors, who tend to pile onto popular teams and storylines regardless of the real price. Books set opening lines to attract balanced betting, then adjust as sharp money reveals where the real value sits.
In practice
A popular team draws 80% of public bets, but the line barely moves — or even moves the other way. That's a tell: sharp money is quietly betting the other side in size, and the book is following the sharps, not the crowd.
Why it matters here
This split is exactly why we devig Pinnacle specifically for the fair line — it's the book sharp bettors actually use, making it the closest thing to a true market price, not just a book's reaction to which team has more fans.