Which Sportsbooks Are the Sharpest?
When it comes to sports betting, not all sportsbooks are created equal. Every book’s lines deserve some consideration, but certain operators have proven to be more reliable at setting efficient markets than others. Sharp sportsbooks typically share a few traits: tight lines, high limits, and a resistance to being overly reactive to action. In short, they’re confident in their pricing.
At Bettor Odds, we set out to determine which books deserve more weight when calculating our fair market odds - the backbone of our line shopping tool. Our methodology looks at how lines moved across the market: if one sportsbook consistently influenced others, its numbers were weighted more heavily; conversely, if a book’s lines often shifted toward the market consensus, its influence was downgraded.
We broke this analysis down by sport and bet type. The findings were generally in line with expectations, though a few surprises emerged.
MLB Main Markets (Moneylines, Spreads, Totals)
Sportsbook Rankings (Weight):
MLB Secondary Markets (Player Props)
Sportsbook Rankings (Weight):
Key Takeaways
Sharper Books Still Lead, but the Gap Is Narrowing
While the sharpest operators remain on top, the weights between books have compressed. As the season progresses and more data becomes available, other books have caught up slightly, closing the gap on the market leaders.
Sharpness Varies by Market
It’s too simplistic to label a book “sharp” across the board. For instance, FanDuel ranks as one of the sharpest books for player props but fails to crack the top five on moneylines. Bettors should recognize these distinctions when line shopping.
Circa’s Rise in Secondary Markets
Circa takes the top spot for player props this year but with an asterisk as they only offer player props that they are comfortable with (namely strikeouts and home runs). We excluded them in earlier analyses due to limited data, but with a deeper sample now available, it is still worth noting their sharpness in the markets they choose to offer.
Final Thoughts
Our research confirms what experienced bettors already suspect: Pinnacle, Circa, and BookMaker remain the sharpest books for core MLB markets, while Circa and FanDuel dominate player props. But the real lesson is that sharpness is market-dependent. A book that excels in moneylines may lag in props, and vice versa.
That’s why line shopping remains critical, and why tools like Bettor Odds give bettors a true edge. By understanding which books to weigh more heavily in each market, you can better identify mispriced lines and maximize your expected value.
Caesars:
Bet365:
Hard Rock Bet:
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