Video Summary

Beating sports betting is not just about picking more winners than losers. In fact, most sharp betters don't work that way. Instead, they focus on finding small edges in the market and exploiting them. There are two main approaches to doing this: originating and top-down betting.

Originators are handicappers who use their own models or sources of information to make picks. They often have an early opinion and work to find the optimal time to wager. However, this approach is difficult and requires a deep understanding of the sport.

Top-down betters, on the other hand, look for a source of truth as to what the line and price should be, and then filter down to find pricing inefficiencies in the market. They may find a sports book that is still offering a better price than others, giving them a theoretical edge. Top-down betters can spend all day looking for these inefficiencies and can be successful without having to be experts in the sport.

The key to top-down betting is having access to real-time lines from multiple sports books and being able to identify when a line is moving. This can be done using an odd screen, which shows the real-time lines from multiple books and alerts the better to where the edges are. Top-down betters also need to know why the lines are moving and how much each line movement is worth.

While top-down betting can be effective, it is not without its challenges. It can be time-intensive and requires a lot of knowledge about the mechanics of the market. Additionally, it is not a glamorous way to beat the sports books, as it involves simply getting a better price than everyone else. However, for those who are willing to put in the time and effort, top-down betting can be a profitable way to bet on sports.