Is it possible to do value betting on sharp bookmakers? Yes. But when it comes to betting against the sharp bookmakers and exchanges, it’s a different ball game.
Before we dive deeper into this, first you might want to read about the difference between soft and sharp bookmakers to understand the difference between these two types of bookmakers. Many Asian bookmakers are considered sharp.
Making a profit value betting on sharp bookmakers and exchanges is more difficult than using only soft bookmakers. If you’re a beginner, you might consider betting on soft bookmakers, to begin with. Or only bet on the sharp bookmakers with proven profitable results.
The reason for this is that a sharp bookmaker generally has odds that are closer to the true probability, compared to a soft bookmaker. This means you have to consider more parameters than just the value percentage:
- We calculate the value by using a combination of sharp bookmaker odds, algorithms and market bias. But sometimes the sharps don’t agree with each other and have quite different odds. In a case like this, you need to determine the reliability of the value. This requires knowledge and experience.
- You need to consider the time until the match start. Bookmakers have the least amount of confidence in odds when they are first published, growing increasingly confident as the market adjusts. So there might be a lot of value in early markets, but also a lot of unreliable odds.
- Sport and leagues. Some sharps have excellent odds (with little value) on a particular sport or league, but less so on others.
In short: It’s more difficult to value bet on sharps. If you’re a beginner you might want to start with soft bookmakers until you’re more experienced. The upside is: there still exist a lot of value on sharps, and you can bet large amounts.