A lot of people will plunge into the preseason betting pool without much handicapping or homework. So and so likes the Cowboys solely because he loves Dak Prescott (even though Prescott is not playing tonight). Another guy likes the “Over” because the point total is “too low.”

“There’s just no way they don’t get to 33 points,” you’ll often hear from the bartender slinging your next drink across the counter.  

Me? I prefer to pay real close attention to respected money from sharp players. A sharp is somebody who consistently beats the closing line by getting their money in at the best possible time – betting an underdog at +6 early in the week before the market ends up closing +4.5 at kickoff, for example – and is historically a winning bettor. 

These players help shape the betting market and help sportsbooks get to the right number.

“NFL preseason is one of the sharpest markets there is,” Westgate SuperBook executive director John Murray told me. “Lots of sharp players get involved. Maybe they get information that this team or that team is going to play its starters three quarters. It’s very information-driven and a very tough market to book. There’s not a lot of tourist dollars.”

via Sam Panayotovich, FOX SPORTS