Steam Chasing Strategy
The next time you’re looking for a new sports betting strategy, one to consider is steam chasing. Although difficult to learn, once mastered, steam chasing can be very lucrative. All any sports bettor wants in a wager is good value, and if you know how to chase the steam properly, good value is all you’ll find.
What means Steam?
“Steam” or a “steam move” in sports betting is when there is a large change in the lines, odds, points spread or totals due to new and heavy action. This new and heavy action will change the line in the sportsbooks rather quickly and is caused by high-roller players or syndicates placing large sums of money on a game. The normal public wagering does not have the same effect on lines and odds; it’s these big players that trigger the large line movements, and this is the steam.
Steam Chasing
When steam chasing, the theory is to spot the steam moves and wager accordingly. The value of the wager comes in two ways: One, if a wager is heavy enough to create a steam move, the person or persons must know what they are doing. And two, spotting the steam in one sportsbook and wagering at the old odds in another means you are placing the same wager as the steam creators. A wager that can cause a steam move is smart money, and if you bet with the smart money, you’ll win.
How to Chase Steam
Here’s an example. Let’s say the gamblers notice that the line in several sportsbooks has the Philadelphia Eagles as a -3 point favorite versus the Cleveland Browns After some time, you notice that one of the sportsbooks has moved their line to -4.5. This is a real big move, particularly with the 3, which is a significant total in NFL betting. In a few moments, the rest of the market begins to move their line to adjust as well. This is the steam. However, there are a few more sportsbooks that have yet to adjust their odds, and the Eagles at -3 is still available. Betting the Eagles here is chasing the steam. Sportsbooks and oddsmakers are quick to adjust their lines as the wagers come in. Some sport betting sites may be slower than others to move their lines, but, just to give you an idea, in most cases, it’s a matter of only a few minutes.
The Steam Strategy
The best way to employ this strategy is to make it as simple as possible. Sitting around all day looking for steam isn’t cost-effective. Make it part of your routine. Once you’re in your sportsbook, checking odds and noting line charges, look for games you’d expect a lot of action on. Big games with big fan bases. Make a note of a few and move on to your other wagers. Then, once you’ve decided on all your upcoming action, revisit some of those early lines. This is a good way to practice and become adept at finding opportunities for steam chasing. It doesn’t have to be the only strategy you use, but it is an important skill to have and one every successful gambler will need.
