Glossary / Operations / Action
A ParlayAPI glossary entry

Action

Action is betting volume on a market or side. “Sharp action” means large bets from accounts the book respects; “public action” means many small recreational bets. The distinction drives how books move lines - and how bettors read those moves.

In practice

Books reprice quickly on sharp action and slowly on public action - a line that jumps on modest volume tells you who bet, not just how much. The classic tell is reverse line movement: the line moves against the side receiving most public bets, implying respected money on the other side. (“Action” also has a grading sense: an “action” bet stands even if conditions change, e.g. a listed pitcher is scratched.)

Where it shows up in ParlayAPI

Odds feeds don't carry ticket counts, but action leaves tracks in prices: velocity and cross-book agreement of a move are observable in ParlayAPI's timestamped odds, and the movers view ranks where the market is moving hardest right now - the standard proxy for where serious action is landing.

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