Public Betting Percentage

Public betting percentage, sometimes called ticket percentage or consensus data, represents the share of total individual wagers placed on each side of a betting market. If a market shows 70% of bets on Team A and 30% on Team B, it means that seven out of every ten individual tickets written favor Team A. This data is tracked and published by various sports betting analytics sites and gives bettors a snapshot of where the recreational majority — often referred to as “the public” — is putting its money. It is an important market sentiment indicator, though it must be interpreted carefully because it does not account for the size of each wager.

A critical distinction exists between ticket percentage and money percentage. Public betting percentage counts each bet equally regardless of whether it is a $10 wager or a $10,000 wager. Money percentage, by contrast, reflects the actual dollar volume on each side. When these two metrics diverge significantly — for example, 75% of tickets on one side but only 50% of the money — it suggests that larger, potentially sharper bettors are taking the less popular side. This divergence is one of the key signals that experienced handicappers monitor when evaluating a market.

Example

An MLB game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles shows 72% of public bets on the Yankees moneyline and 28% on the Orioles. However, the money percentage reveals that only 45% of the total dollars wagered are on the Yankees, while 55% is on the Orioles. This tells a bettor that while the majority of individual tickets favor the Yankees, the larger and presumably more informed wagers are concentrated on Baltimore. Combined with any line movement toward the Orioles, this could indicate value on the less popular side.

Key Points

• Public does not mean wrong: While fading the public is a popular strategy, the majority side wins frequently. Public betting percentage is a useful data point, not an automatic contrarian signal.
• Ticket count versus dollar volume: Always consider both metrics together. A market where 80% of tickets and 80% of dollars are on the same side tells a different story than one where tickets and money diverge sharply.
• Data sources vary: Different websites report public betting percentages based on their own user base or data partnerships with specific sportsbooks. No single source captures the entire market, so treat the numbers as directional estimates rather than exact figures.
• Context matters by sport: Public betting tendencies differ across sports. NFL games tend to generate the most lopsided public action on favorites and overs, while smaller-market sports may show less predictable public patterns.
• Use alongside other tools: Public betting percentage is most valuable when combined with line movement analysis, expected value calculations, and your own handicapping rather than used in isolation.