Jimmy Boyd in 
In sports betting lingo, volume and handle are two sides of the action – the number of bets vs. the amount of money.
Betting volume refers to the number of individual bets placed on a game or outcome, while handle refers to the total sum of money wagered. You can think of volume as the count of tickets or wagers, and handle as all the cash on the table.
For example, 100 bettors each putting down $10 would count as a high volume (100 bets) but a modest handle ($1,000).
On the flip side, a single bettor dropping $50,000 is just one bet (low volume) but instantly adds $50k to the handle.
In other words, one big bet can dramatically boost the handle without moving the needle much on volume – a perfect illustration of why sportsbooks track both metrics.
To put it in perspective, consider the famous Houston furniture salesman Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, known for his giant sports bets. In 2023, Mattress Mack reportedly lost $7.9 million on bets backing his Houston Astros. That was just a handful of bets contributing nearly $8M to the handle on the World Series.
Meanwhile, thousands of casual bettors might collectively wager a similar amount in smaller increments.
The takeaway: handle measures the money, and volume measures the tickets – and they don’t always tell the same story.
How Sportsbooks Use Volume and Handle
Sportsbooks closely monitor volume and handle to gauge market interest and manage risk. These figures act as a financial pulse of the betting market. A high volume of bets on a game tells the book that the matchup is attracting lots of attention (everyone and their grandma is throwing in a wager). A high handle, on the other hand, means a lot of money is at stake, which could be from many small bets, a few huge bets, or a mix of both.
For the sportsbook, the handle is a key indicator of betting interest and engagement – a bigger handle generally means more people (and more money) are invested in that event. Sportsbooks will often publicize handle numbers for big events as a bragging point or to show how popular the event was. Volume (sometimes reported as “tickets” or “% of bets”) complements that by showing how widespread the action is.
For instance, a niche soccer match might quietly rack up a large handle thanks to a few high-rollers, despite low volume.
Conversely, a Monday Night Football game could see tens of thousands of $5 and $10 bets (huge volume) but still have a smaller total handle than a championship boxing match with a few whales betting six figures.
These metrics also help books assess their exposure and liability. Sportsbooks balance their odds partly based on where the money is going – not just how many bets, but how big those bets are. If one side of a game has a disproportionate handle (much more money wagered on Team A than Team B), the book faces potential liability if Team A wins. Even if the number of bets is equal, an imbalance in the handle can swing the risk.
To manage this, bookmakers may adjust the odds or point spread to encourage bets on the other side and even out the money. The goal isn’t always a perfect 50/50 split, but no book wants a nightmare scenario where a team winning triggers massive losses due to a lopsided handle.
In extreme cases, if sharp bettors are piling huge sums on one side (thus inflating the handle), a sportsbook might even lower the betting limits or temporarily stop taking bets for that game to limit their exposure.
On the flip side, a surge in casual betting volume might not scare the book as much, since those are smaller bets adding up.
Public vs. Sharp Money Reflected in Volume & Handle
One of the coolest insights volume and handle provide is whether the betting action is coming from the public or sharp bettors. Typically, “public” money (recreational bettors) shows up as lots of tickets but smaller average bet sizes.
“Sharp” money (professional or experienced bettors) shows up as fewer bets but larger amounts. By comparing the percentage of bets on a side (volume) to the percentage of money on that side (handle), you can spot these differences at a glance.
For example, imagine an NFL game where 70% of all bets are on the Dallas Cowboys to cover the spread, but those bets account for only 45% of the money wagered. Meanwhile, 30% of bets on the Kansas City Chiefs make up a hefty 55% of the total money.
This tells a story: more people (the majority of bettors) are on Dallas, but the larger wagers are on Kansas City. In fact, Kansas City took far fewer bets but still attracted more money – a strong sign that sharp bettors pounded the Chiefs while casual bettors loaded up on the Cowboys. Sportsbooks often share such “bet % vs. money %” splits, and when you see a big gap like this, it usually means sharp action on the side with the higher money share.
Another scenario: suppose 42% of the bets are on an underdog, yet that underdog accounts for 51% of the money in the game. That means the minority of bettors are staking over half the cash – likely professionals or sharp bettors backing the underdog with larger wagers.
In contrast, the favorite in that game might have 58% of the bets but only 49% of the money, indicating many small bets from the public. These imbalances between volume and handle are like fingerprints of sharp money.
They can even lead to reverse line movement, where the odds move against the side getting the majority of bets because sportsbooks respect the big money coming in on the other side. If you’ve ever seen a point spread tick away from a popular favorite, chances are the hefty handle on the underdog (from sharps) caused that shift.
It’s worth noting that one or two huge bets can skew the handle percentage. That’s why bettors and bookmakers look at both metrics together. If a team shows, say, only 40% of the total tickets but has 60% of the money, you know the average bet size on that team is much larger than the other side.
In a simple illustration, 100 total bets worth $100,000 could break down as $60,000 from 75 bets vs. $40,000 from 25 bets – an average of ~$800 per bet on one side vs. $1,600 on the other.
In practice, that tells you which side the serious bettors are backing. Sportsbooks love to keep an eye on these patterns because it helps them identify where the “smart money” is and adjust lines if necessary.
Examples of Volume and Handle from Major Events
Big games and major sporting events really highlight the volume vs. handle dynamic. Let’s start with the granddaddy of U.S. betting: the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is not only one of the most-watched events but also one of the most heavily bet.
An estimated $16 billion was wagered on the 2023 Super Bowl alone – a staggering handle for a single game. This handle comes from millions of bets of all sizes, from $5 office pool squares to six-figure sportsbook wagers. The volume of bets is off the charts, as casual fans, first-time bettors, and sharps alike all get in on the action.
March Madness (the NCAA basketball tournament) is another handle heavyweight. The 67-game extravaganza each spring draws bettors from all walks of life filling out brackets and placing wagers. In 2023, it was estimated that about $15.5 billion was bet over the course of the tournament. That’s across thousands upon thousands of individual bets – high volume and high handle.
Interestingly, the volume is boosted by the sheer number of games and participants (office pools, individual game bets, futures), while the handle soars because of the tournament’s popularity and the fact that even non-sports fans throw some money in the pot.
Even outside the mainstream U.S. sports, the global stage sees massive volume and handle. Events like the FIFA World Cup have an enormous worldwide betting handle – by one estimate, around $2 billion per match was wagered during the 2018 World Cup!
And don’t forget horse racing: the Kentucky Derby routinely racks up hundreds of millions in handle (the 2023 Derby drew about $390 million in bets). These examples show that handle tends to scale up with marquee events – but the composition of that handle (many small bets vs. a few gigantic bets) can vary.
A fun case study: remember our friend Mattress Mack? In addition to his World Series bet, he also famously wagered $3.46 million on the 2022 Kentucky Derby (across multiple bets on the favorite) and regularly places multi-million dollar championship bets. When he does that, he’s contributing the equivalent handle of perhaps tens of thousands of average bettors in one go.
Sportsbooks certainly take note when one person can swing the handle like that. It’s a vivid example of how major events attract both massive volume (public bets) and massive single wagers (sharp or syndicate bets), combining to create record-breaking handles.
How Bettors Can Use Volume vs. Handle Data
So what can you, as a bettor, do with info about betting volume and handle? Plenty. Volume vs. handle data can help you read the betting market and spot opportunities.
Many sports betting sites and apps share betting splits – typically showing the percentage of bets and percentage of money on each side of a game. By studying these, you can get a sense of where the public is versus where the bigger (possibly smarter) money is.
For example, if you see that 80% of bets are on the New York Yankees but only 55% of the money is on them, that means lots of small bets on the Yanks, while 45% of the money is on their opponent from just 20% of bets. That’s a hint that larger bets (sharp money) might be backing the other team.
If at the same time you notice the line moving in favor of that opponent (say the Yankees’ odds are getting better for bettors despite all the tickets on them), it confirms sharp action on the opponent – a classic case of the line moving against the public. Savvy bettors will take note of this reverse line movement and perhaps follow the money (e.g. consider betting the opponent or at least avoiding the overhyped Yankees side).
On the other hand, if volume and handle percentages line up closely (say Team A has 55% of bets and ~57% of money), it suggests a more evenly distributed betting profile – no clear sharp vs. public disparity. In those cases, the line is more likely driven by genuine consensus or news, not one-sided money.
Bettors can use volume/handle info as one piece of their handicapping puzzle. It’s particularly useful for identifying those games where “everyone” is betting one side, but the heavy cash is actually on the other side.
Betting against the public (also known as fading the public) is a popular strategy precisely because the public often loses – and volume/handle splits are the tool that reveals where the public is versus the sharps.
Just remember, it’s not foolproof. Sometimes the public wins, and sometimes splits data can be misleading if not taken in context (e.g., small sample size or a single bet skewing the numbers). But overall, paying attention to these numbers can give you a leg up in understanding line moves and finding value.
Impact on Odds, Limits, and Sportsbook Liability
From the sportsbook’s perspective, volume and handle aren’t just abstract stats – they directly impact how the book sets odds, limits bets, and balances its risk. We touched on this earlier, but let’s dig a bit deeper:
- Odds & Line Movement: Sportsbooks will adjust odds and point spreads based on the money coming in, more so than the raw number of bets. If a wave of cash (high handle) hits one side, the book might shift the odds to make that side less attractive and entice action on the other side. For instance, if the Chicago Bears go from +6 to +5.5 despite most bettors picking the other team, it’s likely because a few large bets (handle) came in on the Bears. The public might be puzzled (“why are the odds improving for the Bears if nobody’s betting them?”), but the book is respecting the handle from sharps. In contrast, tons of $5 bets (high volume, low handle) won’t move the line much if the book thinks those are just public plays. In essence, the money talks when it comes to odds updates, and sportsbooks carefully monitor handle to decide when to pivot the lines.
- Betting Limits: Sportsbooks often have preset limits on how much you can bet on a given game or bet type. These limits aren’t static – they can be adjusted based on anticipated handle and who is betting. For a championship game with huge expected volume and handle, books might raise limits because the massive pool of bets makes it harder for any single wager to bust them. On the flip side, for a smaller market or a game where they’ve already taken a few large bets, a sportsbook might lower the limit to avoid any more big hits. They may also limit or flag individual sharp bettors who consistently place large wagers that move the handle needle . It’s a cat-and-mouse game: the sharps try to get down big bets, and the books try to manage how those bets affect their overall risk.
- Liability & Risk Management: Liability is essentially the amount of money the sportsbook stands to lose on a given outcome. Handle directly ties into this – if $1 million is bet on Team X and only $100k on Team Y, the book’s liability on Team X winning is huge. Sportsbooks use volume and handle data to keep a pulse on liability throughout the betting period. They might lay off some risk (by betting the other side themselves or adjusting odds to draw counter-action) if one outcome would be a catastrophic loss. The old idea that “sportsbooks just want balanced action on both sides” isn’t 100% true in every situation, but avoiding overwhelming liability is definitely a priority. No sportsbook wants to be in a position to pay out multi-millions on a long shot because all the sharp money piled in at once.
In summary, handle and volume shape how sportsbooks operate their lines and limits. Heavy handle on one side can prompt odds shifts, high volume from public bettors might be welcomed (since that’s usually profitable for the house in the long run), and a combination of both can make a book adjust quickly.
For bettors, understanding this dynamic is important: if you see a line move, think about whether it’s driven by a surge in handle from big bettors or a reaction to news/injuries. If a sportsbook suddenly limits a market or refuses a bet, it might be because their handle on that side is already at a risky level.
Volume and handle are the levers behind the scenes, balancing bookmakers’ books and shaping the betting experience.
Final Thoughts
Volume and handle are fundamental metrics in sports betting – once you grasp them, you’ll listen to betting news and data with a whole new perspective. Next time you hear that “$X billion was bet on March Madness” or see that one team has 65% of the bets but only 40% of the money, you’ll know exactly what’s going on.
Sportsbooks use volume and handle to read the room (and protect their bankroll), and you can use them to sniff out where the sharp action is. It’s all part of thinking like a savvy bettor. In the ever-evolving cat-and-mouse game between bettors and bookmakers, understanding the flow of tickets and dollars is a sharp move in itself.
Happy betting, and may your handle be large and your volume well-placed!
