What is Reverse Line Movement in Sports Betting?

Reverse Line Movement Explained in Detail

Reverse line movement, often abbreviated RLM, is a powerful tool for identifying where professional bettors are positioned. In a normal market, the line moves toward the side receiving more bets. When it moves the other way, something unusual is happening: the minority of bets are carrying more weight because they come from respected sharp accounts.

Sportsbooks categorize their customers into sharp and square tiers. When a known sharp places a bet, the book moves the line more aggressively than when a recreational bettor places the same-sized wager. This is why 20% of bets from sharps can move a line more than 80% of bets from the public.

To identify RLM, you need access to public betting data showing the percentage of bets on each side and the actual line movement. Several sports data services provide this information. When you see a significant disconnect between public betting percentages and line direction, you have found potential RLM.

RLM is not a guarantee of success, but historically it has been one of the more reliable betting signals. Teams on the sharp side of RLM tend to cover at a rate above 55% in most studies. The signal is strongest in the NFL, where lines are heavily bet and the market is most efficient, making genuine RLM relatively rare and more meaningful when it occurs.