Steam / Steam Move
Sudden coordinated line movement across multiple sportsbooks. Almost always sharp money.
A steam move is a fast, simultaneous line shift across multiple sportsbooks; usually triggered when sharp groups pile onto a side at the same time.
Characteristics:
- Sudden; typically minutes, not hours
- Cross-book; every major operator moves similarly
- Often against majority ticket count
- Hard to chase profitably; by the time the public sees it, the value is gone
Chasing steam (“steam chasing”) works only if you can act faster than the books can adjust. Most bettors find more value by anticipating steam; reading the same conditions sharps read before the move happens.