Arbitrage Opportunities

Find guaranteed-profit arbitrage opportunities across sportsbooks.


GET /api/v1/opportunities/arbitrage

Authentication

Requires API key. Hobby tier or higher required. Your account must have the arbitrage feature enabled.

Query Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`sport`	string	all	Filter by sport(s), comma-separated (e.g. `basketball`, `football`)
`league`	string	all	Filter by league(s), comma-separated (e.g. `nba`, `nfl`, `nhl`)
`sportsbook`	string	tier-allowed	Filter by sportsbook(s), comma-separated. Tier limits enforced.
`market`	string	all	Filter by market type(s), comma-separated
`min_profit`	number	0.5	Minimum profit percentage (e.g. `1.0` = 1%)
`live`	boolean	—	`true` = live only, `false` = prematch only, omit = both
`format`	string	`json`	Response format: `json` or `csv`. CSV downloads as `arbitrage_YYYY-MM-DD.csv`.
`limit`	integer	50	Results per page (max 500)
`offset`	integer	0	Pagination offset (max 5000)

Profit cap: Opportunities with profit above 10% are automatically filtered out. These are almost always phantom arbs caused by stale or suspended odds rather than real opportunities.

Filtering Multiple Values

Use comma-separated values for multi-select filters:


?sport=basketball,football&league=nba,nfl

Example Requests

cURL


curl -X GET "https://api.sharpapi.io/api/v1/opportunities/arbitrage?league=nba&min_profit=1" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

JavaScript


const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.sharpapi.io/api/v1/opportunities/arbitrage?league=nba&min_profit=1',
  { headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY' } }
);
const { data, meta } = await response.json();
 
for (const arb of data) {
  console.log(`${arb.event_name}: ${arb.profit_percent}% profit`);
  for (const leg of arb.legs) {
    console.log(`  ${leg.sportsbook}: ${leg.selection} @ ${leg.odds_american} (${leg.stake_percent}%)`);
  }
}

Python


import requests
 
response = requests.get(
    'https://api.sharpapi.io/api/v1/opportunities/arbitrage',
    params={'league': 'nba', 'min_profit': 1},
    headers={'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY'}
)
data = response.json()
 
for arb in data['data']:
    print(f"{arb['event_name']}: {arb['profit_percent']}% profit")
    for leg in arb['legs']:
        print(f"  {leg['sportsbook']}: {leg['selection']} @ {leg['odds_american']} ({leg['stake_percent']}%)")

Response

Success (200)


{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "arb_dk_pin_nba_lal_bos_ml",
      "event_id": "evt_nba_lal_bos_20260208",
      "event_name": "Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics",
      "sport": "basketball",
      "league": "nba",
      "market_type": "moneyline",
      "line": null,
      "profit_percent": 1.83,
      "implied_total": 98.2,
      "is_live": false,
      "start_time": "2026-02-08T19:00:00Z",
      "is_alternate_line": false,
      "possibly_stale": false,
      "oldest_odds_age_seconds": 8,
      "warnings": [],
      "game_state": null,
      "ev_available": true,
      "ev_percentage": 3.5,
      "is_player_prop": false,
      "player_name": null,
      "stat_category": null,
      "legs": [
        {
          "sportsbook": "draftkings",
          "selection": "Los Angeles Lakers",
          "odds_american": 145,
          "odds_decimal": 2.45,
          "implied_probability": 0.408,
          "stake_percent": 41.5,
          "timestamp": "2026-02-08T14:22:05.000Z",
          "external_event_id": "33483153",
          "selection_id": "sel_lal_ml",
          "market_id": "mkt_ml_33483153"
        },
        {
          "sportsbook": "pinnacle",
          "selection": "Boston Celtics",
          "odds_american": -135,
          "odds_decimal": 1.74,
          "implied_probability": 0.574,
          "stake_percent": 58.5,
          "timestamp": "2026-02-08T14:22:08.000Z",
          "external_event_id": null,
          "selection_id": null,
          "market_id": null
        }
      ],
      "detected_at": "2026-02-08T14:22:10.456Z"
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "limit": 50,
    "offset": 0,
    "total": 3,
    "maxOffset": 5000
  },
  "meta": {
    "source": "cache",
    "summary": {
      "count": 3,
      "avg_profit": 1.23,
      "max_profit": 1.83,
      "by_market": { "moneyline": 2, "point_spread": 1 },
      "by_sport": { "basketball": 3 }
    },
    "filters": {
      "sport": null,
      "league": ["nba"],
      "sportsbook": null,
      "market": null,
      "live": null,
      "min_profit": 1.0
    },
    "books_analyzed": 8
  }
}

Response Headers


X-RateLimit-Limit: 300
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 297
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1707401000
X-Data-Delay: 0
X-Request-Id: req_arb789xyz012

Error Responses

401 Unauthorized


{
  "error": {
    "code": "unauthorized",
    "message": "Invalid or missing API key",
    "docs": "https://sharpapi.io/docs/authentication"
  }
}

403 Tier Required


{
  "error": {
    "code": "tier_restricted",
    "message": "Arbitrage detection requires Hobby tier or higher",
    "docs": "https://sharpapi.io/docs/pricing"
  }
}

429 Rate Limited


{
  "error": {
    "code": "rate_limited",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded",
    "docs": "https://sharpapi.io/docs/api-reference/overview"
  }
}

Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
`id`	string	Unique arbitrage identifier (hash)
`event_id`	string	Event identifier
`event_name`	string	Human-readable event name
`sport`	string	Sport identifier (lowercase)
`league`	string	League identifier
`market_type`	string	Market type (`moneyline`, `point_spread`, `total_points`, etc.)
`line`	number\|null	Spread/total line (e.g., `-3.5`)
`profit_percent`	number	Guaranteed profit as a percentage (e.g., `1.83` = 1.83%)
`implied_total`	number	Sum of implied probabilities across all legs (below 100 = arb exists)
`is_live`	boolean	Whether the event is currently live
`start_time`	string\|null	ISO 8601 event start time
`is_alternate_line`	boolean	Whether this uses a non-standard line
`possibly_stale`	boolean	Whether odds may have moved since detection
`oldest_odds_age_seconds`	number\|null	Age of the stalest leg’s odds in seconds
`warnings`	string[]	Warning flags. Possible values: `LIVE_GAME`, `LIVE_HIGH_PROFIT_SUSPICIOUS`, `LOW_IMPLIED_TOTAL`, `POTENTIALLY_STALE_ODDS`, `VERY_STALE_ODDS`
`game_state`	object\|null	Live game state (`period`, `clock`, `score_home`, `score_away`)
`ev_available`	boolean	Whether an EV opportunity exists on this market
`ev_percentage`	number\|null	EV percentage if available
`is_player_prop`	boolean	Whether this is a player prop market
`player_name`	string\|null	Player name (if player prop)
`stat_category`	string\|null	Stat type (if player prop, e.g., `points`, `rebounds`)
`legs`	array	Array of bet legs that form the arbitrage
`detected_at`	string	ISO 8601 timestamp when the arb was first detected

Leg Object

Field	Type	Description
`sportsbook`	string	Sportsbook for this leg
`selection`	string	The selection (team name, Over/Under, etc.)
`odds_american`	number	American odds for this leg
`odds_decimal`	number	Decimal odds for this leg
`implied_probability`	number	Implied probability (0.0 to 1.0)
`stake_percent`	number	Percentage of total stake to place on this leg
`timestamp`	string\|null	When these odds were captured (ISO 8601)
`external_event_id`	string\|null	Sportsbook’s native event ID
`selection_id`	string\|null	Sportsbook’s selection/outcome ID
`market_id`	string\|null	Sportsbook’s market ID

CSV Format

When ?format=csv, the response downloads as arbitrage_YYYY-MM-DD.csv with columns:


event,sport,market,line,profit%,implied_total,book1,selection1,odds1,stake1%,book2,selection2,odds2,stake2%,is_live,is_alternate_line,possibly_stale,warnings,detected_at

How Arbitrage Works

Arbitrage exploits price differences between sportsbooks to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome. When the combined implied probabilities across all legs of a market total less than 100%, an arbitrage opportunity exists.

The Core Principle


Book A: Team X +150 (implied 40.0%)
Book B: Team Y -130 (implied 56.5%)
Total implied: 96.5% < 100% = ARBITRAGE

When the total is below 100%, you can bet proportionally on every outcome and guarantee a profit.

Profit Calculation


Profit % = (100 / implied_total) - 100

Using the example above:


Profit % = (100 / 96.5) - 100 = 3.63%

This means for every $1,000 wagered, you are guaranteed approximately $36.30 in profit.

Calculating Optimal Stakes

To guarantee equal returns regardless of outcome, allocate stakes proportionally:


// Decimal odds: Team X = 2.50, Team Y = 1.77
const impliedX = 1 / 2.50;  // 0.400
const impliedY = 1 / 1.77;  // 0.565
const total = impliedX + impliedY;  // 0.965
 
const stakeX = impliedX / total;  // 41.5% of bankroll
const stakeY = impliedY / total;  // 58.5% of bankroll

Full Stake Example

Total bankroll for this arb: $1,000

Leg	Stake	Odds	Payout if Wins
Team X @ DraftKings	$415	+150	$1,037.50
Team Y @ Pinnacle	$585	-130	$1,035.00

Guaranteed profit: ~$35-38 (3.5-3.8%) regardless of outcome.

Three-Way Arbitrage

Sports like soccer and hockey have three-way markets (home/draw/away), which can also produce arbitrage:


Home Win:  +200 (33.3%)
Draw:      +250 (28.6%)
Away Win:  +180 (35.7%)
Total implied: 97.6% -> 2.4% arbitrage profit

The same stake calculation applies — divide each leg’s implied probability by the total to determine the stake allocation.

Why Arbs Exist

Timing differences - Sportsbooks update odds at different speeds
Differing opinions - Books have different risk models and exposure
Promotions - Boosted odds from one book create artificial gaps
Errors - Occasionally, a book posts incorrect odds

Best Practices

Account Risk: Sportsbooks actively monitor for arbitrage activity. Accounts that exclusively place arb bets may be limited or restricted. Consider mixing arbitrage bets with recreational activity.

Act fast - Arb windows are often short-lived (seconds to minutes)
Round your stakes - A bet of $47.32 looks suspicious; round to $50
Use pre-calculated stakes - The stake_percent field gives you optimal allocation
Verify odds before placing - Always confirm the odds at the sportsbook have not moved
Start with larger arbs - Focus on min_profit=1 or higher to account for line movement
Track the implied_total - Lower totals mean larger guaranteed profits
Diversify sportsbooks - Spreading activity across many books reduces individual account risk

Arb vs +EV Betting

Aspect	Arbitrage	+EV Betting
Risk	Zero (guaranteed profit)	Variance exists
Profit per bet	1-3% typical	2-10% edge
Account risk	High (limits likely)	Lower
Capital required	High (bet both sides)	Lower
Sustainability	Limited by account health	Long-term viable

Many experienced bettors prefer +EV betting over arbitrage because accounts last longer and the expected edges are often larger. See the +EV Opportunities endpoint for details.

+EV Opportunities - Positive expected value bets
Middles - Line discrepancy opportunities
Arbitrage Concepts - Detailed arbitrage theory
Arbitrage Scanner Example - Build a real-time scanner