Low Hold Opportunities

Find markets with the lowest vig (hold) across sportsbooks — the tightest lines available.


GET /api/v1/opportunities/low_hold

The canonical path uses an underscore. /opportunities/low-hold and /opportunities/lowhold respond with a 308 Permanent Redirect to /opportunities/low_hold.

AuthenticationPermalink for this section

Requires API key. Pro tier or higher required. Your account must have the low_hold feature enabled.

Breaking change: The game_state field (score/period/clock) was removed from this response. Live game state is now served exclusively by the Game State endpoint and the gamestate stream channel. Join rows to game state by event_id.

Query ParametersPermalink for this section

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
`max_hold`	number	5.0	Maximum hold percentage (vig). Lower = tighter lines.
`live`	boolean	—	`true` = live only, `false` = prematch only, omit = both
`sort`	string	`hold`	Sort field: `hold` (lowest first, default), `market`, `sport`
`limit`	integer	50	Results per page (max 200)
`offset`	integer	0	Pagination offset (max 5000)

Filtering Multiple ValuesPermalink for this section

Use comma-separated values for multi-select filters:


?sport=basketball,football&league=nba,nfl&max_hold=3

Example RequestsPermalink for this section

cURL


# Low-hold moneylines under 2% vig
curl -X GET "https://api.sharpapi.io/api/v1/opportunities/low_hold?league=nba&max_hold=2&market=moneyline" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
 
# Prematch only, tightest first
curl -X GET "https://api.sharpapi.io/api/v1/opportunities/low_hold?league=mlb&live=false" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

JavaScript


const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.sharpapi.io/api/v1/opportunities/low_hold?league=nba&max_hold=2',
  { headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY' } }
);
const { data, pagination } = await response.json();
 
for (const hold of data) {
  console.log(`${hold.event_name} [${hold.market_type}]: ${hold.hold_percentage}% hold`);
  console.log(`  ${hold.side1.selection} @ ${hold.side1.odds_american} (${hold.side1.books.join(', ')})`);
  console.log(`  ${hold.side2.selection} @ ${hold.side2.odds_american} (${hold.side2.books.join(', ')})`);
}

Python


import requests
 
response = requests.get(
    'https://api.sharpapi.io/api/v1/opportunities/low_hold',
    params={'league': 'nba', 'max_hold': 2},
    headers={'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY'}
)
data = response.json()
 
for hold in data['data']:
    print(f"{hold['event_name']} [{hold['market_type']}]: {hold['hold_percentage']}% hold")
    s1, s2 = hold['side1'], hold['side2']
    print(f"  {s1['selection']} @ {s1['odds_american']} ({', '.join(s1['books'])})")
    print(f"  {s2['selection']} @ {s2['odds_american']} ({', '.join(s2['books'])})")

ResponsePermalink for this section

Success (200)Permalink for this section

Real response for GET /api/v1/opportunities/low_hold?league=mlb&limit=1 (captured 2026-07-02):


{
  "data": [
    {
      "all_books": [
        "prophetx",
        "sx_bet"
      ],
      "away_team": "Tampa Bay Rays",
      "confidence": 50,
      "detected_at": "2026-07-02T18:24:09Z",
      "event_id": "mlb_rays_royals_2026-07-02_b3",
      "event_name": "Tampa Bay Rays @ Kansas City Royals",
      "hold_percentage": 0.22,
      "home_team": "Kansas City Royals",
      "id": "714fd29bebedf778",
      "is_alternate_line": false,
      "is_live": false,
      "is_player_prop": false,
      "league": "mlb",
      "league_label": "MLB",
      "line": null,
      "market_label": "Moneyline",
      "market_type": "moneyline",
      "odds_age_seconds": 28.5,
      "player_name": null,
      "possibly_stale": false,
      "side1": {
        "books": [
          "prophetx"
        ],
        "external_event_id": "10078595",
        "fair_probability": 0.4685,
        "line": null,
        "market_id": null,
        "odds_american": 113,
        "odds_decimal": 2.13,
        "odds_probability": 0.4695,
        "selection": "Kansas City Royals",
        "selection_id": null
      },
      "side2": {
        "books": [
          "sx_bet"
        ],
        "external_event_id": "L18646242",
        "fair_probability": 0.5315,
        "line": null,
        "market_id": null,
        "odds_american": -114,
        "odds_decimal": 1.877,
        "odds_probability": 0.5327,
        "selection": "Tampa Bay Rays",
        "selection_id": null
      },
      "side3": null,
      "sport": "baseball",
      "start_time": "2026-07-02T23:40:00Z",
      "stat_category": null
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "count": 1,
    "has_more": true,
    "limit": 1,
    "next_offset": 1,
    "offset": 0,
    "total": 66
  },
  "updated_at": "2026-07-02T18:24:10.961117123Z"
}

Response HeadersPermalink for this section


X-RateLimit-Limit: 300
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 296
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1707401000
X-Data-Delay: 0
X-Request-Id: 1782526326424224-82519

Error ResponsesPermalink for this section

401 Unauthorized

No key supplied returns missing_api_key; a bad key returns invalid_api_key.


{
  "error": {
    "code": "missing_api_key",
    "message": "API key required. Pass via X-API-Key header, api_key query parameter, or Bearer token.",
    "docs": "https://sharpapi.io/docs/authentication"
  }
}

403 Tier Restricted


{
  "error": {
    "code": "tier_restricted",
    "message": "This endpoint requires Pro tier or higher",
    "docs": "https://sharpapi.io/pricing",
    "tier": "hobby",
    "required_tier": "pro"
  }
}

429 Rate Limited

retry_after is a Unix-millisecond timestamp of the next window (not a duration); the Retry-After header carries the equivalent seconds value.


{
  "error": {
    "code": "rate_limited",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded for pro tier (300/min)",
    "retry_after": 1737853260000,
    "tier": "pro",
    "limit": 300,
    "docs": "https://sharpapi.io/pricing"
  }
}

Response FieldsPermalink for this section

Field	Type	Description
`id`	string	Unique low-hold 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.)
`market_label`	string	Human-readable market name
`league_label`	string	Human-readable league name
`home_team`	string	Home team name
`away_team`	string	Away team name
`start_time`	string\|null	ISO 8601 event start time
`line`	number\|null	Spread/total line (e.g., `-3.5`, `220.5`)
`hold_percentage`	number	Market hold/vig percentage (e.g., `1.8` = 1.8%)
`side1`	object	First side of the market
`side2`	object	Second side of the market
`side3`	object\|null	Third side (only for 3-way markets like soccer moneyline)
`is_live`	boolean	Whether the event is currently live
`is_alternate_line`	boolean	Whether this uses a non-standard line
`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`)
`all_books`	string[]	All sportsbooks participating in this market
`confidence`	number	Confidence metric (0-100)
`odds_age_seconds`	number	Age of the stalest odds in seconds
`possibly_stale`	boolean	Whether odds data may have moved since detection
`detected_at`	string	When the opportunity was detected (ISO 8601)

Side ObjectPermalink for this section

Field	Type	Description
`selection`	string	The selection name (e.g., “Lakers”, “Over”)
`books`	string[]	Sportsbooks offering the best price on this side
`line`	number\|null	Line value for this side
`odds_american`	number	American odds
`odds_decimal`	number	Decimal odds
`odds_probability`	number	Implied probability (0-1)
`fair_probability`	number	Fair probability adjusted for hold
`selection_id`	string\|null	Sportsbook’s native selection/outcome ID
`market_id`	string\|null	Sportsbook’s native market ID
`external_event_id`	string\|null	Sportsbook’s native event ID

What Is Hold?Permalink for this section

Hold (also called vig or juice) is the sportsbook’s built-in margin on a market. It’s the difference between the combined implied probabilities and 100%.


Hold % = (implied_prob_side1 + implied_prob_side2 - 1) × 100

ExamplePermalink for this section


DraftKings:  Lakers +145 (implied 40.8%)
Pinnacle:    Celtics -155 (implied 60.8%)
Combined:    101.6%
Hold:        1.6%

A 1.6% hold means the sportsbook keeps ~$1.60 of every $100 wagered on this market. Lower hold = better value for bettors.

Why Low Hold MattersPermalink for this section

Hold %	Quality	Typical Source
< 1.5%	Excellent	Sharp books, cross-book best price
1.5 - 3%	Good	Competitive markets
3 - 5%	Average	Standard retail pricing
5%+	Poor	Props, exotic markets

Low-hold markets give you better odds regardless of which side you bet. Combined with +EV detection, they help maximize expected returns.

Low Hold vs ArbitragePermalink for this section

	Low Hold	Arbitrage
Hold	Low but > 0%	Below 0% (negative hold)
Risk	Normal (you pick a side)	Zero (bet both sides)
Use case	Get the best price	Guarantee profit
Volume	Hundreds available	Rare (single digits)

Low-hold opportunities are far more common than arbitrage. They represent the tightest available lines across books — ideal for bettors who want the best price without needing to bet both sides.

Three-Way MarketsPermalink for this section

For sports with three outcomes (soccer, hockey full-time result), the response includes side3:


{
  "side1": { "selection": "Home Win", "..." : "..." },
  "side2": { "selection": "Draw", "..." : "..." },
  "side3": { "selection": "Away Win", "..." : "..." },
  "hold_percentage": 2.1
}

The hold calculation extends to all three sides: implied_prob_1 + implied_prob_2 + implied_prob_3 - 1.

Best PracticesPermalink for this section

Set a tight max_hold — Use max_hold=2 or max_hold=3 to focus on the best-value markets
Resolve bet slips separately — Low-hold rows return prices, not per-side deep links; use the Deep Links endpoint to route users to a book
Combine with +EV data — Low hold + positive EV is the ideal combination
Check possibly_stale — Skip opportunities where odds may have already moved
Use streaming — Subscribe to low_hold:detected events via SSE or WebSocket for real-time alerts
Monitor all_books — More books participating generally means more reliable pricing

+EV Opportunities — Positive expected value bets
Arbitrage Opportunities — Guaranteed profit across books
Middles — Line discrepancy opportunities
Best Odds — Find the best price across all books