What is SharpStack?
4for4 is a fantasy football content website that focuses on originating player projections, DFS insights, and ranking players for fantasy football. After years of experience in these fields, 4for4 has built SharpStack, a pre-game +EV and arbitrage betting tool to help subscribers also thrive in sports betting.
With numerous crossovers between DFS, fantasy football, and sports betting, SharpStack is built on the correct principles for profitable EV betting, backed by 4for4's data. SharpStack's EV calculations are based on market-derived EV calculations, and it's one of the only fully transparent EV tools in the industry. They have a proprietary algorithm that showcases how their EV calculations have produced at the lines available at every individual sportsbook.
After testing over 30 different betting tools, many with +EV and arbitrage functionality, SharpStack is doing all the right things to help 4for4 subscribers get an edge in sports betting markets. The tool is new and still has room for improvement, but its feature suite is impressive.
While 4for4 offers a range of fantasy sports and DFS features, this review will focus exclusively on SharpStack.
Key Features
Key Features of SharpStack
Originating player props and projections is 4for4's bread and butter. Despite the similarities between fantasy football and sports betting, there are key differences. 4for4 knows this, and they created SharpStack to help subscribers get an edge in the betting market through arbitrage and positive expected value betting. Betting markets are the source of truth, and SharpStack offers competitive features to other positive EV betting tools.
Positive EV Tool
EV betting uses the market as a source of truth to find mispriced lines that are expected to win in the long run. SharpStack's EV feature utilizes market odds from major sportsbooks, adjusts for hold percentage, and considers which sportsbooks are sharp in specific markets and historical odds to determine the fair odds.
Long-time EV bettors know which sportsbooks are the sharpest in each market, especially in game lines. SharpStack does not allow for custom EV filters, but they do devig from sharp books like Pinncale, and exchanges like ProphetX. By showcasing the expected return per follar wagered and the projected bankroll growth percentage from each bet, SharpStack breaks down not just the EV per bet, but also how your bankroll should grow.
The EV tool is customizable, allowing users to add their own bankroll, set maximum and minimum EV, and configure their ideal Kelly staking. However, they do now allow for custom EV calculations, so users have no control over weights, devig methods, and market-per-market calculations. Also, the +EV tool only works for pre-game markets and not live.
EV Results Transparency
While SharpStack's EV feature is not as customizable as some of the best sports betting tools, they have transparent EV results, which adds a tremendous amount of value. SharpStack breaks down the average EV and CLV per bet type per sportsbook, highlighting which sportsbooks are consistently beaten and in which markets. SharpStack has ROI calculations, and it is building a strong enough sample size to prove its edge. However, SharpStack currently only has this data for the MLB, which won't benefit bettors until next year.
Bet Tracking
SharpStack users can track their bets directly on the tool, a handy feature. Users can also hide tracked bets to prevent duplicate bets. The bet tracker tracks live EV, the opening line, the current line, and your CLV when the game closes. Being able to do all of this in one interface, which sure relevant data, is massive for all users tracking historical performance.
Arbitrage Functionality
Given that all EV tools are scanning the market, it's natural for almost all of them to have arbitrage functionality. On the arbitrage screen, users can set their desired stake on each side of a game and know their guaranteed profit and ROI. There is deep linking, which brings you directly to the bets you are trying to arbitrage, but this isn't available for every book. Speed is essential for arbing, and SharpStack could benefit from lower latency and some advanced filters. Also, it only works for pre-game, so there is no live arbing.
Pick'em Feature
DFS sites often offer significant value for sports bettors, and SharpStack has a feature that specializes in DFS sites like PrizePicks, Underdog, and more. This screen displays edge percentage, the lines, and the best picks available based on the market. Users can easily compare sharp and recreational books, allowing users to auto calculate the EV on a DFS lineup with a few clicks.
Game & Prop Odds Screen
SharpStack has a real-time odds screen for game lines and player prop bets. Users can easily sort their desired markets, and SharpStack clearly indicates the best available option with a green outline. While these odds screens are valuable and easy to use, they lack a consensus line, hold percentage information, and liquidity information for exchanges or sharp books. These two screens function as intended and are suitable for newer bettors seeking these functionalities, but other real-time odds tools offer more comprehensive features.
Save 25% & get a 7-day free trial on SharpStack with promo code BETSMART.
SharpStack Pricing & Discount Code
SharpStack is available on 4for4's website and also functions well on mobile browsers. Given that all of 4for4's content resides on the same site, accessing SharpStack is straightforward for mobile users.
You do not need to be a 4for4 subscriber to access SharpStack, and they have multiple pricing options:
All access ($799/year): Includes all things 4for4 and SharpStack.
SharpStack Only ($129/month): Access to all of SharpStack's features.
So, for $129 a month, you can access the +EV, arbitrage, results, and real-time odds screens offered by 4for4's SharpStack.
Save 25% & get a 7-day free trial on SharpStack with promo code BETSMART.
Why SharpStack Stands Out
As the EV betting niche continues to grow in popularity among sports bettors seeking an edge, an increasing number of companies are developing tools to help bettors achieve their goals. The EV tool space is one of the most competitive in the industry, making it increasingly difficult to stand out. That said, SharpStack has some value propositions that make it worth trying over other EV tools.
EV Results & Transparency
While other EV tools have more robust EV calculation functionality, SharpStack tracks its EV results for you. Unlike other tools that leave this to the users, SharpStack tells you which markets it has an edge on and at which sportsbook. That said, the sample size is small, and SharpStack currently only has this information for the MLB. However, as it continues to gather more data, the transparency aspect of the tool becomes a massive value proposition.
Pros
Cons
Bet Tracking
With just one click while on SharpStack, users can track their bets. Not only is this a pro in itself, but SharpStack goes the extra mile, showing users their EV, the current line, and the closing line for each bet. This allows users to clearly see if their bets are beating the market, how much EV they are getting per bet, and track the metrics that matter for historical results.
DFS Pick'em Feature
While not the only tool with this functionality, SharpStack helps users make better bets on DFS sites with its Pick'em feature. Users can view the expected EV of different legs on DFS sites and add them together to calculate the EV of the final bet slip. This allows users to know if they are making a good DFS entry before ever placing it, and the process is intuitive and straightforward.
Save 25% & get a 7-day free trial on SharpStack with promo code BETSMART.
Recommended Sportsbooks for SharpStack
Every sports bettor should have accounts with every legal sportsbook, exchange, and prediction market. Why? Because edges can pop up at any second on any book, and line shopping is the easiest way for sports bettors to make better bets. SharpStack has deep-linking with a lot of books, meaning that with one click, you can pull up the bet you want to place. Also, if you make too many good bets at one book, you can eventually get limited, so having multiple accounts is a must.
SharpStack offers deep-linking and EV functionality for betting exchanges like Novig and ProphetX, making access to these platforms essential (check out our betting exchange reviews). Tracked EVs on these peer-to-peer platforms make them a great place to start.
Novig: A sharp exchange that is great for devigging, has a ton of liquidity, and is excellent for maximizing SharpStack's features.
ProphetX: Similar to Novig, it's a peer-to-peer exchange wthat will never limit you for taking advantage of SharpStack's core functionality.
BetMGM: A rec book where there is often a lot of expected value to be gained by using SharpStack and its features.
Where SharpStack Can Improve
SharpStack is on the right path. They are offering all the right features and education to help their subscribers bet smarter. They are using the correct principles for EV calculations, and they are transparent. However, their functionality is nowhere near as robust as that of other positive EV betting tools, leaving a bit to be desired. That said, SharpStack is new and will be updating its tool to make it more competitive with others.
Customizable and Live +EV
Edges disappear in sports betting all the time. Sportsbooks also get sharper over time. SharpStack does it right by devigging to sharper sportsbooks and exchanges, and they also do it right by having historical data to adjust for sharpness in different markets, but users have no control.
More advanced users, like myself, want to be in control of the EV calculation process by setting weights on books and changing them per market. Also, there is no live EV, which is where other tools are finding bigger edges. The EV tool works, but there are several areas for improvement.
Odds Screens Features
Real-time odds comparison tools are essential in sports betting, but with an asterisk. Yes, seeing all the sharp books move and then catching an off price at a recreational book has value, but there is more value in a consensus line, a true line, and understanding hold percentages, which SharpStack lacks. They offer all the known recreational sportsbooks and exchanges, along with some of the sharper sportsbooks. However, more nuanced bettors may feel that the real-time odds and props screen lacks additional functionality.
EV Results & Transparency
This is a significant value add, but as it stands, it is a con. The concept is fantastic; it provides transparency about which sportsbooks and markets are performing well or poorly in EV calculations. However, while there is only data for one sport, it's not as helpful as it could be. Accumulating a sufficiently large sample size is worth considering for effectiveness, but this will happen over time. The results screen is a unique feature, and building on it would be a massive value add.
Highlights
DFS Pick'em feature
Easy to use
Bet tracking & transparency
Drawbacks
Limited customization
Features not too robust
Limited sportbook and deep-linking
Is SharpStack Worth It?
SharpStack is doing all the right things for its subscribers. It's focusing on +EV, Kelly Staking, and CLV and is preaching all the right things. Its core principles align with those of winning sports bettors, and it presents itself in an easy-to-digest way. It's on the right track.
Currently, sports bettors are seeking a more comprehensive EV betting tool, which SharpStack lacks. However, newer sports bettors and 4for4 subscribers looking to make the jump to more profitable sports betting should eat up SharpStack. The features work, the bet tracking is ideal, and it's built on the correct principles. If I were starting my journey, SharpStack would have been a great entry point to build off of.
SharpStack is also pretty new, and they are going to be constantly improving. They make the learning curve seamless, a testament to their team's expertise in handling advanced concepts. Newer sports bettors should undoubtedly take a look at 4for4 and SharpStack to help kickstart a more profitable betting journey.
Save 25% & get a 7-day free trial on SharpStack with promo code BETSMART.
Final Thoughts
SharpStack is an excellent sports betting tool for bettors looking to break into +EV without being overwhelmed. More advanced sports bettors may find the lack of feature depth to be a bit underwhelming.
