compiled by Matrix Sports Investing (MSI) The Sports Betting World Can Be Somewhat Difficult To Understand & At Times Very Confusing! Just As There Are Terms Specifically For FX trading, Stocks, Shares, Property Investing, Internet Marketing & So on This Is No Different. So This Booklet Will Give You The Confidence to Speak The Language Of A Pro In No Time! Note: Different countries may use different terms for how to bet and also for the types of bets. eg. Sportsbook or Sports book (US) = Bookmaker or Bookies (UK)
Sports Betting Terminology In Alphabetical Order A Accumulator: A series of bets on multiple outcomes, all outcomes must be successful for the Punter to win the bet. Action: Any kind of bet. Added Game: For sports betting, a game not part of Las Vegas regular rotation posted as an accommodation to customers. Against the Spread: A bet where you try to determine which team will cover the spread; not necessarily which team will win. Ajax: UK slang term for 'Betting Tax'. All-In: With all-in betting there are no refunds given for scratched or withdrawn competitors or teams in an event where a bet is placed. Should an event be cancelled then the amount bet will be refunded. All Up: (Also, Accumulator) This involves picking the winners of more than one event. A single wager amount is placed on more than one outcome, whereby the stake and winnings of the first selection will be rolled over into the second selection and so on. Angles: Using key factors from previous events to predict the results for future outcomes. Ante Post: It is also possible to place some football bets weeks, months and sometimes years in advance. For example when you bet on the premiership or world cup winner. Such bets are called 'ante post'-bets. The term 'ante post' comes from the world of horse racing. Making such an ante-post bet can be really successful if during the time it becomes clear that the team backed is increasingly favored to win. Arbitrage: Where a variation in odds available allows a punter to back both sides and guarantee a win.
Asian Handicap: Asian handicaps are, as the name suggests, a special type of handicap betting popular in the Far East and commonly used in football betting. In addition to typical +1, 0, and -1 handicaps seen in standard handicap football match betting, Asian handicap allows for a 1 4 goal, 1 2 goal and a 3 4 goal start. On the face of it this may not seem to make a lot of sense, since any team that beats (or loses to) a 1 2 goal start will also beat (or lose to) a 1 4 goal start. However, there is more to 1 4 and 3 4 ball betting than meets the eye. As for normal handicap betting, the underdog will be awarded a head start of a handicap, and the favorite will concede a handicap of the same magnitude. For the purposes of bet settlement, the predetermined number of the handicap will be added to the real number of goals. Where no handicap is awarded (0:0 handicap), a drawn game will result in a tied bet and returned stakes. if either side wins, bets backing that team will win, whilst bets backing the other will lose. Similar rules apply for 1 goal (0:1) and 2 goal (0:2) Asian handicaps. When 1 2 ball handicaps are applied, bets can only be won or lost - a tied bet is impossible. If the handicap is set at 1 4 (or 3 4, 11 4, 13 4 etc) of a goal, then any bets on the match will be settled as a split stakes bet, with half the stake going on the handicap 1 4 of a goal less than the quote and half on the handicap a 1 4 of a goal more. For example, with a 1 4 ball handicap, half the stakes will be settled as though the handicap was 0, and half as though the handicap was 1 2. It follows, then, that if a team beats a 1 4 ball handicap by 1 2 or more, the backer will win the whole bet; if they lose by 1 2 or more, the backer will lose the whole bet. It is only when the result falls within 1 4 of the handicap that the result is different from a conventional handicap. When a team beats the handicap by a 1 4, the backer receives half stakes on a win, and half returned. For example, if 10 were staked at odds of 1.95 for a 1 4 ball advantage, a drawn game would return a profit of 4.75. This is known as a "win 1 2". If a team loses by a 1 4, the backer has only half his stake returned. This is known as a "loss 1 2".
ATS: "Against the spread," taking points rather than betting with the spread and laying points in sports betting. B Bar: This shows what the lowest odds of horses not mentioned in the betting forecast are likely to be - '50-1 bar' means those not quoted are 50-1 or bigger. Backed: A 'backed' team is one on which lots of bets have been placed. Banker: Highly expected to win. The strongest in a multiple selection in a parlay or accumulator. In permutation bets the banker is a selection that must win to guarantee any returns. Bankroll: Your available gambling money. Bar Price: Refers to the odds of the selections at the last quoted price and bigger. The bar price is the minimum odds for any of those selections not quoted. For example, in a large field, the Series A outright markets may read Juventus 3/1, AC Milan 7/2, Inter Milan 4/1, Lazio 5/1, 8/1 Bar - meaning every other side is quoted at 8/1 or bigger. Beard: A friend or acquaintance whose job is to place a bet in order to conceal the true identity of the real bettor. Beef: A dispute or claim involving a player and his bookmaker or a casino dealer. A dispute over the outcome of a bet. A problematic situation involving a bet. Beeswax: UK slang term for betting tax. Also known as 'Bees' or 'Ajax'. Bet: To lay money on the correct prediction of an outcome. Betting Exchange: to come Betting Tax: Tax on a Bookmaker's turnover. In the UK this is a 'Duty' levied on every Pound wagered. Common methods of recouping this by the punter are to deduct tax from returns (winnings) or to pay tax with the stake/wager. In the latter case, no tax is deducted from the punter's winnings. Bettor (US): Someone who places or has a bet. A 'Punter' in the UK.
Book: In sports gambling a Book is an establishment that accepts bets on the outcome of horse racing and sporting events. Bookie/Bookmaker: A company who is licensed to accept bets on the result of an event based on their provision of odds to the customer. Bridge-Jumper (US): Bettor who specializes in large show bets on odd-on favorites. Buck: Sports betting term for a $100 wager. Burlington Bertie: The price of 100-30. Buy (Points): In sports betting, a player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a point spread game. Buy Price: In Spread or Index betting, the higher figure quoted by an Index bookmaker. Buy the Rack (US): Purchase every possible daily-double or other combination ticket C Canadian: A Canadian (also known as a Super Yankee) consists of 26 bets involving 5 selections in different events. The bet includes 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfolds plus an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return. Canadian Line: In sports betting the Canadian line is a combination point spread and money line in hockey. Carpet: UK slang for Odds of 3 to 1 (also known as 'Tres' or 'Gimmel'). Century - GBP 100 (also known as a 'Ton'). Chalk: The favorite.
Chalk player: A person who usually places his bets on the favorite. Circled Game: Applies to US sports. A game where the betting activity is limited by the bookmaker; this usually happens where bad weather or injury may significanlty alter the chances of either team winning, thereby making the outcome far more uncertain. Closing Line - The final list of point spreads offered before game time. Combination Bet - Selecting any number of teams/horses to finish first and second in either order. Correct Score: Correct score betting is popular with football, where the total number of typical scores is limited. The odds are dependent on the actual match odds between the two teams. Correlated Parlay - Correlation is the degree to which the results of two bets are related. An example of two bets that are correlated is the Giants to lead at the half and the Giants to win the game. A correlated parlay is essentially a bet that is tied into another positively, in that if one bets wins, it increases the odds of the other bet winning. A more blatant example would be parlaying the first half over to the second half over to the game over. If you win the first half over wager and the second half over bet, you're obviously going to win the wager for the game. Cover: In sports betting this term means a point spread win. Credit Betting - Betting using credit with a bookmaker. D Data Mining: Searching through a large volume of statistics to find profitable situations to bet on in the future. Dead Hit: Finishing equal. Both win.
Deposit Betting: Betting with money deposited in advance with a bookmaker. Dime: $1000.00 sports betting wager. Dime bet: A $1000 wager. Dime Line: In sports betting a Dime line is a line where the juice is 10%. Dividend: The agreed payout or return on any bet. Dog: Somebody who is expected to lose a fight or contest. Also known as the "underdog". The plus sign (e.g.+110) always indicates the underdog and the amount you win for every 100 bet. Dollar Bet: A $100 wager. Dog player: A person who usually places his bets on the underdog. Dollar: $100, in sports wagering. Doubles: An accumulator which involves two selections. Both must be successful for the bet to win. Double Action: An "if-bet" that proceeds if the precedent bet is won, tied or cancelled. Double Bet: In sports betting a double bet is a wager for twice the size of one's usual wager; also known as "double pop" or "doubling up." Double Carpet: UK slang for Odds of 33 to 1, based on 'Carpet'. Double Chance: Occasionally, bookmakers may reduce the 3 outcomes for a football match to 2, by what is known as 'Double Chance' betting, where a single price is offered on a win or draw. If the backed team wins or draws, the bet wins; if the team loses, so does the bet. With double chance bets there is no possibility for the draw. The win/draw odds will always be
shorter than for both the individual win and draw odds, because the chances of either outcome occurring are greater than for each one separately. Double or Nothing: An even-money bet, a bet that pays off exactly the amount wagered. Double Result: Some bookmakers now offer books for the half- time result only, and more typically the "double result", that is, the result at both half-time and full-time. For football matches this means a total of 9 betting possibilities is commonly available. This is a popular alternative to simply backing an outright result, which may often be at unattractively short odds. Obviously the risk is greater since there are more possible outcomes (9 as compared to 3 with standard match betting), but consequently the odds are better. The highest odds are obviously available for the home team to be winning at halftime and the away team to win after 90 minutes. Typically, odds of 28/1 can be found for this unlikely double result, and can be even higher if the home team is a strong favorite. Draw: Where competitors in an event finish evenly. Where there is a draw and this is not offered as a betting option, the return will be divided by the number of joint winners. Note that some sports have processes such as extra-time or play-offs to determine an event winner that are included as part of the bet where others are not. This may affect some bets and you should always be sure how an event would be decided in this instance. Drift: When the price of a selection moves out (gets bigger), often due to a lack of support. That selection is said to be "on the drift". E Each Way: In contests with large fields, even the shorter-priced favourites may have quite high odds. To increase the chances of a punter winning something from this bet, it may be offered each way. Each way bets are actually two bets, one
for the win and one for a high placing, and are settled as two bets. The place part is calculated at a fraction of the win odds. This fraction will vary by sport and event, and will always be displayed where each way betting is available. In a football tournament the each way part is usually settled at half odds for 1st and 2nd place only. Consider a 10 each way bet on England to win the World Cup at 10/1. If England win, a 150 profit would be made; 100 for the win at 10/1 and 50 for finishing in the top 2 at 5/1. If England lost in the final, the profit would only be 40; 50 from the place part minus the 10 stake lost on the win. East Coast Line:Mainly used in hockey, which has a split-goal line e.g. - Philadelphia Flyers (1-1 1 2) favourite over the LA Kings as opposed to goal spread plus moneyline (-1/2-180). Edge: A punter's advantage in a bet. Even Money: Sports betting term "Even money" is a bet whose odds are 1/1; a wager in which no vigorish or juice is laid. Exotic: Any bet other than a straight bet or parley - also called a prop or proposition. Exposure: The maximum amount of money a sports book stands to lose in a game. F Favorite: The team or individual the bookies rate most likely to win the contest they are betting on. The minus sign (e.g.-130) always indicates the favourite and the amount you must bet to win 100. Fifty cents: $50.00 of sports betting action. Figure: For sports betting, Figure is the amount owed to or by a bookmaker.
Field: 1) All the individual competitors in an event. 2) Odds offered on non listed (outsiders) players or teams collectively called the Field. First Goalscorer: A bet placed on a player to score the first goal in the event. First quarter bet: A bet placed solely on the first quarter of a game. First half bet: A bet placed solely on the first half of a game. Fixed Game: A game in which one or more participants willfully manipulate the final outcome of a game. Fixed Odds: Your dividend is fixed at the odds when you placed your bet. No matter how much the odds fluctuate the odds at the time you placed your bet are fixed and written on the ticket. Your dividend for winning is paid at the value stated on your ticket, no matter what happens after you have placed your bet. Flag: A bet consisting of 23 bets (a 'Yankee' plus 6 'Single Stakes About' bets in pairs) on 4 selections in different event. Flash (US): Change of odds information on tote board. Flea: An annoying person who wants something for nothing. One who expects to be compensated for a small wager. Fold: A fold represents the number of selections in an accumulator, i.e a Four-Fold Accumulator consists of 1 bet involving 4 selections in different events. All must be successful to get a return. Forecast - A wager that involves correctly predicting the 1st and 2nd for a particular event. This bet can be straight, reversed or permed. (USA, Perfecta or Exacta). Form: Form rates how a team is currently performing. Full Cover: All the doubles, trebles and accumulators involved in a given number of selections.
Future: In sports gambling odds are posted in advance on the winners of various major events including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, and the NBA Championship this is called a Future bet. G GamCare: The UK national centre for information, advice and practical help with regard to the social impact of gambling. Getting Down: Sports wagering meaning making a bet. Gamble: To risk money on the outcome of an event. Goliath: A Goliath consists of 247 bets involving 8 selections in different events. The bet includes 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 fourfolds, 56 fivefolds, 28 sixfolds, 8 sevenfolds and an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return. Grand: GBP 1,000 (also known as a Big'un). Grand Salami: A sports betting term meaning the grand total of goals scored in all the hockey games of the day. It can be wagered to go Over/Under. Grand Slam: The four major tennis tournaments Wimbledon, Australian Open, French Open, U.S. Open. Also the four major golf tournaments The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship (Professional Golf Association). Also in baseball, a homerun with the bases loaded, scoring four runs. H Half a dollar - $50.00 in sports betting action. Half time bet: A bet placed on the half time result.
Half time result: A bet that involves the Punter correctly predicting the result of a match at half time. Handicap: A system used by bookmakers to make a one sided event become a more attractive betting proposition to the punter. For example, the weaker team may start with a one goal advantage. Known as the Spread in US sports. For fractional handicaps (0.5, 1.5 etc.), there is no possibility of a draw. If the margin of victory is same as the quoted handicap, all bets on the selected team will lose. Handicapper: A person who studies, rates and bets on sporting events and/or races. Handicapping: In sports gambling this is the attempt to predict the outcome of sporting events. Handle: A sports wagering term that means the total amount of bets taken. Hang Cheng: The Asian equivalent for 'Point Spread'. Head-to-Head: In these bets, bettor predicts competitors results against each other and not on the overall result of the event. One example are Formula One races, where you bet on two or three drivers and their placement among the others. Sometimes you can also bet a tie, in which one or both drivers either have the same time, drop out, or get disqualified. Hedging: This involves placing a bet on opposing outcome to the punters original selected outcome in order to guarantee winnings or cut losses. Heinz: A Heinz consists of 57 bets involving 6 selections in different events. The bet includes 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 fourfolds, 6 fivefolds and an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return. Holding Your Own: Neither winning or losing, just breaking even. Home Field Advantage: Edge the home team is expected to have as a result of familiarity with the playing area, favorable demographics and effect of travel on the visiting team.
Hook: Half a point added to e.g. football or basketball betting lines. Hoops: Slang word used to indicate the game of basketball. Hot game: Sports betting term for a game that is drawing a lot of action on one side by knowledgeable handicappers. I IBAS: Independent Arbitration Betting Service. An arbitration service which was launched to deal with betting disputes between punters and bookmakers. IBF: International Boxing Federation. If Bets: An if bet consists of at least two straight bets joined together by an if clause which determines the wager process. If the player s first selection complies with the condition (clause), then the second selection will have action; if the second selection complies with the condition, then the third selection will have action and so on. In and Out Teaser (See also "Teaser" below): An "in and out teaser" is when the player picks the favorite, underdog, over and under of the same game. For example: NY +3 1/2, Dallas -3 1/2. An in and out teaser would have a player take both NY and Dallas, and tease both, to increase the odds of winning the wager. So, if you teased both teams by 7 points, you would have: NY +10 1/2, Dallas +3 1/2. So long as the spread is covered, your wager will be a win. Index Betting: Spread betting. In-play betting: In-play betting is a feature offered by some online sports books that enables bettors to place new bets while a sporting event is in progress. In The Red: Odds on. Joint Favorites: When a sportsbook or bookmaker cannot split two teams for favoritism, they may both be joint favorites. Jolly: Bookmakers slang for 'Favorite/Favourite'.
Juice: The bookmaker's commission on a losing bet, also known as "vigorish." K Kite: UK slang for a cheque ('Check' in the US). Lay: When a bookmaker accepts bets it is often said that they lay a bet. A bookmaker It will often be known as a layor. You can lay yourself on Betting Exchanges (see our section) Lay a Bet: A bookie accepting a bet. Layer: Another term for Bookie. Laying the points: Betting the favorite by giving up points. Laying the price: In sports wagering, laying the price means betting the favorite by laying money odds. Layoff: sports betting term for money bet by a house with another bookmaker to reduce its liability. LBO: Acronym for 'Licensed Betting Office' in the UK. Lengthen: When a bookmaker sees little activity on a particular outcome, they may choose to lengthen or increase the odds available. Limit: In sports betting limit is the maximum amount a bookmaker will allow you to bet before he changes the odds and/or the points. Line: The current odds or point spread on a particular event. Linemaker: In the sports betting industry this is the person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines.
Listed Pitchers: In sports gambling a listed pitcher is a baseball bet which will be placed only if both of the pitchers scheduled to start a game actually start. If they don't, the bet is cancelled. Lock: US term for an almost guaranteed winner. Long Odds: Generally greater than 10:1. Longshot: A team or horse perceived unlikely to win. Lucky 15: A Lucky 15 consists of 15 bets involving 4 selections in different events. The bet includes 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and 1 fourfold. If only one selection wins, as a consolation returns are paid to double the odds. If all four selections win, a bonus of 10% is added to total returns. For the bonus to apply, all selections must win (none void or non- runners). For each-way bets the consolation is paid only on the win part of the bet. Lucky 15 bets are accepted on horse racing and greyhounds only. Also Lucky 31 and Lucky 63 exist. Lucky 31 - A Lucky 31 consists of 31 bets involving 5 selections in different events, i.e. 5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four- folds plus 1 five-fold.. As a consolation if you only have one winner it will be paid at double the odds. If you get all five winners, a 20% bonus will be added to your returns. Lucky 63 - A Lucky 63 consists of 63 bets involving 6 selections in different events, i.e. 6 singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, 6 five-folds and 1 sixfold. As a consolation if you only have one winner it will be paid at double the odds. If you get all six winners, a 25% bonus will be added to your returns M Margin - The amount a competitor in an event finishes in front of another competitor. Match Betting: The most popular and common fixed odds betting market is match betting. In standard match bets between two teams, winning odds are available for both, and the wager will either win or lose depending on the outcome of the event. Since a significant proportion of games end without any winner, the
"draw" is offered as a betting option. Football fixed odds match betting is sometimes known as 1X2 betting. On fixed odd coupons, a "1" denotes the home team, with the away team represented by a "2" and the draw by an X. Middle - To win both sides of the same contest in sports betting event. Wagering on the underdog at one point spread and the favorite at a different point spread and winning both sides. MLB - Major League Baseball. Money line: odds expressed in terms of money. With money odds, whenever there is a minus (-) you lay that amount to win a hundred dollars, where there is a plus (+) you get that amount for every hundred dollars wagered. Monkey: Bookmakers slang for 500. Move the line: A player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a point spread game. Multiples: Another term for Accumulators. Multiple bets involve more than one selection. Double and trebles are popular wagers for football match betting. A double is one bet involving two selections in different events, both of which must be successful for the bet to win. The odds for a double are calculated by multiplying together the separate odds for the two single bets. Accumulators contain 4 or more selections. Often, the only limit to the number of selections included within an accumulator bet is the bookmaker's maximum allowable payout on one bet. MVP - Most Valuable Player. N Nap: A tipster's best bet of the day. NBA: National Basketball Association. NCAA: National Collegiate Athletic Association. Newspaper Line:The betting line which quite often appears in the daily newspapers. The lines are only approximate and are sometimes inaccurate
and misleading. We recommend browsing a sports odds comparison for the most up-to-date odds in online sports betting. NFL: National Football League. NHL: National Hockey League. Nickel: $500.00, in on a sports gambling wager. Nickel line: A sports wagering line where the juice is 5%. No action: A bet where no money is lost or won. Number Spread: An index spread based on the number of runs, goals and points scored in an event. O Odds: Also referred to as the price. The returns a bookmaker offers for a selection to win. Odds On: Refers to a price where the odds are less than evens (fractional) or 2 (decimal). Odds On Favourite:A horse, team, or individual so favoured by the public that the odds are less than even. Odds Against: Refers to a price where the odds are greater than evens (fractional) or 2 (decimal). Off the board: In sports betting this is a game on which the bookmaker will not accept action. Odds Compiler: Same as 'Oddsmaker' below. Odds-on: An Odds-on bet has a Minus sign in front and is worked out in reverse. It is the amount you wager to win $100. In the U.K. it is a bet on odds below evens 1:1. In Europe, it is a bet on odds below 2:1.
Oddsmaker: A person who sets the betting odds. (Sportsbooks or Bookies don't set the odds. Most major sportsbooks use odds set by Las Vegas oddsmakers.) Off the Board (US): A game or event on which the sporstbook will not accept action. Official Line: The line that the bookmaker uses for wagering purposes. The line which comes from Las Vegas is quite often referred to as the official line; however, the line that your bookie offers you is actually your "official line". One dollar: $100.00 in sports betting action. Opening Line: The earliest line posted for a particular sporting event. Outlaw Line: Term for the earliest line in sports betting. This is an overnight line that only a handful of players are allowed to bet into. Outsider: The opposite of a favourite. Over: An increasingly popular football fixed odds market is total goals betting, sometimes known as over/under. A commonly available over/under bet available in football is over/under 2.5 goals. By introducing a decimal, this removes the possibility of a draw, leaving only two possible outcomes. Some bookmakers like to introduce an extra outcome to the book. 3 outcomes might include: fewer than 2 goals; exactly 2 goals; and more than 2 goals. Other bookmakers introduce even more, although this is with a view to increasing their profit margin on the book. Overplay: An advantage for the bettor in which the price on a given wager is greater than the real probability of its success. Over-round: In theory a betting book should be 100%, so a toss of a coin would be even money heads, even money tails. However the bookmakers' profit margins mean the figure is usually above 100%. In cases where it is less this is referred to as 'over-round'. Over/Under: A bet on whether the total points or goals scored by the two teams will be over or under a specified number.
P Parlay: The US term for an accumulator. Parlay Cards: Wagers on a minimum of 3 and up to 15 propositions; the more you pick, the higher the payoff. Patent: A Patent consists of 7 bets involving 3 selections in different events. The bet includes a single on each selection, plus 3 doubles and 1 treble. Just one successful selection guarantees a return. Permutations or Perms: There is a way to find 7 bets from only 3 selections, making use of what have incorrectly become known as permutations or perms. Consider the following 3 selections: Bolton to beat Charlton, evens Leeds to beat Liverpool, 6/4 Southampton to beat Tottenham 5/4 First off, each selection can be taken as a single match bet. Secondly, there is one treble available at odds of 11.25, calculated by multiplying together the odds for each of the 3 singles (2 x 2.5 x 2.25). However, there are also 3 doubles available too, by "perming" any 2 games from the 3 selections. Such a series of bets is commonly known as a 'Patent', or a 'Trixie' if the singles are left out leaving only 4 bets. The greater the number of selections to choose from, the greater the number of combinations available. Combinations are not, of course, restricted to doubles. If we wish to choose from 4 matches, there are 6 combinations of doubles and 4 combinations of trebles available, in addition to 1 fourfold and 4 singles. Pick:Occasionally, there will be no favourite on a game. In this instance the game is said to be a pick and you can have a bet of 10/11 (bet 110 to win 100) on either team. Pick 'em - When neither team is favored. Also called a "pick" in sports betting terms. Picks: Betting selections, usually by an expert. PK or Pick: Evenly matched teams.
Place: Finish in the top three, top four and sometimes also top five in a competition or event. A Place bet will win if the selection you bet on is among those placed. Different sportsbooks have different Place terms and you should check their rules before placing a bet. Pointspread: The pointspread - also called "the line & the spread" - is used as a margin to handicap the favourite team. The oddsmaker - also called the handicapper - "gives" points (or goals) to the underdog - for betting purposes only. The bettor must take either the favourite or the underdog. The favourite is always indicated by a minus sign (e.g. -8.5) and the underdog by a plus sign (e.g.+8.5). For betting purposes, the outcome of the game is determined by taking the actual game score and finding the difference between the scores of the two teams playing (called the pointspread or just the "spread"). For example - the Detroit Lions are 8 point favourites over the New York Giants (an 8 point spread shown as -8 beside Detroit on our NFL lines page). If the final score is Detroit 20, New York 13, then the actual game score "spread" is 7 points (20 minus 13). In our example, if you took New York (called the "dog"), you would win the bet since Detroit had to win by 9 points or more to "cover the spread". Detroit needed 2 more points to "cover" since if the game landed right on the "spread" of 8 points it would be called a "push" (similar in concept to a tie in Moneyline wagering, which is also called a push) and it would be "no action" (no bet and money held in your account to cover the wager is released back into your available balance). If the "spread" is put in at a half point (e.g. -8.5 for the favourite Detroit) by the sportsbook handicappers then there can be no "push". In this case, there is "action" at any final game score pointspread. In a pointspread, you must wager 11 to win 10 (21 is returned to the winner). 10/11 is the standard for pointspread bets on most sports. Pony: Bookmakers slang for 25. Post Time: The scheduled starting time.
Power Rating/Rankings: The strength of a team in comparison to another team. Press: In sports betting this means to wager a larger amount than usual. Price: Betting or gambling odds. Progressive parlays: A progressive parlay involves multiple bets (usually up to 12) and rewards successful bettors with a large payout, though not as large as normal parlays. However in a progressive parlay, unlike a regular parlay, a reduced payout will still be made even should some of the bets lose. Prop (Proposition) Bet - In sports gambling this is a special wager offered by the sports book on unique and various topics. These wagers can be on sporting events, politics, and even trial outcomes. The wagers use the money line format of pay off odds and might included who scores the first touchdown in the super bowl, who will win the next presidential election, or whether or not O. J. will be found guilty. Puckline: A puckline for sports wagering is giving odds of a goal spread instead of using a Canadian Line in hockey, where both a goal spread and money line are played. Pucks: A slang word used to indicate the game of hockey. Punter: The individual who puts on a bet. Puppy: The underdog in an event. Push: When the contest ends with no winner or loser for wagering purposes. R Return: Your total winnings on a bet. Round Robin: A series of three or more teams in 2-team accumulators. A Round Robin means 3 selections in 3 (different) races, in 3 doubles, 1 treble and 6 single stakes about bets.
Runner: Somebody who places bets for another person. Run down - In sports gambling this is all the lines for an specific date, sport, time, etc. Run line: In baseball a spread used instead of the money line. S Scalper: One who attempts to profit from the differences in odds from book to book by betting both sides of the same game at different prices. Scout: Somebody who waits for what he thinks is an unusual strong wager. AKA. Sports Player. Second Half bets: (2nd half bets). A 2nd half(second half) bet is also sometimes called a halftime bet. This bet is placed only at halftime of a particular sporting event. This bet can be placed on the spread(line) or over/under. The resulting bet that is placed is won or lost only on the points scored by both teams in the second half only. Sharp: A sophisticated or professional gambler. Shorten: The opposite of 'Lengthen'. Referred to odds getting shorter, that is, less attractive to the bettor. Shut Out (US): What happens to a bettor who gets on the betting line to late and is still waiting in line when the window closes. Also, in sports betting, when the losing team do not score. Sides: In sports betting, the names of the two teams playing: the underdog and the favorite. Single Stakes About (or SSA): A bet consisting of 2 bets on two selections (1 single on each selection any to come 1 single on the other selection reversed).
Singles: The simplest of all bets is the single. With a single bet on a football match, only one outcome is backed, and the bet can generally either win or lose, although in Asian handicap, there are other possibilities. With a simple win/lose single, a selection must be successful to achieve a return. A typical single match bet might be Liverpool to beat Manchester United at 2/1. If Liverpool win, a 10 stake would realize a profit of 20; if they draw or lose, the stake is lost. Singles odds are today generally available for almost any football game. Single action: An "if bet" in sports gambling that is processed only if the precedent bet wins. Slip: A typical receipt of a wager or wagers placed at a land- based sportsbook. Special Bets: In an attempt to attract spread bettors into fixed odds football betting, some online bookmakers have started to offer specialised markets. Special bets include odds on the number of corners and bookings a televised match will have, odds for team performance, or the time of the first and the last goal scorer. These bets have their origins in the spread markets, and it is only through the availability of online gambling that fixed odds bookmakers have been able to break into this market. Sportsbook- a person or company that accepts bets. Spread - A spread in sports wagering is the predicted scoring differential between two opponents as quoted by a sports book. See "point spread." Spread Betting: betting on the 'Spread' of the action chosen Square: A novice when it comes to sports betting. Stanley Cup: Championship of NHL Hockey. Steam: In sports betting steam is when a line starts to move rapidly. Most "steam games" do not necessarily reflect objective circumstances, but are games that a mass of bettors is drawn to for some reason. Store: A bookie or sports betting establishment.
Straight Bets are wagers that are made against the spread. The spread, or line, is a number assigned by the bookmakers which handicaps one team and favors another. For example, in the NBA, when two teams play each other, one is perceived as being more likely to win. To attempt to make wagering on the underdog desirable, the bookmaker will give them points. Before game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat were expected to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. The line read: Miami -3, Oklahoma City +3. To determine who wins against the spread, the line is either added or subtracted from a teams final score. In the above example, if the bettor chose Miami, he would subtract 3 points from Miami's final score and compare that to Oklahoma's final score. For him to win his bet, Miami would have to win the game by 4 points or more. This is the most common type of bet in sports. Straight-up: Winning the game without any regards to the pointspread. Streak: A consecutive string - usually at least several - of winning bets. Super Heinz: A Super Heinz consists of 120 bets involving 7 selections in different events. The bet includes 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 fourfolds, 21 fivefolds, 7 sixfolds and an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return. Super Bowl: NFL Championship game. Super Heinz: A Super Heinz consists of 120 bets involving 7 selections in different events, i.e. 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 four-folds, 21 five-folds, 7 six-folds and 1 seven-fold. Super Yankee: See Canadian. Systems: Using trends for the past that you are consistent with to predict future outcomes.
T # (Taking) the points: When it comes to sports gambling this means betting the underdog and its advantage in the point spread. Taking the price: In sports wagering this means betting the underdog and accepting money odds. Teaser: A teaser is a special type of parlay in sports betting in which you adjust the point spread or total of each individual play. The price of moving the point spread (teasing) is lower pay off odds winning wagers. Thick'un: A big bet. Tic-tac: The 'sign language' with which bookmakers on the racing course communicate. Ticket: A sports betting wager. Tie: In sports betting a tie is a wager in which no money is lost nor won because the teams' scores were equal to the number of points in the given line. Tips - Picks: The selections and predictions of competitors performance for an event from an expert or observer. Total: The combined amount of runs, points or goals scored by both teams during the game, including the overtime. Totals Bet: In sports gambling this is a proposition bet in which the bettor speculates that the total score by both teams in a game will be more or less than the line posted by the sports book. Totalizators: In totalizators (sometimes called flexible-rate bets) the odds are changing in real-time according to the share of total exchange each of the possible outcomes have received taking into account the return rate of the bookmaker offering the bet. For example: If the bookmakers return percentage is 90%, 90% of the amount placed on the winning result will be given back to bettors and 10%
goes to the bookmaker. Naturally the more money bet on a certain result, the smaller the odds on that outcome become. This is similar to parimutuel wagering in horse racing and dog racing. Tote: Short for Totalisator. A system introduced to Britain in 1929 to offer pool betting on racecourses. Tout: Someone who sells their expertise on sports wagering. Trebles: A Treble consists of 1 bet involving 3 selections in different events. All must be successful to get a return. Trends: Using the past to predict the future focusing in on only one team. Trixie: A Trixie consists of 4 bets involving 3 selections in different events. The bet includes 3 doubles and 1 treble. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return. True Odds: The real odds of something happening as opposed to what the bookies offer. Two and Three Balls Betting: A golfing bet that involves predicting which player from either a group of two or three will shoot the lowest score over 18 holes. U Under: An increasingly popular football fixed odds market is total goals betting, sometimes known as over/under. A commonly available over/under bet available in football is over/under 2.5 goals. Underdog: A team or individual that is expected to lose. Also known as the dog. The plus sign (e.g.+110) always indicates the underdog and the amount you win for every 100 bet. Union Jack: A bet consisting of 8 trebles on 9 selections A to I: ABC, DEF, GHI, ADG, BEH, CFI, AEI, and CEG.
V Value: In sports betting value means getting the best odds on a wagering proposition; the highest possible edge. Value Bet: Simply put, if you believe the odds taken are better than the mathematical chance which the team involved has of pulling off the outcome, then you have a value bet. This means, that if a tennis player has an actual mathematical 50% chance of winning a match, and the odds on that player are above Evens, then bet value is better than the mathematical odds, so that is a value bet. # (Vid) Vigorish: The bookmaker's commission on a losing bet; also known as juice in sports betting. VS: Versus, against. W Wager: To risk money on the outcome of an event. WBA: World Boxing Association. WBC: World Boxing Council. Welsh/Welch: To fail to pay a gambling bet. Win Only: Betting on a competitor to win an event. Also known as 'Straight Out' or 'Money Line' betting. Wise guy: A well informed or knowledgeable handicapper or bettor. WNBA: Women's National Basketball Association World Series: Championship of Major League Baseball (MLB). The final seven games of the baseball playoffs between the two league champions to determine the world champion.
Y Yankee: A Yankee consists of 11 bets involving 4 selections in different events. The bet includes 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return. *We do not claim to have created, written, or own any of these terms or their explanations/definitions. These are terms gained from the internet which are generally used in online betting for your educational purposes*.