Welcome to the Betting Terminology section of our Sports Betting Guide! Whether you need to look up a betting term definition or want to keep a convenient betting glossary at hand - you will always find our Betting Terminology section helpful.
Here you will find 150+ definitions of the popular betting terms sometimes referred to as betting jargon or slang. We did our best to cover both US betting terms as well as U.K. betting slang. For your convenience, we've marked the US-specific and UK-specific terms. The betting terms used both by Americans and UK players have not been marked.
| Betting term |
Definition |
| A |
up |
| Accumulator (UK) |
A multiple bet which involves several selections in different events. All the selections made must win for you to win the accumulator. See also 'parlay'. |
| Action |
A wager or bet which is considered valid. Different betting rules apply in different sports in determining if a bet is action or no action. |
| Added Game |
In sports betting, added game is a game which not part of Las Vegas regular rotation. |
| Against the Spread or ATS |
Making a bet that will be decided by adding points to one team or the other after the game is played. |
| Angles |
Using key factors from previous events to predict future results. |
| Ante Post (UK) |
Ante-post odds are those offered prior to the day of the event itself. |
| Arbitrage |
To arbitrage is to make a combination of bets so that if one bet loses another wins. |
| B |
up |
| Bad Beat |
A tough loss. |
| Banker (UK) |
An almost certain winner. See also 'lock'. |
| Barroom Bookie (UK) |
Your local hometown bookie. |
| Beard (US) |
In sports betting, a beard is a friend or acquaintance that is used to place bets in order to conceal the true identity of the real bettor. |
| Beeswax (UK) |
Betting tax. |
| Bet |
To bet means to risk money on the outcome of an event. See also 'gamble' and 'wager'. |
| Betting Exchange |
A betting exchange is a form of betting available on the internet where two parties wanting to bet on anything are paired off to bet against each other. |
| Bettor (US) |
Someone who places a bet. A 'punter' in the UK. |
| Board |
A board is a listing of bets available in a sportsbook. |
| Book or Bookie (UK) |
Short for bookmaker. Bookie is a person or shop who is licensed to accept bets. |
| Bookmaker |
A person/shop who is licensed to accept bets. |
| Bottle (UK) |
Odds of 2 to 1. |
| Buck |
A sports betting term for a $100 wager. |
| Buying Points |
Paying an additional price to receive half a point or more in your favor on a point spread game. |
| C |
up |
| Canadian Line |
In sports betting the Canadian line is a combination point spread and money line in hockey. |
| Carpet (UK) |
Odds of 3 to 1. |
| Century (UK) |
A sports betting term for a GBP£100 wager (also known as a 'Ton'). |
| Chalk (US) |
The favored team. |
| Chalk Player (US) |
A bettor who mainly wagers on the favorites, rarely betting on the underdogs. |
| Churn |
The effect of betting and re-betting money. |
| Circled Game (US) |
A game on which a sportsbook has placed a lowered maximum bet limit. This usually occurs in added games, games with injuries, bad weather, propositions, or halves of games. |
| Cover |
To in the game by more points then you laid or lose by less points then you had taken, a pointspread win. |
| Credit Betting |
Betting using credit with a bookmaker. Credit betting is not popular with online sportsbooks which prefer deposit betting. |
| D |
up |
| Data Mining |
Searching through a large volume of sports statistics to find profitable situations to bet on in the future. |
| Degenerate |
A compulsive gambler. |
| Deposit Betting |
Betting with money deposited in advance with a bookmaker. |
| Dime Bet (US) |
A sports betting term for a $1,000 wager. |
| Dime Line (US) |
In sports betting a Dime line is a line where the juice is 10%. |
| Dog (US) |
The underdog in any betting proposition. |
| Dog Player (US) |
A bettor who mainly wagers on the underdog. |
| Double Action |
An 'if-bet' that proceeds if the precedent bet is won, tied or cancelled. |
| Doubling-up |
A system where the player who has lost the previous bet doubles the size of the bet hoping to win back the money lost. See 'Martingale'. |
| Draw |
A game outcome where competitors in an event finish evenly. |
| E |
up |
| Edge |
A person`sadvantage when it comes to sports betting. |
| Even Money |
A 1/1 odds bet; a bet in which no vigorish is laid. |
| Exotic (US) |
Any wager which is not a straight bet, e.g. round robin, parlay, or teaser. |
| Exposure |
The maximum amount of money a sportsbook stands to lose on a game. |
| F |
up |
| Favorite or Favourite |
The team or individual the sportsbooks rate most likely to win that contest or event. Typically it has the most money bet on it. |
| Figure |
In sports betting, figure is the amount owed to or by a bookmaker. |
| First Half Bet |
In sports gambling, this is a bet placed only on the first half of the game. |
| Fixed Odds |
No matter how much the odds fluctuate the odds at the time you placed your bet are fixed and written on the ticket. |
| Fixed Game |
A game in which one or more participants willfully manipulate the final outcome of a game. |
| Flash (US) |
Change of odds information on tote board. |
| Flea |
An annoying person who expects to win much with 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. |
| Futures |
Futures are odds offered on winners of sporting events in advance of the event itself, e.g. the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, and the NBA Championship, etc. See also 'Ante-post'. |
| G |
up |
| Gamble |
To risk money on the outcome of an event. |
| Grand (UK) |
A sports betting term for a GBP£ 1,000 wager (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. |
| Group Matchup |
A bet where you can select how one competitor will finish compared to other competitors in the group. This type of bet most often applies to golf and auto racing events like NASCAR. |
| H |
up |
| Half a Dollar Bet (US) |
A sports betting term for a $50 wager. |
| Half Time Bet |
In sports betting this is a bet placed only on the second half of the game. |
| Handicap |
Handicap (also known as the 'pointspread' or 'line') is a method used by bookmakers to make a one-sided event become a more attractive betting proposition: teams are awarded a number of points based on their performance. |
| Handicapper |
In sports betting, a handicapper is one who studies, rates and wagers on sporting events and/or races. |
| Handle |
A sports wagering term that means the total amount of bets taken. |
| Hedge |
Placing wagers on the opposite side in order to cut losses or guarantee a minimum amount of winnings. |
| Hook |
In sports betting a Hook is a half point added to football and basketball betting lines. |
| I |
up |
| If Bet |
A bet that links together two or more individual bets. If the first bet wins, the sportsbook places a second bet according to your instructions. |
| J |
up |
| Juice |
Amount of the commission kept by the bookmaker, also called vig or vigorish. |
| L |
up |
| Laying the Points |
Betting on the favorite by giving up points. |
| Lines or Betting Lines |
The odds on a game. |
| Lock (US) |
An almost certain winner. Easy winner. |
| Long Odds |
Odds (e.g. 100 to 1) offered against a team or play unlikely to win or occur. |
| Longshot |
The underdog against which 'long odds' have been offered. |
| M |
up |
| Martingale system |
A betting system based on doubling-up your stakes. |
| Matchup Bet |
A bet based upon one individual competing head-to-head against another individual or a group of individuals (group matchups). |
| Middle |
Wagering on the underdog at one point spread and the favorite at a different point spread and winning both sides. |
| Money Line or Moneyline |
Odds on the straight-up game outcome with no consideration for a point spread. |
| Monkey (UK) |
A sports betting term for a GBP£ 500 wager. |
| Multiples |
Another term for Accumulators. Multiple bets involve more than one selection. |
| N |
up |
| Nap (UK) |
Best bet of the day. Reputed to stand for 'Napoleon'. |
| Neutral Site |
The site of a sporting event where neither side has a home-field advantage. |
| Nickel (US) |
A $500 wager. |
| Nickel line (US) |
A sports wagering line where the juice is 5%. |
| No action |
A wager in sports betting in which no money is lost nor won. |
| O |
up |
| Odds |
The bookmaker's view of the chance of a team winning or event happening (adjusted to include a profit). |
| Odds-against or Odds Against |
Where the odds are greater than evens (e.g. '5 to 2'). |
| Odds-on or Odds On |
Where the odds are shorter than evens (e.g. '4 to 6'). |
| Oddsmaker |
An individual who creates the opening line. |
| Off the Board (US) |
A game on which the bookmaker will not accept action. |
| Online Sportsbook |
A sportsbook that can be accessed online. |
| Opening Line |
The earliest line posted for a particular sporting event. |
| Outsider |
See 'longshot'. |
| Over |
A wager in which the bettor guesses that the total points scored by two teams will exceed a certain figure. |
| Overlay |
A situation in which the odds on a game favor the bettor, rather than the house. |
| Overround |
Profit margin in the bookmaker's favour. |
| Over/Under Bet |
A bet on whether the combined total of the points scored by the two teams will be more or less than a specified number. |
| P |
up |
| Parlay (US) |
A parlay is a bet that links together two or more individual wagers for a high payout. In order for the parlay bet to win, every one of the wagers must win. |
| Past Post |
A bet placed after a sporting event has started. |
| Pick 'em (US) |
When neither team is favored. |
| Picks |
Also known as 'tips', picks are the recommended bets from betting experts (handicappers). |
| Point Spread |
The amount of points or goals that the favorite gives the underdog for betting purposes. |
| Pony (UK) |
A sports betting term for a GBP£ 25 wager. |
| Post-up Betting |
Betting using a deposit previously made with a bookmaker. Compare to 'credit betting'. |
| Power Ratings |
The strength of a team in comparison to another team. |
| Press |
To wager a larger amount than usual. |
| Price |
The odds. |
| Proposition Bets or Prop Bets |
In sports wagering this is a special wager offered by the sports book on unique and various topics. These wagers can be on sporting events, politics or any other popular events. |
| Pucks |
A slang word used to indicate the game of hockey. |
| Puckline |
In sports wagering, a puckline 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. |
| Punter (UK) |
Someone who places a bet. |
| Puppy |
The underdog. |
| Push |
A tie against the spread. On straight bets the result is 'no action'. All monies are returned as if the bet had never been made. |
| R |
up |
| Return |
Your total winnings on a bet. |
| Reverse Teaser |
A parlay in which the line is moved to the bettor's disadvantage in exchange for a bigger payoff. |
| Run line |
In baseball a spread used instead of the money line. |
| Round Robin |
A series of three or more teams in 2-team parlays. |
| Rundown |
An update of the schedule of games and their lines. |
| Run Line |
The baseball version of betting against the spread. The run line adds 1.5 runs to the underdog (+1.5) or subtracts 1.5 runs from the favorite (-1.5). |
| Runner (UK) |
One who places bets for another when it comes to sports betting. See also 'beard'. |
| S |
up |
| Score (UK) |
A sports betting term for a GBP£ 20 wager. |
| Sharp or Sharpie |
In sports betting, a sharp is a professional bettor. See also 'wise guy'. |
| Sides |
In sports betting, sides are the names of the two teams playing: the underdog and the favorite. |
| Single |
A straight bet on one selection to win one race or event, also known as a straight-up bet. |
| Single Action |
An 'if bet' that is processed only if the precedent bet wins. |
| Sportsbook |
Sportsbook (Sports book in the U.K.) is a person or a company who accepts bets. |
| Spread |
A spread in sports wagering is the predicted scoring differential between two opponents as quoted by a sports book. See also 'point spread'. |
| Square |
A novice when it comes to sports betting. |
| Steam |
A situation when a large amount of money starts to come in on one side of a game and the line moves rapidly. |
| Store (US) |
A sports betting establishment, a sportsbook. |
| Straight bet |
A single wager on a selected side or over/under. |
| Straight-up |
Winning the game without any regards to the pointspread. |
| Super Yankee |
A Super Yankee is a multiple bet with five selections instead of four. |
| Syndicate |
A group of people making a combined effort to win money betting sports. |
| System |
A method of betting, usually mathematically based, used by a bettor to try for an advantage. |
| T |
up |
| Taking the Points |
Betting the underdog and its advantage in the point spread. Compare to 'laying the points'. |
| Taking the Price |
Betting the underdog and accepting money odds. |
| Teaser |
A bet on two or more teams where the bettor can add or subtract points from the spread to make their bets stronger. In exchange for the points, a bettor will get less of a return on your bet. Each of the individual wagers must win or the bet is a loss. |
| 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 (UK) |
The selections recommended by an expert to bet on. See also 'picks'. |
| Tipster (UK) |
A person who makes recommendation on the outcome of matches to punters. |
| Total |
The combined amount of runs, points or goals scored by both teams during the game, including the overtime. |
| Totals or Totals Bet |
Sports bet on whether the total score will be over/under a given mark. See also 'over/under bet'. |
| Tote |
Short for Totalisator. A system introduced to Britain in 1929 to offer pool betting on racecourses. |
| Tout or Tout Service |
A person or company that either sells or gives away selections on games. |
| Treble |
A bet consisting of 3 selections, all of which must win for the wager to be successful. |
| Trends |
Using past game results to predict the future outcome focusing in on one team only. |
| Trixie |
A multiple bet consisting of 4 bets (3 doubles and 1 treble) with 3 selections in different events. |
| U |
up |
| Under |
A wager in which the bettor guesses that the total points scored by two teams will be under a certain figure. |
| Underlay |
A situation in which the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house. |
| Underdog or Dog |
The side or team which is expected to lose. For betting purposes, an underdog receives a point start in a handicap. |
| Upset |
A straight-up win for an underdog against a favored opponent |
| V |
up |
| Value |
In sports betting value means getting the best odds on a wagering proposition; the highest possible edge. |
| Vig or Vigorish |
Amount of the commission kept by the bookmaker, also called 'sportsbook juice'. |
| W |
up |
| Wager |
To risk money on the outcome of an event. See also 'bet' and 'gamble'. |
| Wise Guy (US) |
A professional sports bettor or handicapper. |
| Y |
up |
| Yankee |
A multiple bet consisting of 11 bets (6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 4-fold) on 4 selections in different events. |
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