Accumulator
Another term for a parlay bet, where multiple selections are made and all of them must win for the bet to win.
Across The Board
Betting on a horse to win, place, and show in an individual race.
Action
Any wager on a sporting event is referred to as action.
Added Game
A game that is not part of the normal Las Vegas rotation. These are often more obscure games like those in smaller conferences.
Advance Deposit Wagering
Betting where a player must deposit funds into their account before they are able to bet. Most online sportsbooks function this way.
Against The Spread
A wager where a handicap is applied to the side a bettor backs, known as a point spread.
Alternate Line
A betting line where the point spread or total is higher or lower than the default number, with different odds that vary based on how far the alternate line varies from the original.
American Odds
A way of showing betting odds that uses pluses and minuses to let bettors know what they stand to win depending on how much they wager.
Arbitrage
Betting on both sides of a betting market to take advantage of price differences across sportsbooks.
Asian Handicap
Another way to describe betting against the spread, where a handicap is applied to a team in a contest.
ATS
Abbreviation for Against The Spread.
Backdoor Cover
When a team is failing to cover the spread late in a game, but scores near the end to finish the game within the number.
Bad Beat
A loss of a bet that is thought to be the result of bad luck.
Banker
A European-style bet that is similar to a Round Robin bet, where multiple selections are put into a series of parlay or accumulator bets.
Bankroll
The overall amount of money a bettor has earmarked for sports betting.
Beard
Someone who places bets for another person or entity. Commonly referred to as a runner.
Bet
Any wager that is placed on a sporting event. Also known as action.
Betting Exchange
A type of sportsbook where bettors wager against one another rather than against a bookmaker. The exchange takes a commission on bets in this format.
Betting Unit
The amount that a bettor commits to each standard wager that they make.
Bonus
An incentive from a sportsbook to make a deposit or a specific type of bet.
Book
A place where bettors can place sports wagers.
Bookmaker
The person, or persons, responsible for setting betting lines at a book.
Buck
Sports betting slang for $100.
Buying Points
The act of laying extra juice in exchange for purchasing additional points on the spread or totals markets.
Canadian Line
A betting market specific to hockey that combines the puckline and moneyline markets together.
Chalk
The favorite in a particular sporting event is known as the chalk.
Circle Game
A game with a lowered limit, which is often the result of an injury or other change in personnel.
Closing Line
The final line before a sporting event starts. The goal of sports bettors is to get a better line than the closing line on whatever bets they make.
Closing Line Value
When a bettor makes a wager that ends up with a more favorable line or price than the closing line, they have obtained closing line value.
Consensus
A general agreement about the outcome of a sporting event. This, of course, does not always turn out to be correct.
Contrarian
Someone who disagrees with the consensus on a given sporting event.
Contrarian Betting
The act of betting against the consensus opinion on a sporting event, specifically against the thoughts of the betting public and mainstream sports media.
Cover
The act of covering the spread, or winning a game after the handicap is applied to a team's score.
Dead Heat
A horse racing term for when two horses finish a race tied, which impacts the wagering on that race.
Decimal Odds
A way of displaying sports betting odds that shows a number followed by a decimal value to tell bettors what their potential payout would be.
Dime
Sports betting slang for $1,000.
Dime Line
A betting line where both sides pay a 10% commission. In American odds, this is the standard -110 odds.
Dog
Shorthand for underdog, or the side that is deemed less likely to win a sporting event.
Double Action
This is a type of If Bet, in which one bet goes into effect after an initial wager is settled.
Double Bet
The act of betting twice as much as usual on a specific sporting event. This often denotes confidence in a specific wager.
Double Chance
A type of wager where a bettor can choose two of the three outcomes in a game during regulation time. Those three outcomes are either of the two teams to win, and the game being tied.
Draw
When a game ends in a tied score. In some sports, a draw is graded as a loss if a bet is made on one of the two teams to win the game.
Early Cash Out
An option at some sportsbooks, the cash out option allows bettors to redeem a percentage of their winnings before a game has concluded depending on how likely the bet appears to be to win at that point in the game.
Edge
An edge is an advantage, real or perceived, against a specific betting market or in a particular sporting event.
Even Money
A bet in which a bettor does not have to pay any vig, and would receive the same amount they risked in the event of a win.
Exacta
A bet in horse racing, where a bettor needs to accurately predict the first two horses to finish in a race in order.
Exotic Wager
A term for any bet that isn't a spread, total or moneyline wager. These are usually referred to as prop bets.
Expected Value
A quantity determined by sports bettors to figure out whether a wager is likely to win or lose over time. The goal of sports betting is to place wagers with positive expected value, as those are more likely to win long-term.
Exposure
The amount a sportsbook stands to lose on a given game or betting market.
Favorite
The team or player that is deemed more likely to win a sporting event.
Field
An option in some prop or futures markets, where bettors are allowed to wager on every entity that is not listed among the choices in that market.
Fifty Cents
Slang for $50.
Figure
The amount won or lost by a bettor over a specific time frame.
First Half
A betting market that only focuses on the first half of a sporting event. This can include spreads, totals and moneylines that only cover the first half of a game.
Fixed Odds
A set of odds that does not change.
Flat Betting
A system of betting where the bettor does not change the amount they wager from game to game. This is typically a set percentage of a bettor's bankroll.
Fractional Odds
A way of displaying sports betting odds that lists the potential payout as a fraction that can be multiplied by the stake amount to gauge potential returns.
Futures Bet
A bet that requires bettors to predict the winner of a competition in advance, either before a season starts or during the season.
Gamble
The act of placing any type of wager.
Getting Down
Slang for placing a bet.
Grand Salami
A betting market that combines all of the matches in a particular league on a given day, with home teams and road teams pitted against one another on the spread and moneyline markets, and totals for all games available as well.
Half Dollar
Slang for $50.
Halftime Bet
A bet that is made available at halftime, that focuses on the second half of the game only.
Handicapper
Someone who analyzes sporting events and predicts their outcomes.
Handicapping
The work done by a handicapper to predict the outcomes of sporting events.
Handle
The amount bet on a particular sporting event at a given sportsbook is referred to as the handle.
Hedging
Placing a wager on the opposite side of a previous bet to guarantee profit based on a change in odds or to guarantee profit against a parlay bet.
High Roller
Someone who wagers large amounts of money on sports.
Home Field
The venue of a sporting event, which favors the team hosting the event. This is a big factor in many sports betting scenarios.
Hook
A half point, which can often come into play in spread and totals betting scenarios.
Hot Game
A game that is receiving a high volume of one-sided action, which usually denotes some sort of knowledge from bettors that are perceived to be sharp.
House
Another term for a sportsbook.
In-Game Wagering
A form of betting where the odds for a game are updated as things play out on the field. Bettors are able to take part in in-game wagering after a game has already started.
Joint Favorite
One of multiple teams that have the same odds as the favorites to win a competition. This can apply to a single horse race or in the futures betting market in other sports.
Juice
The commission a sportsbook takes on each bet that is place. Also known as the vig.
Kelly Criterion
A bankroll management strategy that has a goal of maximizing profit over a large sample size using mathematical formulas.
Key Numbers
When betting against the spread, key numbers are those that often constitute the margin of victory in that sport. In football, for example, three and seven are key numbers.
Laying The Points
The act of backing a favorite against the spread.
Laying The Price
The act of backing a favorite on the moneyline.
Layoff
The act of a sportsbook placing a wager at another book to reduce its liability.
Limit
The maximum amount that can be wagered on a specific sports betting market.
Linemaker
The person or persons responsible for setting betting lines at a sportsbook.
Lines
The list of betting options available for each sporting event.
Listed Pitcher
A type of baseball betting, where the pitchers that are listed as the starters must pitch, or the bet is graded as a push.
Live Betting
Betting on sporting events while they are going on, using odds that are updated as the event is taking place based on what is happening in real time.
Lock
A bet that is thought to be incapable of losing. There is, of course, no such thing as a lock.
Longshot
A bet that carries long odds to win and is thought to be unlikely.
Margin
The amount of money that a bettor has made after placing their bets and totaling the profits against the losses.
Martingale System
A system of bankroll management where a bettor follows up a losing bet with an even bigger bet, until they eventually win and turn a profit.
Matched Betting
Betting at multiple sportsbooks on the same game, using differences in odds to guarantee a profit.
Middle
The act of betting on both sides of the same game at different times, when the odds have created enough space in the spread and total market for both bets to potentially win.
Moneyline
A betting market where a bettor only has to predict which team or player is going to win.
Mush
A bettor that is thought to carry bad luck. As a result, bettors do not want to be on the same side as a mush.
Nickel Line
A betting line that carries only a 5% juice rather than the standard 10%.
No Action
When a bet is graded as a push or is cancelled, it is considered no action.
Novelty Bet
Any bet that is unusual is considered a novelty bet. In many cases, novelty bets do not even center around sports and can be about things like politics or awards shows.
Number
Short for the point spread for a particular contest.
Odds-On Favorite
A team or individual that is considered to be the favorite to win a sporting event. This term is usually used in the case of a convincing favorite.
Oddsmaker
The sportsbook or people at a sportsbook who set the betting odds for sporting events.
Off The Board
A game that is removed from the list of sports betting options due to injuries or other circumstances.
Opening Line
The original betting line that is made available by a sportsbook. This line often changes quickly depending on the amounts wagered on each side initially.
Outlaw Line
Another term for the opening line. This is the first line that a bettor can wager on.
Outright
Also known as a futures market, the outright market requires bettors to predict who they think will win a championship at the end of a season.
Over/Under
A betting market where bettors have to predict whether the amount of scoring in a sporting event will go over or under a total set by the bookmaker.
Parlay
A type of bet where bettors make multiple selections, all of which have to win in order for the parlay to be successful.
Pick 'Em
A situation where the point spread between two teams is deemed to be zero. This means that a game is thought to be completely evenly matched.
Player Props
Betting on markets related to player performances in specific statistical categories. These often come in the form of over/under bets.
Point Spread
The perceived difference between two teams in a sporting event. The bigger the gap between two teams, the larger the point spread.
Power Ranking
The act of ranking teams in a given sport based on how good they are thought to be. This is important for bettors to do before betting on sporting events.
Press
The act of attempting to recoup losses by betting more in subsequent wagers. This is not recommended.
Price
Another word for the odds of a specific betting market.
Prop Bet
Any bet that is not a spread, total or moneyline wager.
Public Betting Percentage
The percentage of bettors that are on one side of a bet or the other. This is a good way to gauge what public perception is surrounding a specific sporting event.
Puckline
A hockey-specific wager that equates to spread betting on hockey. In pucklines, the favorite usually is laying 1.5 goals against the underdog.
Puppy
Another word for an underdog.
Push
When a bet results in a tie, it is graded as a push and a bettor is refunded their original stake.
Real Time Odds
In live betting, real time odds are the odds that are generated as a sporting event is taking place.
Reduced Juice
Some sportsbooks offer reduced juice, where their standard spread and totals markets see a lower vig than those markets at other sportsbooks.
Return On Investment
The percentage return that a bettor sees on their overall sports wagering. The goal is to maximize return on investment when betting on sports.
Reverse Line Movement
When a majority of bets are placed on one side of a sporting event, but the line moves in the opposite direction. This usually means that sharp money is involved on a game.
ROI
An abbreviation for Return On Investment.
Round Robin
A group of three or more selections that are grouped into a series of two-leg parlays. Each selection within each parlay must win for those parlays to be successful.
Rundown
A list of all of the available bets at a sportsbook.
Runline
This is the baseball equivalent of betting against the spread. In runline bets, the favorite usually lays 1.5 runs against the underdog.
Runner
Someone who places bets on sports on behalf of someone else.
Scout
A bettor who only wagers on games that they feel strongly about, opting for quality over quantity.
Sell Points
The act of taking a less favorable line against the spread in exchange for a higher potential profit.
Sharp
A sports bettor that is considered to be extremely knowledgeable about both sports and wagering on them.
Sharp Money
Bets that are placed by sharp bettors are referred to as sharp money. These tend to be bigger than bets by the general public and are more likely to move lines.
Shop
Another term for a sportsbook.
Sides
The two entities competing in a sporting event.
Single Action
A type of if bet, where the next wager only takes place if the previous bet is graded a winner.
Spread
The amount of points a bettor has to lay with a favorite or the number of points they receive for backing an underdog in a specific contest.
Square
A novice sports bettor.
Stake
The amount risked on a sports bet.
Steam
A large quantity of money coming in on one option in a sports bet, prompting a line to move.
Store
Another word for a sportsbook or a betting shop.
Straight Up
Picking a team or competitor to win on the moneyline, requiring them to simply win the match.
SU
Abbreviation for straight up.
Superfecta
A horse racing bet where a bettor has to successfully predict the top four finishers of a race in order for the bet to win.
Taking The Points
Backing an underdog against the spread.
Taking The Price
Backing an underdog on the moneyline.
Teaser
A type of sports bet where multiple selections are made, and each of them has points added to them to make them slightly more favorable to the bettor. All selections must win in order for the bet to be successful.
Ticket
Documentation of a sports wager being placed, either in the form of a physical ticket or an online record of a wager.
Tie
When a game ends in a draw. This often results in a bet being refunded, unless a draw is one of the options provided by the sportsbook for this game.
Tissue Price
Another term for the opening or outlaw line at a sportsbook, which are the initial odds set by a sportsbook for a given game.
Totals
A betting market where bettors have to predict whether the amount of scoring done will be over or under the total set by the sportsbook.
Tout
Someone who sells sports betting picks.
Trifecta
A horse racing bet where the top three finishers in a horse race must be predicted in order for the bet to win.
True Odds
The actual probability of an outcome taking place. This can be different from the odds set by the sportsbook, which includes a vig.
Under
When the total amount of scoring done in a contest is less than the total set by a sportsbook.
Underdog
The team that is perceived to be less likely to win a sporting event.
Units
The amount a bettor risks on each game. Bettors often tally their profits or losses over a given time period in units.
Value
Finding the best possible odds for a given event. The goal of sports betting is to maximize value on each wager.
Vig
The commission that a sportsbook takes on every bet.
Wager
Any sports bet is known as a wager.
Wire To Wire
A victory in which one team or competitor leads for the entirety of a sporting event without ever relinquishing that lead.
Wise Guy
A bettor that is perceived to be sharp and knowledgeable about sports wagering.
