1. Sports Betting Terms
2. Understanding Sports Betting Terminology
3. Sports Betting Terms And Phrases
4. Sports Betting Terms Spread
5. Sports Betting Terms And Conditions

Here is a list of common sports betting terms that can help you understand the industry better, be a better sports bettor, and just generally feel more comfortable when discussing the subject. Sports betting is growing by the day, especially in the United States where it’s becoming legal in more and more states. VSiN, The Sports Betting Network, has you covered with this list of terms to improve your betting IQ. Action - A bet or wager. Against the spread - The result of a game including the point spread. Bad Beat - A bet that looks like the bettor is going to win but doesn't.

• Sports betting has been around for centuries, and its global popularity has meant that it has collected a lot of terminology around its every aspect. As part of our ultimate guide to sports betting, we’re going to share common sports-betting lingo and slang you need to know if you want to get the hang of the whole process.
• Common futures bets include betting a team to win a championship at the outset of a season, or betting whether the team will win or lose more games than a set line at the start of the season.
• Ticket: This is another term for a sports betting wager. When you bet in a brick-and-mortar location, they print you out a “ticket,” which is a slip of paper with your betting information on it. This is what you turn in to collect your winnings. Online, tickets are digital.

Before we get started if you’re interested in seeing these glossary terms in action feel free to visit these sports betting strategy pages. In these guides, we’ll share our expert tips and tricks for understanding and effectively using these different terms.

Glossary

Action: This is when you have a bet on a game, match, race, or season.

Against the Spread (ATS): This is a statistic that tells you how well a team does against the spread. If a team has covered the spread (outperformed the sportsbook’s expectations) in five games, you would say they are 5-0 ATS.

Backdoor Cover: This is when you think you’re certain to lose a bet, but something wild happens at the end of the game, getting you to cover the point spread and win your bet.

Bad Beat: This is when you lose a bet that you feel like you should have won. Most likely, you will hear this term when something happens in the game unexpectedly to cause you to lose almost a certain bet. For example, if a team fumbles the ball while kneeling down to win, and the other team scores to make you lose your bet, that’s a bad beat.

Beard: This is someone who places a bet for another person. Sportsbooks will often not take action from very sharp (good) bettors, which forces them to use beards (also known as runners) to place their bets for them.

Book: This is an abbreviated term for sportsbook.

Bookie: This is a person who illegally accepts bets. Basically, it’s someone who operates as their own sportsbook.

Buying Points: This is when a sportsbook allows you to shift a spread by giving up some payout odds. For example, if the point spread is +4, but you want it to be +5, you can do this at some sportsbooks. But since your bet is becoming more likely to win, you won’t be paid out as well.

Chalk: This refers to the favorite in a particular game, match, or race. If you bet on the chalk, you are picking the favorite who is expected to win.

Circle Game: This is a game where the sportsbook has lowered the wagering limits due to injuries, weather, or other conditions that have made things more difficult on the linemakers.

Closing Line: This is what the odds are when the sportsbook stops taking action.

Cover: This is the term used when a team outperforms the spread betting line. For example, if a team is +3 (3-point underdogs), and they end up losing the game by 2 points, it is said that they covered. It does not matter if they win the game or not; they only have to outperform the spread line.

Dime: This is a term for $1,000. If you say that you bet five dimes on a game, you bet $5,000.

Dog: This is an abbreviation for the underdog, the team that is expected to lose. If you bet on the dog, you should expect to get paid better than even money.

Double Bet: This is a wager twice the size of someone’s normal bet. For example, if you normally bet $20 on games, a double bet would be a $40 bet. This is popular when people have a strong prediction on a game or when they’re trying to chase their losses.

Edge: This is an advantage in a bet. When you place a bet that you think has value, you are betting that you have an edge.

Even Money: This is when the odds are 50-50, and you stand to win the exact same amount of money you bet. For example, if you bet $20 at even money, your profit for a correct pick would be $20.

Exposure: This is the amount of money a sportsbook stands to lose on a particular game, match, or race. Sportsbooks manipulate lines to try and limit their exposure as much as possible.

Exotic: This is any other bet outside of a straight bet or a parlay. It is another term for prop bets.

Favorite: This is the team that is expected to win a game, match, or race. If you bet on a favorite, you should expect to get paid out worse than even money.

Fire: This is a slang term for making a bet. You can say that you’re going to “fire on the Cowboys” if you’re going to make a bet on the Cowboys.

First Half Bet: This is a wager that you make only on the first half of the game. The end result of the game does not matter. The only thing that matters is the result after the first half of play.

Fixed: This is the term to refer to a game where someone has cheated. Basically, if the “fix is in,” the game has been set to have a certain outcome. This is what happens during sports betting cheating scandals.

Futures Bet: This is a bet on something that is going to occur in the future and is not going to be determined by just one game. For example, if you bet on the champion, division winner, or tournament winner, that would be a futures bet. The team would have to win multiple games to win this bet.

Getting Down: This is a slang term for making a bet.

Grand Salami: This is the total goals scored by every hockey team in a particular day or runs scored by every baseball team.

Halftime Bet: This is a wager that is made at the halfway mark of a game. Many sportsbooks will offer updated odds on the second half of a game. These lines are not put out until the first half is complete and are reflective of how the first half of play went.

Handicapper: This is someone who bets on sports.

Hedging: This is when you place a wager against yourself on the other side of the contest to lock up profit or minimize your potential loss. Hedges are most popular with futures bets but can be done with in-game betting as well.

High Roller: This is the term given to someone who bets large amounts on games.

Hot Game: This is a game that is taking a lot of action from skilled/sharp sports bettors.

Hook: This is a slang term for a half point on a point spread. For example, if the spread is -3.5, you might say that they are laying three and a hook.

In-Game Betting: This is the ability to bet on a game while it is going on. This has become much more popular with online sports betting thanks to technology.

Juice: This is a term for the commission that the sportsbook is taking on each bet that they take. It can also be used to refer to interest on a loan with a bookie.

Laying the Points: This is when you take the favorite in a point spread bet.

Layoff: This is the money bet by a sportsbook with another sportsbook to cover an imbalance in action.

Limit: This is the maximum that a sportsbook will allow you to bet on a particular sporting event. This is not a per-bet limit. For example, if the limit on a game is $5,000, the most you can bet on that game is $5,000. You can’t make multiple $5,000 bets, as it’s not a per-bet limit but a total limit.

Lines: This is another term for the odds. If you say you are going to check the lines, you are looking for the odds or spreads that are put out by the sportsbook.

Line Shopping: This is a term for comparing the lines at multiple sportsbooks to find the best odds possible. It is very common for different sportsbooks to have different odds on the exact same bet due to the action that they are receiving from their customer base. This is a must-do for serious sports bettors who care about their profits.

Lock: This is a term given to a sports bet that is said to be a sure thing. Contrary to popular belief, there are no such things as sure things in sports betting.

Longshot: This is a term for the team or contestant that has very little chance of winning a particular contest. This term is very popular in racing where you have multiple people or animals vying for a win.

Middle: This is when a sports bettor attempts to take advantage of a line movement to potentially win two sides of a bet. For example, let’s say that a team is +3 to win a bet. If that line moves to +5, they sports bettor can bet the other team. Now, if the game ends with the first team losing by exactly 4 points, the sports bettor will win both bets. If it goes one way or the other, the sports bettor will break close to even minus the juice on the bet.

Moneyline: This is a sports bet where you only need your team to win the game to win. It does not matter by how many points or in what manner they win.

Mush: This is a slang term given to a sports bettor who is bad luck.

Nickel: This is a slang term that means $500. If you say that you bet a nickel on a game, you bet $500.

Oddsmaker: This is a person who works for the sportsbook and sets the lines on the games.

Off the Board: This is when a bet is taken down, and the sportsbook is no longer taking action on it.

Over/Under Bet: This is a wager on either side of a totals number. For example, if the sportsbook thinks 45 points will be scored in a game, you can bet if there will be over that many points or under that many points. If you are correct, you win your over/under bet (sometimes referred to as a totals bet).

Parlay: This is when you link two or more individual bets together into one single wager. You must win all of your individual bets for you to win your parlay. One incorrect selection means you lose the entire ticket. Parlays pay out a high win amount for a smaller monetary investment.

Pick ‘Em: This is a game with no favorite or underdog. Basically, the sportsbook is saying that each team has an equal chance to win the game. The point spread is zero points.

Pleaser: This is when you wager several games (in a parlay-style format), except all of the point spreads are shifted by usually 6, 6.5, or 7 points in the sportsbook’s favor. So, if a team is usually -3, they are now -9 on your ticket. These are used in situations where you see several lines that are extremely off. As you might expect, pleasers pay out extremely well but are very tough to win.

Point Spread: This is the number of points that the sportsbook determines a particular team will either win or lose the game by.

Press: This is a term that means to bet more than you usually do. Usually, bettors press when they are on a good run and looking to capitalize or when they are losing and looking to find a way to get even.

Proposition Bet: This is a bet (sometimes known as a special or exotic) that involves betting on whether or not something proposed will happen during a sporting contest. For example, betting on what the coin toss will be or if a certain player will score the first touchdown are prop bets. These are sometimes offered on events and sometimes not depending on where and what you are betting. The most popular prop bet event is the Super Bowl.

Push: This is a fancy word for a tie. If you push your sports bet, your money is returned to you.

Runner: This is someone who makes bets on behalf of someone else. Sharp sports bettors often have their action refused, so they have to use runners to make their bets for them.

Sharp: This is the term given to a sports bettor who is very good and knows how to win. Your ideal goal in sports betting should be to become a sharp.

Spread: This is an abbreviated term for point spread.

Square: This is the term given to casual bettors who are not using extensive research or predictive models/formulas to make their wagers.

Steam: This is when a sports betting line moves unusually fast. A lot of times, this is a result of several big bets (maybe from a betting syndicate) coming in at once or a heavily-followed bettor publishing their pick and their followers jumping on it all at once.

Straight Up: This is a slang term for taking the moneyline bet where the point spread does not matter. If you say you are taking a team straight up, it means you took them on the moneyline, and all you need them to do is win the game. You do not care by how many points or in what fashion they win.

Teaser: This is a parlay-style bet similar to a pleaser except all the lines shift 6, 6.5, or 7 points in your favor. For example, if one of the teams on your teaser is normally +4, you now have them at +10. These are much easier to hit than parlays or pleasers, so expect not to be paid out as handsomely.

Ticket: This is another term for a sports betting wager. When you bet in a brick-and-mortar location, they print you out a “ticket,” which is a slip of paper with your betting information on it. This is what you turn in to collect your winnings. Online, tickets are digital.

Total: This is the number of points the sportsbook expects each team or both teams to score in a particular game. While it can be used for each team individually, it’s commonly used for both teams combined in a game. For example, if you say the total is 42 in the Patriots and Giants game, this means that they expect 42 points to be scored cumulatively. It does not matter which team scores the points. They can all be scored by one team or be scored equally by both teams.

Tout: This is a person or group that sells or gives away their sports betting picks.

Underdog: This is the team or player that is expected to lose a particular sporting contest.

Vig: This is a word for the percentage the sportsbook (or house) takes from each bet as their commission for facilitating each bet. It can also be used to refer to interest on a sports betting loan.

Wager: This is another word for a bet.

Welch: This is when someone refuses to pay on a bet that they knowingly lost. You can say that someone welched on a bet, or you can also say that someone is a welcher. This is something you never want to be and never want to have to deal with.

Wiseguy: This is another slang term for a sharp bettor who knows what they are doing.

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Here is a list of common sports betting terms that can help you understand the industry better, be a better sports bettor, and just generally feel more comfortable when discussing the subject.

Sports betting is growing by the day, especially in the United States where it’s becoming legal in more and more states. As the industry continues to grow, so does its popularity, but no one wants to be left feeling like they’re on the outside, right? Review these sports betting terms so you know what you’re talking about and can understand industry jargon.

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Action: A wager or bet of any kind.

Against the Spread (ATS): Taking action on one side of a point spread, but either taking points or laying points.

Backdoor Cover: When a side of a bet scores points late in a competition to cover the point spread.

Bad Beat: When you lose a wager you believe you should have won, you often refer to it as a “bad beat.” Oftentimes, a bad beat occurs when your side was expected to win the contest but ultimately lost.

Bankroll: The funds you have available to wager with.

Betting Line (or Line): The betting odds or point spread.

Bookmaker: A creator of betting lines and odds, often at a sportsbook.

Bookie: A person who accepts wagers.

Book: As a noun, “book” is short for “sportsbook – an establishment that accepts wagers. As a verb, to book means to place or accept a wager.

Buying Points: When a sports bettor pays an additional price to alter the betting line and adjust the odds, it is called “buying points.”

Chalk: Another term for the favorite or side of a bet that the public is favoring.

Circle Game: A game or competition with restricted (lower) betting limits.

Closing Line (or Close): The final point spread or betting line before a game or competition begins.

Sports Betting Terms

Consensus: The volume of bets that the public is on for a side of a game or competition, often listed as a percentage.

Contrarian: Going against the grain of public sentiment, a pick made that is opposite of the majority opinion.

Cover: Beating the point spread. When a side beats the point spread, it has “covered” the bet.

Dime: Slang for a one-thousand dollar ($1,000) wager.

Dog: Short for “underdog,” it is the side of a bet that is not favored.

Edge: An advantage.

Even Money: When the odds of a bet are the same as the wager, 1-to-1, and there is no vigorish (vig).

Exotic: A wager other than a straight bet or parlay, often called a “proposition bet” or “prop.”

Favorite: The side of a bet that is the likely winning side.

Futures Bet (or Future): A wager on a future sporting event. Most commonly, it is a bet placed on the outcome of an event in the current or upcoming season, such as placing a wager before the season or early on in the season for which team will win the Super Bowl in the NFL.

Grand Salami: An over/under total on the combined NHL goals for an entire day of games.

Handicapper: A person who tries to predict the odds and outcomes of an event.

Handle: The amount of money taken by a sportsbook or sports betting operator. Handle can be broken down per event, series of events, a specific time period, or in total.

Hedge: To place a bet opposing a wager you already have in place so that you are lowering your exposure or risk.

Hook: In point-spread betting, the hook is the extra half point attached to the spread, very commonly seen in football betting.

In-Play Betting: Another term for live betting, in-play betting is wagering that takes place while a game or event is running. Due to the fluid nature of the game or event, in-play betting lines adjust on the fly.

Juice: Another term for the “vig” or “rake,” which is the money a sportsbook or sports betting operator takes on a wager.

Key Number: A common point differential when it comes to scoring margins. Key numbers are most commonly referenced in football betting in regards to multiples of three or seven.

Laying Points: When a bettor is giving points to the other side. Betting the favorite.

Limit: The most amount of money a sportsbook or sports betting operator will take as a wager on an event.

Lock: A term used to describe when a bettor views a pick as a guaranteed victory.

Long shot: A big underdog to win.

Middle: An outcome that falls between two bets on different sides of the same event, allowing the bettor to win both wagers.

Money line or moneyline: The odds or price of betting an event straight up, without the use of a point spread. When betting the money line (or moneyline), the favorite will be designated with a minus sign next to the number. The higher the number, the greater the odds the favorite has to win, but the lower the payout. The underdog will be designated with a plus sign next to the number. The higher the number, the lower the odds the underdog has to pull off an upset, but the larger the payout will be should the upset occur.

Nickel: A $500 bet.

Oddsmaker: The person or persons who set the odds on an event.

Off the Board: When a sportsbook or sports betting operating removes a wager from its offering and is no longer taking bets on the event. Oftentimes, an operator will take a bet off the book when deciding to change the odds. Leaving the bet up could expose the oddsmaker to increased risk.

Opening Line (or Open): The initial point spread or betting line on a game or competition.

Over/Under: The line set on a specific total that bettors can pick to go over or under. Over/under lines are most commonly made on the point totals of games, but can also be used on teams, players, and other prop bets.

Parlay: A wager that includes multiple bets within one greater bet. To win, a bettor must hit all the individual bets.

Pick’em: When a game or event has no side that is favored over the other.

Point Spread: The point spread is how teams or sides are handicapped against one another. It’s the number of points one side is giving or receiving to the other. For more on point spread betting, click here.

Prop Bet (or Proposition Bet): A prop bet, short for proposition bet, is a type of side bet that is placed on something not determined by the final outcome of a game, such as a specific statistic for a given player.

Public: Another term for volume of bets being placed.

Puck Line: Hockey’s version of the point spread, although rarely anything different than -1.5 or +1.5. Instead of altering the points given, bookmakers will adjust the odds on these lines.

Push: A tie.

Understanding Sports Betting Terminology

Quarter: A $25 bet.

Return On Investment: A measurement on a wager’s or bettor’s performance giving in the ratio of net profit and cost of investment.

Reverse Line Movement: When a line moves opposite of the betting percentages, or opposite the public.

Round Robin: A wager that allows a bettor to place multiple parlay wagers within a single bet.

Run Line: Baseball’s version of the point spread.

Runner: A person who places a wager for another person.

Sharp: A professional sports bettor or a bettor deemed to have an enhanced advantage.

Sports Betting Terms And Phrases

Square: A casual, hobby sports bettor. Not a professional and considered to be just a member of the general public.

Sportsbook: An establishment that accepts wagers.

Steam: Term used to describe a fast-moving line.

Straight Bet: A bet that is made without using a point spread. In other words, another way to classify a money line bet.

Take the Points: The opposite of laying the points, taking the points means a bettor is receiving points from the other side. Betting the underdog.

Teaser: A bet that allows the bettor to adjust the point spread by adding or subtracting points. The adjustment comes at a cost, though, as the bettor will be faced with a lower return determined by the amount of the adjustment.

Total: The combined number of points, runs, or goals from an event.

Tout: A person who sells his or her picks and sports betting knowledge to others.

Underdog: The side of a wager that is the unlikely winning side.

Unit: The amount a bettor deems to be one wager’s worth. Bettors often bet in terms of units, with the number of units bet on an event determined by the bettor’s confidence in the wager.

Vigorish (or Vig): Another term for the “juice” or “rake,” which is the money a sportsbook or sports betting operator takes on a wager.

Wager: A bet.

Sports Betting Terms Spread

Wise Guy: Another term for a sharp bettor used to describe a professional bettor or someone deemed to have an enhanced advantage.

Sports Betting Terms And Conditions

That’s it for now. Bookmark this page or check page often, as we’ll continue to add more sports betting terms to this list.