Sports Betting Terminology

We offer you a complete sports betting glossary, with all the basic terminology used in offline and online sportsbooks. Check out the following terms and learn them to improve your gambling knowledge:

• Action:
  A valid bet or wager. Depending on the sport, the rules for determining whether a bet is action or not vary.
• All-In Betting:
  There are no refunds for withdrawn or scratched teams and only for canceled events.
• All Up Betting:
  A single wager placed for the winners of several events.
• Arbitrage:
  A bettor guarantees a win by backing both sides in a variation in odds.
• Backed Team:
  A team on which many people have placed bets.
• Banker:
  The most expected to win in a multiple selection.
• Bar Price:
  The minimum odds for the selections of the unquoted and bigger price.
• Beard:
  A person that places bets for another person.
• Betting Tax:
  Tax on sportsbooks income.
• Bettor:
  In the US, a person who places bets.
• Book:
  The collection of odds and bets gathered by the bookmaker.
• Bookie:
  In the UK, the person or firm that accepts bets.
• Bookmaker:
  See Bookie.
• Bridge-Jumper:
  In the US, a bettor who bets on odd-on favorites.
• Buy Price:
  The higher figure quoted by a sportsbook in Index or Spread betting.
• Chalk:
  The team favored.
• Chalk player:
  Aa person who bets on favorites.
• Circled Game:
  In this game, the maximum bet is limited.
• Closing Line:
  Final list of points spreads posted before the game starts.
• Combination Bet:
  A selection of teams or horses to finish first and second.
• Cover:
  The action of betting the spread by the required points.
• Dead Hit:
  Equal finish where both win.
• Dog:
  In the US, the underdog team in a betting proposition.
• Dog Player:
  In the US, bettors who regularly wager on the underdog team.
• Dollar Bet:
  A wager of 100 dollars.
• Double or Doubles:
  Two bets on two different events or two parts of one event.
• Double or Nothing:
  This type of bet pays off the exact amount of money wagered.
• Even Money:
  A bet with 1:1 odds.
• Favorite:
  The team rated by the sportsbook as the most likely to win.
• Full Cover:
  In a number of selections all the doubles and parlays.
• Handicap:
  See Spread.
• Index Betting:
  See Spread betting.
• In The Red:
  Odds on.
• Juice:
  Jargon for the sportsbooks commission.
• Lay a Bet:
  When a sportsbook accepts a bet.
• Layer:
  Bookie.
• Lines:
  Odds offered to the bettor.
• Linemaker:
  The person who gathers and sets betting lines.
• Lock:
  In the US, easy winner.
• Long Odds:
  Odds higher than 10:1.
• Money Line:
  The amount wagered to win 100 dollars or won for a wager of 100 dollars. Also called Spread Betting or Action Line.
• Odds-against:
  When the odds are superior to the evens.
• Odds-on:
  The amount wagered to win 100 dollars.
• Off the Board:
  A game on which the sportsbook does not accept action.
• Over or Under:
  A bet on the final score of two teams being over or under a specific number.
• Parlay:
  A multiple bet. The bettor bets simultaneously on more than 2 games. You must win all the selections to win.
• Point Spread:
  To set points to the underdog team to even the odds with the favorite. Also called Handicap.
• Price:
  Odds.
• Punter:
  In the UK, bettor.
• Single Bet:
  A bet on one selection to win. Also called straight-up.
• Single Stakes About:
  Two bets on two selections.
• Sportsbook:
  In the US, the person or firm that accepts bets.
• Spread Betting:
  See Money Line.
• Totals:
  A bet on the points scored by two teams being over or under a specific number.
• Trebles:
  A triple bet on 3 events.
• Underdog Team:
  The one that in a handicap gets a point start.
• Vigorish:
  Commission.
• Win Only:
  See Money Line.
• Wise Guy:
  An expert bettor or handicapper.