Glossary Of Sports Betting Terms

Common terms you may encounter!

Here are some of the more common sports betting terms that you might encounter. As with any type of betting or gambling, it's important to understand the terminology and the rules before placing any bets, and to practice responsible gambling habits.

Action: Action refers to any bets that are currently in play or have been placed on a particular game or event
Bankroll: The bankroll is the total amount of money that a bettor has set aside for sports betting
Chalk: The chalk refers to the favorite team or player in a game. It is the team or player that is expected to win and is given a negative point spread.
Closing Line Value (CLV): Closing Line Value is a measure of how much a bettor's wager would have earned if they had placed their bet at the closing line. It is often used as a measure of a bettor's ability to identify value in the betting market
Closing Line: The closing line is the final point spread, moneyline, or total offered by the sportsbook before the game starts. This is the line that all bets are based on.
Closing Price: The closing price is the final odds or point spread offered by the sportsbook before the game starts. It is often used as a measure of the market consensus on the likely outcome of the game
Closing Time: Closing time refers to the deadline for placing bets on a particular game or event. This is usually a few minutes before the game starts
Consensus: Consensus refers to the general opinion or sentiment of the betting public on a particular game or event. Sportsbooks often use consensus data to adjust their odds or point spreads
Dog: Dog is a shortened term for underdog, which refers to the team or player that is expected to lose the game
Double Result: A double result bet is a type of bet that requires the bettor to correctly predict the winner of both the first half and the second half of a game
Exotic Bet: An exotic bet is a type of bet that is more complex than a standard point spread, moneyline, or total bet. Examples include parlays, teasers, and prop bets
Exposure: Exposure refers to the amount of money that a sportsbook stands to lose on a particular game or event. Sportsbooks often try to balance their exposure by adjusting their odds or point spreads
Futures Bet: A futures bet is a bet on a team or player to win a championship or other major event at some point in the future. These bets are usually made before the start of the season or tournament, and the odds may change as the season progresses.
Handicapping: Handicapping is the process of analyzing and predicting the outcome of a sporting event. It involves taking into account various factors such as team form, injuries, and historical performance to determine the most likely outcome of a game.
Handle: The handle is the total amount of money that a sportsbook has taken in bets for a particular game or event
Hedging: Hedging is a strategy used by bettors to reduce their risk by placing a second bet that is opposite to their first bet. This is often done to lock in a profit or minimize losses
Home Field Advantage: Home field advantage refers to the advantage that a team or player has when playing in their home stadium or arena. This can include factors such as crowd support, familiarity with the playing surface, and travel fatigue for the opposing team
Hook: The hook is a half-point added to the point spread in order to prevent a push or tie. For example, a point spread of -3.5 would have a hook of 0.5, making the final point spread -4 or -3 depending on which team is favored.
In-Play Betting: In-play betting, also known as live betting, allows bettors to place bets on a game or event while it is in progress. This type of betting can be fast-paced and requires quick decisions
Juice Differential: Juice differential is the difference in the commission or fee charged by different sportsbooks for taking the same bet. Bettors who shop around for the best juice differential can often find better value and more profitable bets
Juice: Juice is another term for the vigorish or commission charged by the sportsbook for taking a bet. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the total bet and is how sportsbooks make money.
Limit: The limit refers to the maximum amount of money that a sportsbook will accept on a single bet. This is usually set to prevent large bets from skewing the betting odds
Line Movement: Line movement refers to changes in the odds or point spread offered by a sportsbook for a particular game or event. Line movement can be caused by factors such as injuries, weather conditions, or betting activity
Line Shopping: Line shopping is the process of comparing the betting lines offered by multiple sportsbooks in order to find the best odds or point spread
Line: The line refers to the point spread, moneyline, or total in a game. It is the set of odds and point spread or total that the sportsbook offers for betting on that game.
Middle: A middle is a type of bet that takes advantage of differences in the point spread or total offered by different sportsbooks. By placing bets on both sides of the middle, a bettor can win both bets if the final score falls within a certain range
Moneyline: A moneyline bet is a type of bet that is placed on the winner of a game or event, without a point spread. The odds are expressed as a positive or negative number, indicating the amount of money that must be wagered or won
Over/Under: An over/under bet is a bet on the total number of points scored in a game. The bettor must choose whether the total number of points scored will be over or under the set total.
Parlay: A parlay is a bet that combines two or more individual bets into one larger bet. The bettor must win all of the individual bets in order to win the parlay bet.
Point Spread: A point spread is a handicap placed on one team to even out the betting odds. The favorite team is given a negative point spread, while the underdog is given a positive point spread. The bettor must choose whether the favorite team will win by more than the point spread or if the underdog will lose by fewer points than the point spread.
Point Spread: A point spread is a handicap placed on one team to even out the betting odds. The favorite team is given a negative point spread, while the underdog is given a positive point spread. The bettor must choose whether the favorite team will win by more than the point spread or if the underdog will lose by fewer points than the point spread.
Prop Bet: A prop bet, short for proposition bet, is a bet on a specific event or outcome within a game. These can be anything from which team will score first to how long the national anthem will be.
Proprietary Algorithm: A proprietary algorithm is a mathematical formula used by some sportsbooks to set their odds or point spreads. These algorithms are often kept secret and are used to gain a competitive advantage over other sportsbooks
Push: A push is a tie between the bettor and the sportsbook. It occurs when the final score or total lands exactly on the point spread or total offered by the sportsbook, resulting in a refund of the bet amount.
Push: A push occurs when the final score of a game or event results in a tie between the two teams or players. When a bet results in a push, the bettor's money is returned
Pusher: A pusher is a bettor who wins and loses an equal amount of money on a particular game or event. This is often done to avoid losing money on bets that are unlikely to win.
Reverse Line Movement: Reverse line movement occurs when the betting line moves in the opposite direction of the majority of bets placed on a game. This can indicate that sharp bettors or syndicates are placing large bets on the opposite side of the line
Rollover: A rollover is a requirement set by some sportsbooks that requires bettors to wager their winnings a certain number of times before they can withdraw them as cash
Rotation Number: The rotation number is a unique number assigned to each team or player in a game. It is used by the sportsbook to identify the team or player and is listed next to the point spread, moneyline, or total
Round Robin: A round robin is a type of bet that combines multiple parlays into a single wager. The bettor selects a group of teams or players and all possible combinations of parlays are generated
Sharp Action: Sharp action refers to bets placed by professional or skilled bettors who have a reputation for winning consistently. Sportsbooks often pay close attention to sharp action in order to adjust their odds or point spreads accordingly
Sharp Money: Sharp money refers to bets placed by professional or skilled bettors who have a reputation for winning consistently. Sportsbooks often pay close attention to sharp money in order to adjust their odds or point spreads accordingly
Sharp: A sharp is a professional bettor who has a high level of skill and knowledge in sports betting. They are often able to identify value in the betting lines and place successful bets
Spread Betting: Spread betting is a type of bet that is based on the difference between the final score of a game or event and the point spread offered by the sportsbook. The bettor can either bet on the favorite team to win by more than the point spread or the underdog team to lose by less than the point spread
Square: A square is a casual or amateur bettor who does not have a high level of skill or knowledge in sports betting. They are more likely to place bets based on emotion or popular opinion rather than careful analysis
Steam Chaser: A steam chaser is a bettor who follows the betting line movements caused by steam moves or sharp action. Steam chasers often try to get in on the action early in order to take advantage of the best odds or point spreads
Steam Move: A steam move is a sudden and significant movement in the betting line that occurs due to heavy betting activity. This type of movement is often caused by sharp bettors or syndicates placing large bets on one side of the line
Steam: Steam is a sudden and significant movement in the betting line that occurs due to heavy betting activity. This can indicate that a large number of bettors are placing bets on one side of the line, causing the sportsbook to adjust the odds in response.
Teaser: A teaser is a type of bet that allows the bettor to adjust the point spread or total in their favor for multiple games or events. The bettor must correctly predict the outcome of all of the individual bets in order to win the teaser
Ticket: A ticket is a physical or electronic record of a bet placed at a sportsbook. It includes information such as the bettor's name, the type of bet placed, and the odds or point spread
Total: The total refers to the combined number of points scored by both teams in a game. It is also known as the over/under, and bettors can place bets on whether the total will be over or under the set total.
Totals: Totals, also known as over/under bets, are bets placed on the total number of points scored in a game or event. The bettor can either bet on the total points scored to be over or under the total points set by the sportsbook
Tout: A tout is a person who sells picks or betting advice to others. Touts often claim to have inside information or a high level of expertise, but their picks are not always reliable
Under: Betting on the under refers to placing a bet on the total number of points scored in a game being less than the set total.
Underdog: An underdog is the team or player that is not expected to win a game or event. Underdogs are given a positive point spread or moneyline to make the bet more attractive to bettors
Unit: A unit is a standard measurement used by bettors to indicate the size of their bets. For example, a bettor may choose to bet one unit on a game, which represents a certain percentage of their bankroll
Value: Value refers to when a bettor believes that the odds or point spread offered by the sportsbook are not accurate and do not reflect the true likelihood of a particular outcome. Bettors who identify value bets are often able to make profitable bets over the long term
Vigorish (or vig): Vigorish is the commission or fee charged by the sportsbook for taking the bet. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the total bet and is how sportsbooks make money.
Vigorish Free Line: A vigorish free line is a betting line offered by some sportsbooks that does not include commission or fees. These lines are often used to attract bettors and gain a competitive advantage over other sportsbooks.
Vigorish: Vigorish, also known as the vig or juice, is the commission or fee charged by the sportsbook for taking bets. The vig is usually included in the odds or point spread offered by the sportsbook
Wise Guy Play: A wise guy play is a type of bet placed by a professional or skilled bettor who has a high level of knowledge and expertise in sports betting. Wise guy plays are often based on careful analysis and identifying value bets
Yield Percentage: Yield percentage is a measure of a bettor's profitability over a certain period of time, expressed as a percentage of their total bets placed
Yield: Yield is a measure of a bettor's profitability over a certain period of time, expressed as a percentage of their total bets placed.
Zero-Crossing: Zero-crossing is a type of betting system that involves betting on both the favorite and the underdog to win, with the goal of breaking even or making a small profit regardless of the outcome

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