Sports Betting Glossary

Action in sports betting has two meanings: it refers to having a live bet on a game, and it refers to the total betting ...

Against the spread refers to betting on or evaluating the outcome of a game with the point spread applied. When a team w...

An alternate spread is a point spread that differs from the main line, offered at adjusted odds. If the main spread is -...

Arbitrage in sports betting, also called arbing, is a strategy that exploits differences in odds between sportsbooks to ...

ATS stands for against the spread, referring to a team's record when the point spread is factored in rather than just wi...

A bad beat is a bet that appears to be a certain winner but loses due to a late, improbable, or unusual event. Classic b...

A bankroll is the total amount of money a bettor has set aside specifically for sports betting, separate from personal f...

Cash out is a feature offered by sportsbooks that lets you settle a bet before the event is over at a price determined b...

Chalk refers to the favorite in a sporting event or, more broadly, to the expected outcome. Betting the chalk means wage...

Closing line value, or CLV, measures whether a bettor consistently gets better odds than the final line at game time. If...

To cover means to beat the point spread. A favorite covers by winning by more than the spread, while an underdog covers ...

Dog is the shortened form of underdog, referring to the team or player expected to lose a game or match. The dog receive...

Expected value, or EV, is the average amount a bettor can expect to win or lose per bet over the long run, calculated by...

The favorite is the team or player expected to win a sporting event according to the odds. Favorites are identified by n...

A first five innings bet, often written as F5, is a baseball wager that only counts the outcome of the first five inning...

A futures bet is a wager on an event that will be decided in the future, typically at the end of a season or tournament....

The grand salami is a bet on the combined total of goals, runs, or points scored across all games in a league on a given...

The handle is the total amount of money wagered on a particular event, market, or over a specific time period at a sport...

Hedging is placing a bet on the opposite side of an existing wager to guarantee a profit or minimize potential losses re...

The hook is the half-point added to a spread or total to prevent a push. A line of -3.5 instead of -3 includes the hook,...

Implied probability is the conversion of betting odds into a percentage that represents the likelihood of an outcome occ...

In-play betting is another term for live betting, referring to any wager placed after a sporting event has started. In-p...

Juice is the commission that a sportsbook charges on every bet, built into the odds. Also called the vig or vigorish, it...

The Kelly Criterion is a mathematical formula that calculates the optimal percentage of your bankroll to wager based on ...

Line movement refers to changes in the odds or point spread of a game between the time the line opens and when the game ...

Live betting, also called in-play or in-game betting, allows you to place bets on a sporting event after it has started,...

A middle opportunity occurs when you bet both sides of a game at different spreads and the final margin of victory lands...

A moneyline bet is a wager on which team or player will win a game outright, with no point spread involved. Positive num...

The over/under, also called the total, is a bet on whether the combined score of both teams in a game will be higher or ...

A parlay is a single bet that combines two or more individual wagers into one ticket. All selections must win for the pa...

A player prop is a bet on an individual player's statistical performance in a game, such as passing yards, rushing yards...

The point spread is a number set by sportsbooks that represents the expected margin of victory in a game. It functions a...

A prop bet, short for proposition bet, is a wager on a specific event or statistical outcome within a game rather than t...

The puck line is the hockey equivalent of the point spread, fixed at 1.5 goals for every game. The favorite is -1.5, mea...

A push occurs when the final result lands exactly on the spread or total number, creating a tie between the bettor and t...

Reverse line movement occurs when the betting line moves in the opposite direction from where the majority of public bet...

ROI stands for return on investment, measuring the percentage profit or loss relative to the total amount wagered over t...

The run line is baseball's version of the point spread, fixed at 1.5 runs for every game. The favorite is -1.5, needing ...

A same-game parlay, or SGP, combines multiple bets from a single game into one parlay ticket. Unlike traditional parlays...

A sharp is a professional or highly skilled sports bettor who consistently wins over the long term through superior anal...

The spread, also called the point spread, is a handicap set by oddsmakers to level the playing field between two unevenl...

A square is a casual or recreational sports bettor who bets for entertainment rather than profit and typically makes dec...

A steam move is a sudden, significant line movement that occurs simultaneously across multiple sportsbooks, triggered by...

A teaser is a type of parlay that lets you adjust the point spread or total in your favor on two or more selections by a...

In sports betting, the total is the combined number of points, goals, or runs that a sportsbook projects both teams will...

The underdog is the team or player expected to lose a sporting event, as determined by the odds set by sportsbooks. Unde...

A unit is a standardized measure of bet size used to track betting performance regardless of actual dollar amounts. One ...

The vig, short for vigorish, is the fee sportsbooks charge on bets to ensure they profit regardless of the outcome. It i...

Vigorish is the full term for the commission that sportsbooks charge on bets, commonly shortened to vig or called juice....

Yield in sports betting is synonymous with ROI, measuring the net profit or loss as a percentage of total money wagered....