49 Betting Terms You Should Understand

Sports betting has its own set of words that serves different purposes. If you are into sports betting, you must understand the betting terms that are commonly used amongst bettors. These terms can be a bit difficult to understand if you are a beginner. However, if you master these terms, you can become a professional bettor. Not to worry, this article will help you to get yourself familiar with several betting terms and their meaning.

• Action: Wager or a bet.
• After Extra Time (AET) Odds: Primarily posted on soccer matches after the addition of extra time in the regulation time to settle the result. Offered as a live betting option.
• Backdoor Cover: The points made at the end of the game which doesn’t affect the result but cover the spread.
• Bad Beat: It is a term used when you lose a winning bet.
• Bankroll: The amount of money you have to bet on the game.
• Beard: A representative who places bets in place of professional bettors who want to keep their identity hidden.
• Betting Line: The total or point spread that has to be covered to win the bet.
• Bookmaker: Also known as bookies, it is an establishment where you can place a bet or wager. You can also look for BookiesReviews on bookmakers by experts with years of betting experience with UK online bookmakers.
• Buck: A bet of $100.
• Chalk: Refers to the favourite in a game, opposite of the underdog.
• Cover: The act of winning a point-spread bet. To cover, a favourite has to win by making more than the spread, and an underdog has to outright win the game or make less than the spread.
• Dime: A bet of $1000
• ‘Dog: Short for the underdog, is a team or individual expected to lose at a particular event.
• Double Action: A bet where the stakes or the winning amount is automatically taken from the successful bettor and placed on the next betting option.
• Double result: a single betting option that incorporates the score of a game at halftime as well as the score at the end of the same game.
• Edge: An advantage a bettor has before placing a bet.
• Even Money: A bet that earns the profit of the exact amount that is placed as an original bet. For example, you’ll get a profit of $100 on a $100 bet.
• Favourite: A team or the individual favoured to win a game.
• Fixed: An unfair match having partially or completely predetermined results due to the outer influence.
• Futures Bet: A long-term wager that relates to a team’s season-long success. An example is to betting on a team to win a championship at the outset of the season or how many times a team will win in the future matches of the year.
• Handle: The total amount of money wagered on a game from a particular bookmaker.
• Hedging: A bet placed on the opposite team from the original bet to set up a guaranteed profit, even if it is a small amount. Typically done on future bets but can also be done in halftime bets and in-game bets.
• High Roller: A bettor with high stakes.
• Hook: Half point in the spread.
• In-Time Wagering: A service provided by the bookmakers to place multiple bets during the live match.
• Joined Favourite: Two or more sides are considered favourites due to the same betting odds placed on them in the same game.
• Juice: A commission taken by the bookmakers on each bet.
• Limit: Maximum allowed wager set by bookmakers in a single game.
• Lock: A guaranteed win of the favourite in the eyes of the wager.
• Middle: Betting on both sides of the match allows for winning both bets. Opportunity wagers have when the point spread moves up and down before the match.
• Mush: A bettor or a gambler who is considered a stroke of bad luck.
• Nickel: a bet of $500.
• No Action: A game where bets are no longer accepted and bettors are refunded.
• Oddsmaker: A person who sets the opening line on a game.
• Off The Board: A particular game where the bookmakers have taken a bet down and are no longer accepting actions due to the late injury in the game and are not certain about the participant.
• Over: The merged score of two teams is more than the set score.
• Parlay: A bet that combines multiple games for a bigger payout. The risk will be higher, but the payout is greater as well. So as to win a parlay, every game must be a win or tie. Otherwise, the entire wager gets lost.
• Pick’em: A game with neither favourite nor underdog.
• Point Spread: A predicted scoring differential set by a sportsbook between two opponents.
• Prop Bet: A bet on something other than the result of the game. For example, the score of an individual player.
• Puckline: A spread set for the Hockey game, which has a point spread of +1.5 for the underdog and -1.5 for the favourite.
• Push: When neither of the teams covers the spread, and no one wins. All the bettors are refunded in this case.
• Sharp: A professional sports bettor.
• Square: Opposite of sharp, an inexperienced bettor who bets without much logic.
• Steam: An unusual quick movement on the line usually due to heavy betting on one side.
• Taking The Points: Betting on underdogs against the spread.
• Ticket: A slip/receipt is given to bettors that show the bet, odds, and possible winning payout amount.
• Tout: A service offered by a person or group who sells or gives away picks on a game or event.
• Wiseguy: Professional bettors like sharps and handicappers who have extensive knowledge about the sports they bet on.

Betting sounds like a no-brainer and a pure luck-based activity for an average person. But it’s just not about that alone. Successful bettors are living proof that it requires skill. You need to analyze the game before choosing a side to bet. Above are all the terms that are required to be understood before placing a bet. Now that you have understood these terms, you are now ready to try your luck in sports betting.