Sports Betting Terms

Listen up amateurs!!!

Below is a list of popular sports betting terms listed from A-Z.

Action - A sports wager of any type that is valid.

ATS - Any type of wager that involves taking a spread.

Bettor - Any individual that places a wager usually involving money.

Book / Bookie - An establishment or individual that accepts a wager.

Cover - To win against the point spread, a team that wins 21-14 has covered a -6 point spread.

Dog - Short for underdog, any team that is expected to lose is called an underdog.

Doubling Up - A type of system bettors use. After a loss, they double up from the previous wager with the intentions of winning and getting back the money they previously lost and at the same time make a profit.

Edge -  Having favorable odds in a match up.

Even money - A match up with 1/1 odds. If you bet $100 you would win $100.

Exotic - Any bet that is not a straight wager.

Favorite - A team that is expected to win.

First half wagers - A bet placed based on the first half of the game. At half time bet is over.

Future - A wager that is placed for an event in the future. Example of such a wager would be if you made a wager on who will win the Superbowl.

Gamble - To risk money on an outcome of an event.

Handicapper - One who studies, researches, and makes a prediction on the outcome of a gaming event.

Hook - A half point added to a spread is called the hook.

House - The Sportsbook

Juice - Commission a sports book gets.

Laying the points - Wagering on the favored team and having to give up some points. Los Angeles Lakers -5, the Lakers are laying 5 points.

Line - The point spread that is set for the match up

Linemaker - Individual that sets the original line for a match up.

Lock - A bet that is considered to be a sure bet.

Longshot - A wager on a team that is unlikely to win.

Middle - Wagering on both sides of a match up and winning both sides. The lines change often and sometimes you can get away with winning on sides.

Moneyline - To place a wager on a team to win outright.

No action - A wager of an event to where it results in no money being won or lost. For instance you take a wager on the New England Patriots -3 and they win by a field goal, then your wager would have no action or considered a Push.

Opening line - Earliest released line for an event.

Over - To bet that the combined score of two teams will be over a certain amount. Also called a total.

Parlay - A bet involving two or more teams and all teams must win or cover the spread for you to win.

Pick 'em - A match up where neither team is favored.
 
Power ratings - The comparison of one teams strength to another teams strength.

Prop bet - A proposition bet is a special type of wager sports books offer involving different topics, for instance politics and entertainment.

Public - Bettors that place money on games just to make the game more exciting.

Run line - Used in the MLB, works the same as a spread. Typically the run line is -1.5 for the favored team.

Sharp - An advantage player/professional gambler.

Soft - When a sharp bettor sees value on a line, that line is considered to be soft.

Straight Up - Winning without having to cover a spread.

Systems - A betting style, plan, or strategy used to predict the outcomes of games.

Sucker - A bettor that keeps making bad bets time after time and not realizing it.

Teaser - Type of parlay in which you adjust the point spread or total of the team you are wagering on.

Ticket - A form of receipt for wagers placed.

Trends - Using the past to predict future outcomes of games.

Total - Combined total of points, runs, or goals scored by both teams.

Tout - An individual that sells their picks.

Under - To bet that the combined score between to teams will fall short of the total

Wager - To risk money on the outcome of an event.

Wise guy - A sharp, successful, established professional sports gambler.

Wood - The price of a heavy favorite. You are laying the wood if you are taking the Yankees -300 vs the Kansas City Royals.