Sports Betting Glossary: 80 Betting Terms Explained in Plain English

Action: Any bet that is live and will be graded. "No action" means a bet was canceled and refunded.

Against the spread (ATS): A team's record or result measured against the point spread instead of wins and losses. See what ATS means.

Alternate line: A spread or total other than the main line, offered at adjusted odds. See alternate lines.

American odds: Odds shown with a plus or minus, like +150 or -110. See how to read betting odds.

Anytime touchdown: A prop that wins if a player scores at least one touchdown. See anytime TD bets.

Arbitrage: Betting every outcome of an event across different books at prices that guarantee a small profit. Sportsbooks often limit accounts that do it.

Backdoor cover: A late, meaningless score that lets the losing team cover the spread.

Bad beat: A bet that looked like a winner until something late flipped it. See bad beats.

Bankroll: The money set aside only for betting. See bankroll management.

Book: Short for sportsbook, the company that takes bets.

Buying points: Paying extra juice to move the spread or total in your favor. See buying points.

Chalk: The favorite, especially a heavy one. See what chalk means.

Closing line: The final odds before a game starts.

Closing line value (CLV): How much better your price was than the closing line. See closing line value.

Correlated parlay: A parlay whose legs tend to win or lose together, like a team moneyline and its quarterback's passing yards.

Cover: To win against the spread.

Dead heat: A tie in a market such as "most passing yards." Payouts are usually reduced proportionally instead of refunded.

Decimal odds: Odds shown as total return per $1, like 2.50. Common outside the U.S.

Dime: Slang for a $1,000 bet.

Dog: Short for underdog.

Even money: Odds of +100. A $100 bet wins $100.

Expected value (EV): The average profit or loss per bet over the long run. See expected value.

Fade: To bet against a team, a trend or another bettor's picks.

Favorite: The team expected to win, shown with a minus sign.

First half (1H): A bet graded only on the halftime score. See first half betting.

Fractional odds: Odds shown as a fraction, like 5/2. Common in the U.K.

Futures: Bets on outcomes decided later in the season, like a champion or award winner. See futures bets.

Grand salami: A bet on the total goals or runs scored across all of a league's games on a given day.

Handle: The total amount of money wagered on a game or across a sportsbook.

Handicapper: Someone who studies games and makes picks, often for paying clients.

Hedge: A bet placed against an earlier bet to lock in profit or reduce risk. See hedge bets.

Hold: The share of the money wagered that a sportsbook keeps as profit.

Hook: A half-point on a spread or total, like the .5 in -3.5.

Implied probability: The win chance built into a set of odds. -110 implies 52.4%.

In-play: Another name for live betting.

Juice: The sportsbook's cut built into the odds. Also called vig. See the vig.

Kelly criterion: A formula that sizes bets based on your estimated edge. Most bettors who use it bet a fraction of it.

Key numbers: Common final margins, mainly 3 and 7 in the NFL. See key numbers.

Limit: The maximum amount a sportsbook will accept on a bet.

Line: The current odds, spread or total on a game.

Line movement: Changes in the odds between when a line opens and when it closes.

Line shopping: Comparing prices across sportsbooks to get the best number. Try our live odds page.

Live betting: Betting while a game is in progress. See live betting.

Lock: A pick someone considers a sure thing. There is no such thing.

Middle: Betting both sides at different numbers and winning both when the result lands in between.

Moneyline: A bet on which team wins, with no spread. See moneyline vs. point spread.

Mush: A bettor, or a pick, thought to bring bad luck.

Nickel: Slang for a $500 bet.

No action: A bet that is canceled and refunded, for example when a game is postponed.

No-vig odds: Odds with the sportsbook's margin removed, showing the fair price.

Odds boost: A sportsbook promotion that pays more than the normal price on a specific bet.

Off the board: A game with no line posted, often because of injury uncertainty.

Opening line: The first odds posted on a game.

Over/under: A bet on whether the combined score goes over or under a number. See over/under bets.

Overlay: A price better than the true chance deserves, or a contest whose prize pool is bigger than the entry fees collected.

Parlay: A single bet that combines two or more picks, all of which must win. See parlays.

Pick'em (PK): A game with no favorite. The spread is zero.

Point spread: The margin of victory a favorite must beat. See point spreads.

Prop bet: A bet on something other than the final result, like a player's yards. See prop bets.

Public money: Bets from casual bettors, who tend to back favorites and overs.

Puck line: Hockey's version of a point spread, usually 1.5 goals.

Push: A tie against the spread or total. Stakes are refunded. See pushes.

Reverse line movement: When a line moves against the side most bets are on, often a sign of sharp money on the other side.

Round robin: A set of smaller parlays built from one list of picks. See round robin bets.

Run line: Baseball's version of a point spread, usually 1.5 runs.

Same game parlay: A parlay with multiple legs from the same game. See same game parlays.

Sharp: A skilled, often professional bettor whose action moves lines. See sharp money.

Square: A casual or recreational bettor.

Steam: Sudden, fast line movement across many books at once, usually from sharp money.

Straight bet: A single bet on one outcome, not part of a parlay.

Survivor pool: A contest where you pick one winner a week and are out after one loss. See survivor strategy.

Teaser: A parlay where you move each line in your favor in exchange for a lower payout. See teasers.

Team total: An over/under on one team's points instead of both.

Tout: Someone who sells picks. Always check a tout's track record and terms.

Total: Short for the over/under number.

Underdog: The team expected to lose, shown with a plus sign.

Unit: A standard bet size, usually a set percentage of your bankroll. See units.

Vig (vigorish): The sportsbook's built-in margin. At -110 on both sides, it works out to about 4.55% of the money bet.

Wager: Another word for a bet.

Win total: A futures bet on whether a team wins more or fewer games than a set number.