What Does PK Mean in Betting? Pick'em Explained
PK means pick'em. It is a game with no point spread, because the sportsbook rates the two teams as even. You pick the winner, and each side is priced close to -110. Some books write it as "pick" or a spread of 0.
How a pick'em bet works
With a normal spread, a favorite has to win by a set margin. In a pick'em there is no margin. If your team wins by one point or by 30, the bet wins. If the game ends tied where ties are possible, the bet is a push and the stake is refunded.
| Listing | What it means | Price on each side |
|---|---|---|
| PK or Pick | No spread, pick the winner | About -110 |
| -1 | Favorite must win by 2 or more, a 1-point win pushes | About -110 |
| Moneyline in an even game | Pick the winner | About -110 each |
Is a pick'em the same as a moneyline?
Almost. Both ask you to pick the winner. The difference is the tie: a pick'em spread pushes on a tie, and so does a moneyline at most books when the game cannot go further. In an even game the two bets usually carry nearly the same price, so take whichever is cheaper.
Line shopping matters here. One book may hang PK at -110 while another has the same team at -1 or at +1. Getting +1 instead of PK costs nothing extra and turns a one-point loss into a push. Compare numbers with our live betting odds.
PK in soccer
In soccer, a PK or 0 handicap works like draw no bet: if the match is drawn, your stake comes back. That is different from the standard three-way line, where a draw loses. See three-way moneylines explained.
Do not confuse it with a penalty kick, which shares the abbreviation.
Pick'em contests are something else
A pick'em pool or contest asks you to pick winners across a slate of games, sometimes against the spread. It is a contest format, not a bet type. Survivor pools are a close cousin, covered in our survivor pool strategy guide.