Sports betting jargon is uncommon. If you encounter a new betting term, bookmark our dictionary.
As you bet more, you’ll need more terminology. VSiN, The Sports Betting Network, and the New York Post have compiled a glossary of gambling terms as online sports gambling becomes legal in New York and other states.
Sports Betting Terms and Glossary
Here are the top 40 popular sports betting words that someone new to the game would require to place their bets – and possibly win some money.
Accumulate: In accumulator bets, you add several selections to increase the odds and potential pay-out.
Action: This is a bet or wager of any kind.
Against the Spread (ATS): A betting term refers to how a team or individual fares when betting lines are accounted for.
Bad Beat: A close and disappointing loss.
Bankroll: The total amount of money that a bettor has available to wager.
Book: Short for sportsbook or bookmaker, this is the person or company that takes bets on sporting events.
Chalk: A heavy favorite (-200 or greater). Also known as “the favorite.”
Circled Game: A game in which the book’s betting limits are reduced, usually due to weather conditions or the uncertain status of injured players.
Futures: Wagers placed on events that will take place in the future, such as which team will win next season’s championship.
Hook: Half-point added to point spreads and totals.
In-play betting: A type of wagering that allows bettors to place bets on a game or event after it has already started.
Laying points: Betting the favorite. Also known as “taking the points.”
Matchup bets: A bet on how two players or teams will fare against each other, such as in a head-to-head golf matchup.
Moneyline: A bet on which team will win a game, with no point spread involved. The favorite will have a minus sign (-) next to their odds, while the underdog will have a plus sign (+).
Off the board: When a book takes a bet down and no longer accepts action on it.
Parlay: A bet in which two or more events must happen for the bettor to win; if any of the events don’t occur, the bettor loses the entire amount wagered. Also known as an “accumulator.”
Pick ’em: A game with no favorite or underdog, such as in a Week 1 NFL matchup where both teams are considered even. Also known as a “coin flip.”
Point spread: The number of points the better team is expected to win over the poorer team. The favorite will have to give up this many points, while the underdog will receive this many points. Also known as the “line” or “spread.”
Push: When the final score of a game results in a tie with the point spread. Bettors get their original wager back but don’t win or lose any money.
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Round robin: A parlay bet that includes three or more teams and every possible combination of two-team parlays from those given teams.
Run line: In baseball, a spread is used instead of the money line. 1.5 runs must be added to or subtracted from a team’s actual score for betting purposes.
Sharp: A professional bettor. Also known as a “wise guy.”
Sportsbook: The person or company that takes bets on sporting events. Also known as a “book” or “bookmaker.”
Square: A novice bettor. Also known as a “recreational” or “public” bettor.
Straight bet: A wager on just one team or outcome.
Take the points: Betting the underdog. Also known as “laying points.”
Total: The combined score of both teams in a game. Also known as the “over/under.”
Underdog: The team expected to lose, plus odds (e.g., +150).
Unit: The amount of money wagered on a particular bet. For example, if you bet $10 on the Yankees (-110) to beat the Red Sox, your potential winnings would be $9.09 (since your original wager is returned to you along with your winnings).
Vigorish (or “vig”): The commission charged by the bookmaker. Also known as the “juice” or “take.”
Wager: A bet.
Wiseguy: A professional bettor also known as a “sharp.”
Walk: When a bookmaker accepts a bet without requiring any money down. Also known as a “free play.”
Weakened favorite: A team that is not as strong as they were in previous years or when they last played their opponent. This could be due to player injuries, coaching changes, etc.
Why is it important to understand sports betting jargon?
There are several reasons why it is important to understand sports betting jargon.
First, if you don’t know what a term means, you could end up making a wager that you don’t fully understand. This could lead to you losing money on the bet. Second, understanding sports betting jargon can help you communicate better with other bettors. If you can’t follow along with the conversation, it can be difficult to make profitable betting decisions.
Finally, understanding sports betting jargon will help you read betting lines and odds more effectively. If you can’t understand what the numbers mean, you won’t be able to make as informed of a bet as possible.