Glossary 65 terms explained
Sports betting glossary
Every betting term you'll see from cappers, sportsbooks and bettors, explained in plain English with examples.
A
B
BankrollThe money you set aside only for betting, separate from everything else.Bankroll and resultsBet slip · Betslip, TicketThe record of a bet showing the selections, odds, stake and potential payout.Bet typesBetting record · Track record, RecordA full history of every bet with odds, stake and result, used to measure performance.Bankroll and resultsBreak-even win rate · Break-evenThe share of bets you need to win at a given price to finish level.Bankroll and results
C
Capper · HandicapperSomeone who shares or sells sports betting picks, short for handicapper.Cappers and communityCash outA sportsbook offer to settle your bet early for a set amount before the result is known.Bet typesChalkThe favorite, especially a heavy one. Betting chalk means backing favorites.StrategyClosing lineThe final odds or line on a bet just before the game starts.Odds and pricingClosing line value · CLVHow much better (or worse) your odds were than the closing line.StrategyContrarian betting · Fading the publicBetting against the side most of the public is backing.Strategy
D
E
Each way · E/WA UK bet made of two equal parts: one on a selection to win and one to place.Bet typesEdge · AdvantageHow much better your chance of winning is than the odds suggest.StrategyEven money · Evens, Pick 'em oddsOdds where a winning bet pays the same amount as the stake: +100, 2.00 or 1/1.Odds and pricingExpected value · EV, +EVWhat a bet would win or lose on average if you placed it many times.Strategy
F
FadeBetting against a team, trend or person.StrategyFair odds · No-vig odds, True oddsThe odds a market would show with the sportsbook's margin removed.Odds and pricingFavorite · Favourite, FavThe team or player the sportsbook expects to win, shown with negative American odds.Odds and pricingFlat betting · Level stakesBetting the same amount on every bet, regardless of confidence.Bankroll and resultsFractional odds · UK odds, Traditional oddsThe traditional UK and Irish odds format, showing profit relative to stake, like 5/2.Odds and pricingFree picks · Free playsPicks a capper shares publicly at no cost, often to build an audience.Cappers and communityFutures · Outrights, Ante-postA bet on an outcome decided later in the season, like a championship winner.Bet types
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K
L
Line movementChanges in a betting line or odds between when a market opens and when it closes.Odds and pricingLine shopping · Odds shoppingComparing odds across sportsbooks to get the best price on every bet.StrategyLive betting · In-play betting, In-game bettingBetting on a game after it has started, with odds that update as it happens.Bet typesLock · Guaranteed winnerSlang for a bet someone claims can't lose. No such bet exists.Strategy
M
O
Odds boost · Price boost, BoostA sportsbook promotion that pays better odds than normal on a specific bet.Bet typesOpening line · OpenerThe first odds or line a sportsbook posts for a game.Odds and pricingOverround · Book percentageHow far the implied probabilities in a market add up to over 100%, showing the sportsbook's margin.Odds and pricing
P
Parlay · Accumulator, AccaOne bet combining two or more selections, where every leg must win.Bet typesPick 'em · PK, PickA game with no favorite: the point spread is zero.Odds and pricingPlay of the day · POTDA capper's top pick for the day.Cappers and communityPoint spread · Spread, LineA bet where the favorite must win by more than a set number of points and the underdog gets those points.Bet typesProp bet · Proposition bet, Player propA bet on something within a game other than the final result, like a player's stats.Bet typesPublic bettor · Square, Recreational bettorA casual bettor who tends to back favorites, popular teams and overs.StrategyPush · Tie, Draw no actionA bet that lands exactly on the line, so the stake is returned.Bankroll and results
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S
Same game parlay · SGP, Bet builderA parlay with every leg from the same game.Bet typesSharp · Wiseguy, Pro bettorA skilled, usually professional bettor whose bets sportsbooks respect.StrategySteam · Steam moveA sudden, fast line move across many sportsbooks, usually caused by sharp money.StrategyStraight bet · Single, StraightA single bet on one outcome, as opposed to a parlay.Bet types
T
Tail · TailingCopying another bettor's or capper's pick.Cappers and communityTeaserA parlay where every spread and total is moved in your favour, for a lower payout.Bet typesTipsterThe UK and European name for someone who shares or sells betting tips.Cappers and communityTotal · Over/under, O/UA bet on whether the combined score goes over or under a number set by the sportsbook.Bet typesToutA pick seller who hypes up results and promises wins, often dishonestly.Cappers and community
U
V
Variance · Luck, SwingsThe natural ups and downs in results caused by luck, even for good bettors.Bankroll and resultsVig · Vigorish, JuiceThe sportsbook's built-in cut on a bet, also called the juice or margin.Odds and pricingVIP group · VIP, Premium picksA paid subscription where a capper shares extra or earlier picks with members.Cappers and communityVoid · No action, Cancelled betA bet the sportsbook cancels, returning the stake, for example when a game is postponed.Bankroll and results