Sports Betting Terms
| ACTION | A bet or wager of any kind is deemed Action if valid | |
| AJAX | UK slang term for 'Betting Tax'. | |
| ARBITRAGE | Where a variation in odds available allows a punter to back both sides and guarantee a win. | |
| ATS | Against the spread | |
| B.R. | Bankroll | |
| BAD BEAT | Tough loss | |
| BEARD | Messenger bettor | |
| BEEF | Dispute | |
| BETTOR |
US) - Someone who places or has a bet. UK) A 'Punter'. |
|
| BUCK | $100 | |
| CHALK | Favorite | |
| CHALK EATER | Favorite bettor | |
| CHURN | The effect of betting and re-betting money | |
| CIRCLE GAME | Game where action is limited due to uncertainties about weather, injuries, etc. | |
| COVER | Win by more than the point spread | |
| DEGENERATE | Compulsive gambler | |
| DIME | $1,000 | |
| DOLLAR | $100 | |
| EARN | Practical hold percentage | |
| EDGE | Advantage | |
| EXOTIC BET | Action other than a straight bet or parlay. | |
| EXPOSURE | The amount of money the house actually stands to lose on a game or a race. | |
| EXTENSION | The amount of money the house theoretically will risk losing on a game or a race. | |
| FIGURE | Amount owed by or to a bookmaker. | |
| FIRING | Betting a lot. A player who is "firing" is wagering large sums. | |
| FIXED ODDS | Your dividend is fixed at the odds when you placed your bet. No matter how much the odds fluctuate the odds at the time you placed your bet are fixed and written on the ticket. Your dividend for winning is paid at the value stated on your ticket, no matter what happens after you have placed your bet. | |
| FLEA | An annoying human parasite who wants something for nothing; a $2 bettor who expects to be rewarded for his action. | |
| FORM | What performance is to be expected according to how a team looks on paper. | |
| GET DOWN | Make a bet | |
| GROSS WIN | Win before expenses | |
| HANDICAPPER | One who studies sports and predicts outcomes. | |
| HANDLE | Total amount of bets taken. | |
| HEDGE | Bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of action you have on a game. | |
| HOLD | The percentage the house wins. | |
| HOOK | Half point in pointspreads, as in "lost by the hook." | |
| HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE | Edge the home team is expected to have as a result of familiarity with the playing area, favorable demographics and effect of travel on the visiting team. | |
| HOOPS | Basketball | |
| HOT TIP | Information the bookmaker is not yet privy to. | |
| JUICE | Bookmaker's commission, most often refers to the 11 to 10 football bettors lay on straight wagers; vigorish. | |
| LAY A PRICE | Bet a favorite, lay the points. | |
| LAYOFF BET | A wager made by one bookmaker with another to help balance his action and reduces his risk on one side or one horse. | |
| LIMIT | Maximum bet accepted by the house before the price will be changed. | |
| LINE | The betting proposition on a game and/or payoff odds on the bet. | |
| LONGSHOT | Large underdog | |
| LUCKY 15 | A Lucky 15 consists of 15 bets involving 4 selections in different events, i.e. 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and 1 fourfold. As a consolation if you only have one winner it will be paid at double the odds. If you get all four winners, a 10% bonus will be added to your returns. | |
| MIDDLE | To win both sides of a game. For example, if you bet the underdog +3 1/2 and the favorite - 2 1/2 and the favorite wins by 3, you've MIDDLED the book. The book has BEEN MIDDLED. | |
| MLB | Major League Baseball. | |
| NBA | National Basketball Association. | |
| NCCA | National Collegiate Athletic Association. | |
| NFL | National Football League. | |
| NHL | National Hockey League. | |
| NEUTRAL SITE | Arena, court or field where neither side has a home field advantage. | |
| NICKEL | $500 | |
| ODDS | The sportsbook's or bookmaker's view of the chance of a competitor winning (adjusted to include a profit). | |
| ODDS-AGAINST | Where the odds are greater than evens (e.g. 5 to 2). | |
| ODDSMAKER | A person who sets the betting odds. (Sportsbooks or Bookies don't set the odds. Most major sportsbooks use odds set by Las Vegas oddsmakers.) | |
| OFF THE BOARD | Game where no bets are being accepted. | |
| OUT | Bookmaker, usually refers to an illegal bookmaker. | |
| OVERLAY | When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house. | |
| PARLAY | A bet with two or more teams where all the teams must win for the bettor to be successful. | |
| PAST POST | To make a bet after an event has started. | |
| PICK OR PICK'EM | A game where neither team is favored. | |
| PLAYER | Bettor, gambler. | |
| PRACTICAL HOLD PERCENTAGE | The amount won by a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked. | |
| PRESS | To bet a larger amount than usual. | |
| PRICE | Line | |
| PUPPY | Underdog | |
| PUSH | Tie | |
| ROUND ROBIN | A series of parlays. A three-team round robin consists of one three-team parlay and three two-team parlays. | |
| RUNDOWN | Line update | |
| RUNNER | See Beard | |
| SCALPER | One who attempts to profit from the differences in odds from book to book by betting both sides of the same game at different prices. | |
| SCORE | To win a lot of money. | |
| SCRATCH | Withdraw; cancel | |
| SHARP | Wise guy | |
| SHORTSTOP | A small bettor. | |
| SIDE | To win one side and tie the other. For example, if you lay -2 1/2 and take 3 on the same game and the favorite wins by 3 you have SIDED the book. The book has been SIDED. | |
| SQUARE | Unsophisticated gambler. | |
| STEAM | Heavy action on one side. | |
| STRAIGHT BET | A bet on just one team. | |
| SUCKER BET | Bet with a large house edge. | |
| SUPPER BOWL | NFL Championship game. | |
| TAKE A PRICE | Bet the underdog, take the points. | |
| TAPPED OUT | Broke, busted, common result of pressing. | |
| THEORETICAL HOLD PERCENTAGE | The edge the bookmaker would have IF the odds guaranteed him a constant commission regardless of the outcome. | |
| TOKE | A tip or gratuity. | |
| TOSS UP | Game where the line is close to pick-em. | |
| TOUT SERVICE | A business that sells opinions on sporting events. | |
| TRIPLE SHARP | The sharpest of the sharp. (Note: There is no such term as "Double Sharp"). | |
| TRUE ODDS | The real odds of something happening as opposed to what the bookies offer. | |
| UNDERLAY | When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house. | |
| VALUE | An overlay | |
| WBA | World Boxing Association. | |
| WBC | World Boxing Council. | |
| VIGORISH | See Juice | |
| WISE GUY | Established and successful sports bettor. | |
| WORLD SERIES | Championship of Major League Baseball (MLB). The final seven games of the baseball playoffs between the two league champions to determine the world champion. |