Sports Betting Terms | Dictionary
ACTION
A wager of any kind, a bet. In baseball, placing the bet no matter who pitches.
BEARD
A friend, acquaintance or other contact who is used to placing bets so that the bookmakers will not know the identity of the actual bettor.
Many top handicappers and persons occupying sensitive positions use this method of wagering.
BOOK | SPORTSBOOK
An establishment that accepts wagers on the outcome of horse racing and sporting events.
BOOKIE
Person who takes clients' bets.
BUCK
A $100 wager.
"Give me a BUCK on the Yankees to win"
CANADIAN LINE
A combination of the puckline and moneyline in hockey.
CHALK
A favorite to win a game or match; Team or side that everyone is betting on
CHALK PLAYER
Someone who usually only plays the favored teams, rarely betting on the underdogs.
"Todd is a CHALK PLAYER, only betting on the Dolphins when they are 7 point favorites"
CIRCLED GAME
A game in which the betting action is severely limited; limitations are use restricted to straight betting; this occurs in games that feature key injuries, inclement weather, or unsubstantiated rumors regarding a team
"The teams star playered is injured, so its a CIRCLED GAME"
COVER
To bet the spread by the required number of points; if such occurs you have "covered the spread".
DIME or DIME BET
A $1,000 wager.
DOG
The underdog in any betting proposition; The majority of wagering are going against a team or player
DOG PLAYER
One who mostly plays the underdog; Players who are always in search of the biggest underdogs
"With the Texans a 10 point underdog, all the DOG PLAYERS will be all over it"
DOLLAR BET or BUCK
A $100 wager.
DOUBLE BET
A wager for twice the size of one's usual wager; also known as "double pop" or "doubling up".
DUE FOR
A team that is "due for" whether it is a win or a loss; many bettors like to play "due for" situations.
EAST COAST LINE
Mainly used in hockey, which has a split-goal line e.g. - Vancouver Canucks (1 - 1 1/2) favorite over the New York Rangers; as opposed to goal spread plus moneyline (-1/2 -180).
EVEN MONEY
A wager in which no vigorish or juice is laid; -100
"I love when its EVEN MONEY, I dont have to pay juice on a lose"
EXOTIC WAGER
Any bet other than a straight bet, i.e., parlays, teasers, if bets, reverses, round robin, round robin box reverses, etc.
FUTURES
Odds posted on the winners of various major sport championships in advance of the event, including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup and the NBA championship.
GETTING DOWN
Making a wager; calling your bookie, placing your bet
"Yo, call Johnny. I have made my decision, its time to GET DOWN"
HANDICAPPER
One who studies, rates, and wagers on sporting events and/or races; to watch trends, talk in gambling forums; formulates sophisticated strategies to determine the winner of event, match or game.
"The HANDICAPPER is always studying the line movements of NFL games before making their wagers"
HANDLE
Total amount of bets taken.
HEDGING
Using a wager or proposition, on the opposite side of your original bet, in the hopes of minimizing lose or guareenting a minmal win.
"I will HEDGE my money line by betting the seconde half line"
HOLDING YOUR OWN
Neither winning nor losing, just breaking even.
HOOK
A half point added to football and basketball betting lines.
HOT GAME
A game which is drawing a lot of action; Sometimes one sided; Usually involves knowledgeable handicappers.
"The Bulls line has move 4 points, it must be a HOT GAME"
JUICE
The bookmaker's commission; also known as the vigorish.
LAYING THE POINTS
Betting on the favorite.
LIMIT
The maximum amount a bookmaker will allow you to bet before he changes odds and/or the points; also the "cap" on what you can personally wager.
LINE
The current odds or point spread on a particular event.
LINEMAKER
The person who establishes the original and subsequent betting lines.
LISTED PITCHERS
Stating that you will place a bet only if one or both of the pitchers scheduled to start a baseball game actually start. If they don't, the bet is canceled (ruled "no action")..
LOCK
No doubter, lay-up, Can not lose wager; Many say do not exist
"The Rams winning that game by 7 was th LOCK of the year "
LONGSHOT
A team or horse that is unlikely to win.
MIDDLE(S)
To wager on both sides of a proposition, in hopes of the result falling in the middle of sides;
For example, you bet the favored team at -1.5 with one bookmaker and then take the underdog at +3.5 with another bookmaker; the game ends up with the favorite winning by exactly 3 points, you have then "middled the game"
NEWSPAPER LINE
The betting line which quite often appears in the daily newspapers; lines are misleading; most use live online betting lines
NICKEL
A $500.00 wager
ODDSMAKER
Person or people who set lines and betting odds; Also know as "linemaker"
"The ODDSMAKERS in Las Vegas do an excellent job evening betting action"
OFF THE BOARD
A game on which the bookmaker will not accept action.
OUTLAW LINE
An overnight line not used by casinos or offshore establishments.
PARLAY
(1) bet or wager with two or more teams; in which all teams must win or cover for the bettor to be successful and receive higher payouts;
(2) a wager on two or more horse races in which the winnings are carried over to the next race.
PARLAY CARDS
Wagers on a minimum of 3 and up to 15 propositions; the more you pick, the higher the payoff.
PAST PERFORMANCE
Study of past trends, stats, and occurances - used to predict, or handicap future events; match-up tools
"Some of the top handicappers use PAST PERFORMANCES as tools to make betting selections"
PICK 'EM GAME
There is no favorite in a game; Usually happens in the NFL with 2 evenly matched teams are facing each other
"With the Jets and the Giants so evenly matched, the line is set to PICK EM"
POINT SPREAD
The "line"; the handicap, or head start that the favorite gives to the underdog for betting purposes.
PRESS
Try to win back lost money; To bet a larger amount than usual
PRICE
The odds or point spread on a game, match or event
PUCKLINE
Mainly used on East Coast with hockey, giving odds of a goal spread instead of Canadian Line where both a goal spread and moneyline is played.
PUSH
Tie; neither side wins and all money is returned to the bettors.
ROUND ROBIN
A series of three or more teams into 2-team wagers.
RUN LINE
A line used when wagering on baseball; Line can represent total runs combined or by single team
"I am playing the RUN LINE, Boston over 6.5 runs"
SCOUTS
Person(s) who study team plays and/or practice and report findings to handicappers.
SMART MONEY
Sides that are bet on by the more knowledgeable handicappers; Many time cause line moves and these line moves are watched closely
"The SMART MONEY is taking the points against the Spurs"
SPORT PLAYER
A person who waits for what he thinks is an unusually strong wager.
STEAM
When a betting line starts to move quite rapidly; most "steam games" do not necessarily reflect the "right side," but are games that the mass of bettors somehow decide to key on.
STRAIGHT BET
A bet on just one team or horse; Wager is only dependent on a single action
TAKING
Wagering on the underdog; taking the odds
"The NFL team is getting 7 points, so I am TAKING them and betting on the underdog"
TOTALS
Total combined point/runs/goals scored in a game; In baseball, if either of the two listed starting pitchers don't begin the game, the bet is automatically canceled.
TOUT
Handicapper or sells his expertise on sports or horse wagers
"I bought my last three winning picks from a TOUT"
VALUE
Getting the best odds on a betting proposition; the highest possible edge; Using different sportsbooks to find the best betting odds
"I feel my online sportsbook really gives me good VALUE on MLB run lines"
VIG or VIGORISH
Otherwise known as the JUICE; The commission paid to the bookmaker. Most time NFL VIGORISH is 10% or -110
"The online sportsbook I am using charges me reduced VIG at -108"
WISE GUY
A well-informed or knowledgeable handicapper or bettor; Infamous player that is a professional gambler
WOOD
Laying points; Talking the favorite in a game, match or event