Sports Betting Glossary

Any bet that is active or has been placed, regardless of whether the bettor is winning or losing. It is used to indicate that a bettor has a financial interest in a particular game or event.

American odds, also known as moneyline odds, are a type of odds format used in sports betting in the United States. They are represented as a three-digit number, with a negative sign indicating the favorite and a positive sign indicating the underdog, and the number representing how much a bettor would need to wager to win $100 or how much they would win on a $100 wager.

A bet that appears to be a sure winner, but ultimately loses in a surprising or unlikely fashion. Bad beats are particularly frustrating for bettors because they can involve a significant amount of money and can often feel like a result of bad luck rather than poor analysis or decision-making.

A bankroll in sports betting refers to the amount of money that a bettor has set aside specifically for betting purposes. It is important for bettors to carefully manage their bankroll in order to minimize risk and ensure that they can continue to bet over the long term.

In a physical sportsbook, you will receive a bet slip in return after placing a bet and must return to collect your winnings. At online sportsbooks you will build your bet slip before placing a bet.

A bookie is a person who accepts and pays out bets on sports events, often operating outside of legal channels. Bookies earn money by charging a commission or vig on the bets they accept, and may use a variety of tactics to manage their risk and ensure a profit.

The break-even rate in sports betting refers to the percentage of bets that a bettor must win in order to break even or make a profit over the long term. It is calculated by dividing the total amount of money won by the total amount of money wagered, and is an important metric for evaluating a bettor's performance.

Used to refer to the team or player who is heavily favored to win a game or event. Chalk is typically associated with a higher level of risk and a lower potential payout, since many bettors are likely to bet on the favorite.

Situation where a team or player performs better than the point spread or total assigned by the sportsbook. If a team covers the spread, it means they have won by more points than the point spread or lost by fewer points than the point spread, and therefore bettors who wagered on that team have won their bets.

Team, player, or outcome that is expected to win a game or event. Favorites are typically assigned negative odds, which means that bettors must wager more than they stand to win in order to place a bet on the favorite.

A free bet is a promotional offer that sportsbooks use to entice new customers or reward existing customers. Free bets allow bettors to place a wager without risking any of their own money, and any winnings from the bet are paid out in cash or additional free bets.

Bets on events or outcomes that will happen in the future, typically at the end of a season or tournament. Examples of futures bets include predicting the winner of a championship, the number of games a team will win during a season, or the MVP of a league.

The hook means a half-point in sports betting. For example, if a team is +7.5, the 0.5 is the hook.

A wager placed on an event or game that is currently in progress. Live betting allows bettors to make wagers during the game, as odds and lines are updated in real time based on the current score and other factors.

Used to refer to a bet that is considered to be a sure winner or a very safe bet. Locks are rare in sports betting, as there is always an element of risk involved, but they can occur when there is a significant mismatch between two teams or when a bettor has access to inside information.

Money line bets are bets placed on a games conclusion. The term money line represents the payouts for winning the bet, with a negative integer for the underdog and a positive one for the favorite.

A baseball betting proposition that stands for No Run First Inning, in which you bet there will be zero runs scored in the first frame. Most sportsbook you will bet the Over/Under 0.5 runs in the first inning.

An oddsmaker is a person or company that sets the odds or lines for sports events, and determines the point spread, moneyline, and total for each game. The odds that oddsmakers set are intended to balance the action on both sides of a bet, and to ensure that the sportsbook makes a profit regardless of the outcome of the game.

The over/under in sports betting is a type of bet where the sportsbook sets a total number for a particular statistic in a game (e.g., total points scored in a basketball game) and bettors wager on whether the actual number will be over or under that set total. It is a popular betting option because it does not depend on the outcome of the game itself.

A parlay in sports betting is a type of bet where bettors combine multiple individual bets into a single wager. In order for the parlay to be successful, all of the individual bets must win; if any of the bets lose, the parlay is also lost.

A game or event where the point spread is zero, meaning that neither team is favored to win. In this case, the bettor simply picks the team they think will win the game outright, without having to account for any point spread.

The majority of bettors who are not considered professional or skilled. Public bettors tend to wager on the most popular teams or players, and their betting patterns can have a significant impact on the betting market and the odds offered by sportsbooks.

The puck line is a type of point spread bet in ice hockey, where the favorite team must win by a certain number of goals in order to cover the spread, while the underdog can lose by a certain number of goals and still cover the spread. It is a popular betting option in hockey because the relatively low-scoring nature of the sport makes it more difficult to win moneyline bets.

A push occurs when the final score of a game or event lands exactly on the point spread or total line set by the oddsmakers. When a push occurs, all bets are refunded, and no money is lost or won.

A sharp in sports betting refers to a professional bettor who is highly skilled and knowledgeable, and who typically wagers large amounts of money on games. Sharps are often able to identify value in lines that recreational bettors are not, and their bets can have a significant impact on the betting market.

The illusion that a team or player is going against your bet intentionally.

A sportsbook is a place or website where bettors can place bets on various sports events, such as football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and more. Sportsbooks earn a commission or juice on the bets they accept, and use odds and lines to balance the action and ensure a profit.

The number of points or goals that the favorite team is expected to win by in a given game. The spread is used to balance the action on both sides of a bet and make the outcome of the game more unpredictable.

Betting on the underdog to cover the point spread. This means that the underdog can either lose the game by fewer points than the point spread or win the game outright, and the bettor will still win the bet.

A type of bet that allows bettors to adjust the point spread or total of a game in their favor in exchange for a reduced payout. Teasers are a popular option in football and basketball betting, and can be used to increase the chances of winning a bet by moving the point spread or total in a favorable direction.

Also known as Dog, refers to the team, player, or outcome that is expected to lose a game or event. Underdogs are typically assigned positive odds, which means that bettors stand to win more than they wager if they bet on the underdog and the underdog wins.

A unit in sports betting is a standard measurement of the size of a bet. It is typically equivalent to 1% of a bettor's total bankroll and is used to help manage risk and track performance.

A baseball betting proposition that stands for Yes Run First Inning, in which you bet there will be at least 1 run scored in the first frame. Most sportsbook you will bet the Over/Under 0.5 runs in the first inning.