Sportsbook Wagering Terminology

A-C    D-F    G-I    J-N    O-Q    R-S    T-Z   

10 Cent Line - The money line difference (10 cents) between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog; see Dime Line

20 Cent Line - The money line difference (20 cents) between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog

Across The Board - A method of wagering on a horse to win, place and show

Action - A wager of any kind

Bad Beat - Tough Loss

Beard - Messenger bettor

Buck - $100

Chalk - Favorite

Circled Game - Game where action is limited due to uncertainties about weather, injuries, etc.

Cover - Win by more than the point spread

Dead Heat - When two horses finish in a tie

Dime - $1000

Dime Line - Slang used to designate the 10 cent money line.  The money line difference (10 cents) between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog; see 10 Cent Line

Dog - Underdog

Dollar - $100

Double Header - Two separate baseball games played on the same day for the same two teams

Edge - Advantage

Even Money - A wager on which neither side lays any odds or vigorish

Exotic Bet - Action other than a straight bet or parlay

Exposure - The amount of money one actually stands to lose on a game or race

Favorite - The contestant in any given contest that is considered the most talented, or has the best chance to win the contest

Final Four - Final four teams in the NCAA basketball tournament

Firing - Betting a lot.  A player who is "firing" is wagering large sums

"Foots" - Slang word used sometimes for football

Futures - Wagers made, or lines/odds posted on an event or outcome taking place some time in the future, e.g. betting during the season on the Super Bowl winner

Get Down - Make a bet

Grand Slam - The four major tennis tournaments: Wimbledon, Australian Open, French Open, U.S. Open. Also the four major golf tournaments: The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship (Professional Golf Association). Also in baseball, a homerun with the bases loaded, scoring four runs

Grand Salami - A slang word for the over/under total for the combined score of all the hockey contests on the schedule for that day

Halftime Line - A line on only the first half, or only the second half scoring of a football or basketball game

Handicapper - One who studies sports and predicts outcomes

Hedge - Bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of exposure you have on a game

Hook - Half point in point spreads

"Hoops" - Slang word used to indicate the game of basketball

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

IBF - International Boxing Federation

Juice - Bookmaker's commission, most often refers to the 11 to 10 football bettors lay on straight wagers.  Also known as vigorish

Lay The Points - A wager on a favorite in a point spread contest Lay The Price - A wager on a favorite in a moneyline contest

Limit - Maximum bet accepted by the house before the price will be changed

Line - The moneyline, odds, or point spread of any given contest

Listed Pitcher (LP) - The pitcher or pitchers listed by Las Vegas oddsmakers as probable starting pitchers for a scheduled baseball game

Lock - Easy Winner

Longshot - Large underdog

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

Moneyline - The amount you must bet to win 100 or the amount you win if you bet 100

MVP - Most Valuable Player.  Leagues give MVP Awards to the best regular-season and to the outstanding player in championship games or series

NBA - National Basketball Association

NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association

Neutral Site - Arena, court or field where neither side has a home field advantage

NFL - National Football League

NHL - National Hockey League

Nickel - $500

NIT - National Invitational Tournament

Off The Board - Game where no bets are being accepted

Over/Under - A bet on whether the combined total of the points/goals scored by the two teams will exceed or be less than a specified number

Overlay - When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house

Overtime - The continuance of a contest that is tied at the end of regulation time until a winner is determined or the maximum number of overtime periods have expired

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

Penny Line - A money line that is adjusted in increments of a penny, or one cent at a time

Pick or Pick'em - A game where neither team is favored

Player - Bettor, gambler

Pointspread - The handicap, or head start, which the favorite gives to the underdog for betting purposes

Press - To bet a larger amount than usual

Price - The moneyline odds on the favorite of a given match

"Pucks" - A slang word used to indicate the game of hockey

Puppy - Underdog

Push - A tie between the bettor and the bookmaker that is the result of the score of an event falling exactly on the point spread number, or the total points number

Rain Out - A contest that has been canceled because of bad weather

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 - Messenger bettor; see beard

Ryder Cup - A golf tournament between American and European golfers that is staged every two years

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

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

Side Bet/Side Wager - A wager on a particular team, or side, to win a contest

Soft Line - A wagering line that is not current with the true posted line.  A line that has been adjusted or moved as a result of action and does not reflect the true line as posted

Spread - An abbreviated form of point spread

Stanley Cup - NHL Championship

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 single wager on a selected side or over/under

Sudden Death - An overtime period in which the first contestant to score is declared the winner of the contest

Superbowl - NFL Championship game

Take A Price - A wager on the underdog in a moneyline contest

Take The Points - A wager on the underdog in a point spread contest

Teaser - A bet on 2 or more teams where the line on each team is adjusted in the favor of the bettor.  Like a Parlay, all selections must be correct for the teaser to win

The Big Dance - The 64 team, post season college basketball championship tournament

Toss Up - Game where the line is close to pick-em

Total - The line on a given contest, representing the combined number of points/goals scored by the two teams; see over/under

Tout Service - A business that sells opinions on sporting events

Underdog - The contestant in any given contest that is considered the least talented, or has the least chance to win the contest

Underlay - When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house

Value - An overlay

Vigorish - Bookmaker's commission, most often refers to the 11 to 10 football bettors lay on straight wagers.  Also known as juice

WBA - World Boxing Association

WBC - World Boxing Council

Wise Guy - Established and successful sports bettor

WNBA - Womens National Basketball Association

World Series - MLB championship; The final seven games of the baseball playoffs between the two league champions to determine the world champion

0-C    D-F    G-I    J-N    O-Q    R-S    T-Z