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Sports betting glossary
40 terms you will meet on any sportsbook, explained without jargon.
- Action
- A bet that stands and counts, as in “I have action on the game.”
- Against the spread (ATS)
- A team's record measured by whether it covered the point spread rather than whether it won.
- Alternate line
- A different spread, total or prop number offered at a different price than the main line.
- American odds
- The moneyline format used in the US: minus for favorites, plus for underdogs. See how to read American odds.
- Anytime touchdown
- A prop that wins if a player scores a touchdown at any point in the game.
- Bankroll
- Money set aside for betting. See bankroll management.
- Closing line
- The last line before a game begins. See closing line value.
- Cover
- To beat the point spread. A team that wins by more than it was favored by, or loses by less than it was an underdog by, covers.
- Decimal odds
- Odds shown as the total return per $1 staked, stake included. A price of 2.50 returns $2.50 on a $1 win.
- Edge
- The gap between a bet's true chance of winning and the chance implied by its price.
- Expected value (EV)
- The average result of a bet over many repetitions. See expected value.
- Favorite
- The side with the higher chance to win. Shown with a minus sign in American odds.
- Fractional odds
- Odds shown as profit relative to stake, such as 5/2.
- Futures
- A bet on a long-term outcome, such as a championship or an MVP award.
- Half point (hook)
- The .5 in a line, which prevents a push.
- Handle
- The total amount of money bet on an event or at a sportsbook.
- Hold
- The percentage of handle a sportsbook keeps after paying winners.
- Implied probability
- The chance a price represents. See implied probability and the vig.
- Juice / vig
- The sportsbook's built-in margin, for example -110 on both sides of a market.
- Line
- The number a bet is based on: the spread, the total or a prop value.
- Line movement
- A change in a line or price over time. See how lines move.
- Live betting
- Betting on a game after it has started, with prices updating during play.
- Moneyline
- A bet on which team wins, with no point spread.
- Over/under
- A bet on whether a number, such as a combined score or a player's points, is above or below a line. See totals.
- Overround
- Another name for the margin in a market: the implied probabilities of all outcomes add up to more than 100%.
- Parlay
- A single bet combining multiple legs that must all win. See parlay math.
- Pick'em (PK)
- A game with no favorite, where the spread is zero.
- Prop bet
- A bet on a specific event or player stat inside a game. See player props.
- Push
- A tie with the line, where the stake is refunded.
- Reverse line movement
- A line moving against the side receiving most of the bets.
- Same-game parlay (SGP)
- A parlay with legs from a single game. See same-game parlays.
- A bettor the sportsbooks respect, whose action tends to move lines.
- Spread
- The number of points a favorite must win by to cover. See point spreads.
- Square
- A casual bettor, in contrast to a sharp.
- Stake
- The amount you risk on a bet.
- A bet that moves the spread or total in your favor in exchange for a lower payout.
- Total
- The combined score line for a game. See totals.
- Underdog
- The side with the lower chance to win. Shown with a plus sign in American odds.
- Unit
- A standard bet size, commonly 1% to 2% of a bankroll.
- Void
- A bet canceled and refunded, for example when a player does not play.