WHAT'S THE MATTER? CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?
Having some problems keeping up with today's betting lingo? Fret no more, because here are the different terminologies ya'll can use to keep up with the best. Yup, you can do that because the best come here, and now, you're one of 'em.
Action
means having a wager or a bet.
Air Move
when a sportsbook changes the line on a game not in reaction to bets they receive but rather in response to another book changing their line
Angles
when you use past game results to predict future results
Against The Spread
means making a wager that will be decided by adding points to one team or the other after the game is played
Arbitrage
means making a combination of bets so that if one bet loses, another wins
Bar
to refuse someone from placing a bet in a given sportsbook
Beard
a person who makes bets for another person
Bet
to risk money on the outcome of an event
Bet Limit
maximum bet size accepted by any given sportsbook
Betting Exchange
a form of betting available on the Internet in which two parties are brought together to bet against each other
Bet To Win
a wager on an individual to win an event
Chalk
the favorite
Churn
the betting and re betting of money
Circled
a game on which the book or bookie has placed a lowered maximum bet limit
Cover
to win against the spread
Credit Betting
betting without needing to have up front money on account to place a wager
Data Mining
means sorting through a large volume of data, usually statistics, searching for profitable situations to bet on the future
Dime Line
a line that charges only half of the juice of standard football bets
Dog / Fav Money Line Differential
the difference in money lines between the favorite's lay price and underdog's take back
Early Line
the first line posted for a game
Edge
the belief that you have an advantage when placing a bet
Even Money
betting a dollar to win a dollar without laying any juice
Exotic
a bet other than the more conventional side or total bets
Favorite
the team expected to win
Field
a group of the entrants whose odds are not individually listed to win an event, usually longshots
Flea
a small bettor who wants something for nothing
Front Running
following betting lines on a computer, and betting in the same direction of line moves
Futures
bets placed far in advance of the sports event
Gamble
to risk money on the outcome of an event
Handicap
to handicap is to analyze a contest and then to predict the outcome
Handle
total amount of money taken by sportsbooks from placed bets
Hedge
to bet the opposite of an original bet to offset the possible loss on the original action
Hook
the half point in a point spread
If Bet
allows you to link together two or more individual bets, similar to parlay
Juice
the amount charged by the bookmaker for taking bets
Line
used to even the odds of a particular sporting event
Longshot
a large underdog who is not expected to win
Matchup Betting
a bet based upon one individual competing head to head against another individual or a group of individuals
Middle
to have separate bets on competing teams and for there to be the possibility of winning both bets
Money Line
odds strictly on the straight up game outcome with no consideration for a point spread
Odds
the likelihood of an outcome occurring, stated in number form
Off The Board
if a game is off the board, the sportsbook is no longer taking bets on it
Offshore Sportsbook
a sportsbook accessed online over the Internet that offers several betting advantages due to convenience and competitive lines
Opening Line
the first line posted for a particular sporting event
Over
to bet that the final combined score of both teams in a game will exceed the Over / Under total posted for betting purposes
Over / Under Bet
a bet on the combined scores or total points scored by both teams in a game
Parlay
a single bet that links together two or more individual wagers and is dependent on all of those wagers winning together
Parlay Card
a set of sides, totals and prop bets printed on a card
Pick
any bet recommended by a handicapper
Point Spread
used to even the odds of a particular sporting event
Post up Betting
betting from an already funded account
Power Ratings
numbers that handicappers assign to teams to estimate how likely one team is to beat the other and/or by how many points
Proposition Bets
additional, more exotic betting options on major sporting events
Public Money
betting action coming from unsophisticated bettors or squares who get information from newspapers and TV preview shows
Round Robin
a series of parlays
Side
to bet on a single team to win a game against the spread
Square
an unsophisticated gambler who uses the same information in the same way as everybody else does
Straight up
winning straight up means simply winning on the scoreboard without any regard to the point spread
System
using past game results to predict future results
Teaser
similar to parlay, a teaser bet is a single bet that links together two or more individual wagers but is different in that it also allows you to adjust the point spread of each individual wager
Total
a number set by a sportsbook for total points to be scored by both teams during a game
Trend
using past game results to predict future results
Under
to bet that final combined score of both teams in a game will fall short of the Over / Under total posted for betting purposes
Vig
the bookmaker's commission
Wiseguy
a successful bettor or handicapper whose insight comes from knowledgeable connections rather than his own handicapping
