Sports Betting Glossary and Key Terms

 

sports betting glossary
Are you going to try your luck in sports betting? If so, then there is some preparation that you need to do and this sports glossary could help.

 

First things first, start by knowing some basic sports betting terms. If you don’t know these terms, everything might seem haphazard while betting. Wondering which terms we are talking about? Here’s the list:

 

Common Sports Betting Glossary Key Terms With Explanation

 

We will be mentioning the key terms in alphabetical order for your ease. Try to read and keep them in mind before your next game:

 

Action: It means bet. In sports betting, to “have an action” means to place a bet. 

 

Book/Sportsbook: Sportsbook is the company or a person through which one can bet. 

 

Buck: It means a bet of around $100.

 

Chalk: Anyone who is favorite in the game is called chalk.

 

Cover: For the favored team, cover means scoring more numbers than the spread values. Likewise, for an underdog team, they cover by losing a number less than the spread value. They can also cover by winning the game entirely. 

 

Dime and Dollar: $1,000 and $100 bet.

 

Favorite/favored: If someone considers a team as a favorite, it means that they are favored or preferred to win the game. 

 

Future bets: Future bets mean betting on subsequent events. It’s similar to predicting the bets in advance. 

 

sports betting glossary 1

 

Handle: Handle stands for the money gambled on the game. 

 

Hook: Whenever someone scores a half-point in a spread, it means hook. 

 

In-game wagers: As the name signifies, it stands for the bets placed after the start of the game. 

 

Limit: The maximum amount of money or the money limit gambled on one bet. 

 

Lock/Long Shot: An assured win for the one who placed a bet. A long shot means the team that has less chance of winning the game.

 

Point spread: A point spread is a value decided by the oddsmaker. Based on this value, the best outcomes are decided. To cover the point spread, a favored team must score more than the spread value. However, for the underdog, the value should be less than the spread to call it covered. Alternatively, they could also win the game outright to cover the spread. 

 

Moneyline bet: It means placing a bet on the teams that one may think could win. 

 

Nickel: A bet of $500 

 

No Action: No action bets are those that were live earlier, but now it got halted for some reason. It’s like a best where no money is gained or lost. 

 

Oddsmaker: Oddsmaker is the person who sets the betting odds. 

 

Sharp: A professional sports bettor who’s opinions or assumptions are admired in the sportsbook. 

 

Total bet: Also called the over/under bet, the total bet means wager on the total points of the game. 

 

Underdog: Underdog is the team that is expected not to win the game.

 

The sports betting glossary would be enough for you as a beginner to start off the sports betting journey. Also, as you become proficient, you will learn more advanced terms. Hopefully, this guide helps!