Sports Betting Terms

We take a look at all the terms that you might need to understand when betting on sports.

Main Betting Terms To Know

Learning how the American odds format (minus and plus odds) works is crucial to betting. Those unfamiliar with the odds may find it baffling, but you can quickly get used to them. Other terms such as betting units, underdogs, push, bet settlements and handicapping are often things you will hear thrown about in betting circles.

We explain these betting terms and show you how they apply to your betting, even exploring strategies associated with particular betting terms:

  • Plus (+) & Minus (-)
  • Unit
  • Underdog
  • Handicapping
  • Push
  • Settled Bets

Advanced Betting Terms

Learning more advanced betting terms is highly useful if you want to read sports betting blogs, understand the language used in sports betting media and hone your betting vocabulary.

It can also change the way you look at your bets and help you get the best bang for your buck. Just off the top of my head, if you learn about how closing line value works, the importance of juice or when its good to place fade bets, you will know the following:

  • (Closing line value) What trends can affect the odds and when the odds are longest, to get the best value for your money
  • (Juice) Which sportsbooks offer the most favorable odds on your bet (and where to look to find the best prices)
  • (Fade) When to go against popular opinion and pick an underdog, especially when the odds on the underdogs are inflated

Professional bettors are not only experts at their respective sports, but they also know how to make the most of their budget and hunt for longer odds where they can.

  • 3-Way Betting
  • Puck Line
  • Chalk
  • Fade
  • Reuse Selections
  • Expected Value
  • Closing Line Value
  • Peer to Peer Betting
  • Draw No Bet
  • Prop Bet
  • Juice
  • Vig
  • Fixed Odds Betting
  • Exacta / Boxed Bets (Horse Racing)

Know the Types of Bets on Offer

When you enter an online sportsbook and open up the betting markets for NFL, NBA, MLS, MLB, NHL, or any other top US sport, you will find an abundance of betting markets. You may be familiar with some, such as moneylines, point spreads and totals bets. However, there are tons of bets to explore, and if you have never tried out the different betting markets, it may feel a bit daunting placing money on new wagers.

We are here to help you explore new betting markets, through our bet and strategy guides. If you have a bigger net to cast when picking your bets, then there is more to take advantage of. For example, instead of settling for a moneyline or spread that you are unsure about, you can instead pick an alternative spread or even bet on the first quarter or half of the game.

The possibilities are endless, and in our guides we also point out some useful data that you can research and show you some winning strategies for each type of bet.

  • Explore Different Types of Bets