- Sep 04, 2014 Cover: The betting result on a point-spread wager. For a favorite to cover, it has to win by more than the spread; an underdog covers by winning outright or losing by less than the spread.
- The ATS betting term means Against The Spread. This is when you’re betting on the underdog team to win by a wide margin, and along with it, ample winnings.
- May 14, 2020 Simply put, covering the spread is the goal of every bettor who has placed a point spread bet. This SI Gambling 101 feature explains what it takes to cover the spread. What is a Point Spread?
Before we get started if you’re interested in seeing these glossary terms in action feel free to visit these sports betting strategy pages. In these guides, we’ll share our expert tips and tricks for understanding and effectively using these different terms.
Glossary
In betting, the term against the spread simply refers to a wager on the fixed-odds points spread market instead of the betting line (otherwise known as the money line) market. Against the spread is often shortened to ATS or you may hear it called ‘covering the spread’. Apr 30, 2019 Sports betting lingo can be confusing, especially those new to the industry. The glossary below contains many of the most commonly-used terms, concepts and strategies that you will see on this site and across sports betting as a whole.
Action: This is when you have a bet on a game, match, race, or season.
Against the Spread (ATS): This is a statistic that tells you how well a team does against the spread. If a team has covered the spread (outperformed the sportsbook’s expectations) in five games, you would say they are 5-0 ATS.
Backdoor Cover: This is when you think you’re certain to lose a bet, but something wild happens at the end of the game, getting you to cover the point spread and win your bet.
Bad Beat: This is when you lose a bet that you feel like you should have won. Most likely, you will hear this term when something happens in the game unexpectedly to cause you to lose almost a certain bet. For example, if a team fumbles the ball while kneeling down to win, and the other team scores to make you lose your bet, that’s a bad beat.
Beard: This is someone who places a bet for another person. Sportsbooks will often not take action from very sharp (good) bettors, which forces them to use beards (also known as runners) to place their bets for them.
Book: This is an abbreviated term for sportsbook.
Bookie: This is a person who illegally accepts bets. Basically, it’s someone who operates as their own sportsbook.
Buying Points: This is when a sportsbook allows you to shift a spread by giving up some payout odds. For example, if the point spread is +4, but you want it to be +5, you can do this at some sportsbooks. But since your bet is becoming more likely to win, you won’t be paid out as well.
Chalk: This refers to the favorite in a particular game, match, or race. If you bet on the chalk, you are picking the favorite who is expected to win.
Circle Game: This is a game where the sportsbook has lowered the wagering limits due to injuries, weather, or other conditions that have made things more difficult on the linemakers.
Closing Line: This is what the odds are when the sportsbook stops taking action.
Cover: This is the term used when a team outperforms the spread betting line. For example, if a team is +3 (3-point underdogs), and they end up losing the game by 2 points, it is said that they covered. It does not matter if they win the game or not; they only have to outperform the spread line.
Dime: This is a term for $1,000. If you say that you bet five dimes on a game, you bet $5,000.
Dog: This is an abbreviation for the underdog, the team that is expected to lose. If you bet on the dog, you should expect to get paid better than even money.
Double Bet: This is a wager twice the size of someone’s normal bet. For example, if you normally bet $20 on games, a double bet would be a $40 bet. This is popular when people have a strong prediction on a game or when they’re trying to chase their losses.
Edge: This is an advantage in a bet. When you place a bet that you think has value, you are betting that you have an edge.
Even Money: This is when the odds are 50-50, and you stand to win the exact same amount of money you bet. For example, if you bet $20 at even money, your profit for a correct pick would be $20.
Exposure: This is the amount of money a sportsbook stands to lose on a particular game, match, or race. Sportsbooks manipulate lines to try and limit their exposure as much as possible.
Exotic: This is any other bet outside of a straight bet or a parlay. It is another term for prop bets.
Favorite: This is the team that is expected to win a game, match, or race. If you bet on a favorite, you should expect to get paid out worse than even money.
Fire: This is a slang term for making a bet. You can say that you’re going to “fire on the Cowboys” if you’re going to make a bet on the Cowboys.
First Half Bet: This is a wager that you make only on the first half of the game. The end result of the game does not matter. The only thing that matters is the result after the first half of play.
Fixed: This is the term to refer to a game where someone has cheated. Basically, if the “fix is in,” the game has been set to have a certain outcome. This is what happens during sports betting cheating scandals.
Futures Bet: This is a bet on something that is going to occur in the future and is not going to be determined by just one game. For example, if you bet on the champion, division winner, or tournament winner, that would be a futures bet. The team would have to win multiple games to win this bet.
Getting Down: This is a slang term for making a bet.
Grand Salami: This is the total goals scored by every hockey team in a particular day or runs scored by every baseball team.
Halftime Bet: This is a wager that is made at the halfway mark of a game. Many sportsbooks will offer updated odds on the second half of a game. These lines are not put out until the first half is complete and are reflective of how the first half of play went.
Handicapper: This is someone who bets on sports.
Hedging: This is when you place a wager against yourself on the other side of the contest to lock up profit or minimize your potential loss. Hedges are most popular with futures bets but can be done with in-game betting as well.
High Roller: This is the term given to someone who bets large amounts on games.
Hot Game: This is a game that is taking a lot of action from skilled/sharp sports bettors.
Hook: This is a slang term for a half point on a point spread. For example, if the spread is -3.5, you might say that they are laying three and a hook.
In-Game Betting: This is the ability to bet on a game while it is going on. This has become much more popular with online sports betting thanks to technology.
Juice: This is a term for the commission that the sportsbook is taking on each bet that they take. It can also be used to refer to interest on a loan with a bookie.
Laying the Points: This is when you take the favorite in a point spread bet.
Layoff: This is the money bet by a sportsbook with another sportsbook to cover an imbalance in action.
Limit: This is the maximum that a sportsbook will allow you to bet on a particular sporting event. This is not a per-bet limit. For example, if the limit on a game is $5,000, the most you can bet on that game is $5,000. You can’t make multiple $5,000 bets, as it’s not a per-bet limit but a total limit.
Lines: This is another term for the odds. If you say you are going to check the lines, you are looking for the odds or spreads that are put out by the sportsbook.
Line Shopping: This is a term for comparing the lines at multiple sportsbooks to find the best odds possible. It is very common for different sportsbooks to have different odds on the exact same bet due to the action that they are receiving from their customer base. This is a must-do for serious sports bettors who care about their profits.
Lock: This is a term given to a sports bet that is said to be a sure thing. Contrary to popular belief, there are no such things as sure things in sports betting.
Longshot: This is a term for the team or contestant that has very little chance of winning a particular contest. This term is very popular in racing where you have multiple people or animals vying for a win.
Middle: This is when a sports bettor attempts to take advantage of a line movement to potentially win two sides of a bet. For example, let’s say that a team is +3 to win a bet. If that line moves to +5, they sports bettor can bet the other team. Now, if the game ends with the first team losing by exactly 4 points, the sports bettor will win both bets. If it goes one way or the other, the sports bettor will break close to even minus the juice on the bet.
Moneyline: This is a sports bet where you only need your team to win the game to win. It does not matter by how many points or in what manner they win.
Mush: This is a slang term given to a sports bettor who is bad luck.
Nickel: This is a slang term that means $500. If you say that you bet a nickel on a game, you bet $500.
Oddsmaker: This is a person who works for the sportsbook and sets the lines on the games.
Off the Board: This is when a bet is taken down, and the sportsbook is no longer taking action on it.
Over/Under Bet: This is a wager on either side of a totals number. For example, if the sportsbook thinks 45 points will be scored in a game, you can bet if there will be over that many points or under that many points. If you are correct, you win your over/under bet (sometimes referred to as a totals bet).
Parlay: This is when you link two or more individual bets together into one single wager. You must win all of your individual bets for you to win your parlay. One incorrect selection means you lose the entire ticket. Parlays pay out a high win amount for a smaller monetary investment.
Pick ‘Em: This is a game with no favorite or underdog. Basically, the sportsbook is saying that each team has an equal chance to win the game. The point spread is zero points.
Pleaser: This is when you wager several games (in a parlay-style format), except all of the point spreads are shifted by usually 6, 6.5, or 7 points in the sportsbook’s favor. So, if a team is usually -3, they are now -9 on your ticket. These are used in situations where you see several lines that are extremely off. As you might expect, pleasers pay out extremely well but are very tough to win.
Point Spread: This is the number of points that the sportsbook determines a particular team will either win or lose the game by.
Press: This is a term that means to bet more than you usually do. Usually, bettors press when they are on a good run and looking to capitalize or when they are losing and looking to find a way to get even.
Proposition Bet: This is a bet (sometimes known as a special or exotic) that involves betting on whether or not something proposed will happen during a sporting contest. For example, betting on what the coin toss will be or if a certain player will score the first touchdown are prop bets. These are sometimes offered on events and sometimes not depending on where and what you are betting. The most popular prop bet event is the Super Bowl.
Push: This is a fancy word for a tie. If you push your sports bet, your money is returned to you.
Runner: This is someone who makes bets on behalf of someone else. Sharp sports bettors often have their action refused, so they have to use runners to make their bets for them.
Sharp: This is the term given to a sports bettor who is very good and knows how to win. Your ideal goal in sports betting should be to become a sharp.
Spread: This is an abbreviated term for point spread.
Square: This is the term given to casual bettors who are not using extensive research or predictive models/formulas to make their wagers.
Steam: This is when a sports betting line moves unusually fast. A lot of times, this is a result of several big bets (maybe from a betting syndicate) coming in at once or a heavily-followed bettor publishing their pick and their followers jumping on it all at once.
Straight Up: This is a slang term for taking the moneyline bet where the point spread does not matter. If you say you are taking a team straight up, it means you took them on the moneyline, and all you need them to do is win the game. You do not care by how many points or in what fashion they win.
Teaser: This is a parlay-style bet similar to a pleaser except all the lines shift 6, 6.5, or 7 points in your favor. For example, if one of the teams on your teaser is normally +4, you now have them at +10. These are much easier to hit than parlays or pleasers, so expect not to be paid out as handsomely.
Ticket: This is another term for a sports betting wager. When you bet in a brick-and-mortar location, they print you out a “ticket,” which is a slip of paper with your betting information on it. This is what you turn in to collect your winnings. Online, tickets are digital.
Total: This is the number of points the sportsbook expects each team or both teams to score in a particular game. While it can be used for each team individually, it’s commonly used for both teams combined in a game. For example, if you say the total is 42 in the Patriots and Giants game, this means that they expect 42 points to be scored cumulatively. It does not matter which team scores the points. They can all be scored by one team or be scored equally by both teams.
Tout: This is a person or group that sells or gives away their sports betting picks.
Underdog: This is the team or player that is expected to lose a particular sporting contest.
Vig: This is a word for the percentage the sportsbook (or house) takes from each bet as their commission for facilitating each bet. It can also be used to refer to interest on a sports betting loan.
Wager: This is another word for a bet.
Welch: This is when someone refuses to pay on a bet that they knowingly lost. You can say that someone welched on a bet, or you can also say that someone is a welcher. This is something you never want to be and never want to have to deal with.
Wiseguy: This is another slang term for a sharp bettor who knows what they are doing.
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Like many other industries, the sports betting world has its own jargon and many terms, lingo can be confusing. Our Sports Betting 101 Glossary provides a quick and simple definition of often-used terms that you may read on VegasInsider.com or hear at your local sportsbook.
Sports Betting Resources and Terms
Action: Any bet.
Added Game: A matchup that is not part of the daily betting rotation. 'Added Games' are often make-up or rescheduled games that were expected to be played on a previous date. In pro baseball, it's likely Game 2 of an unscheduled double-header from a rainout.
Alternate lines: Some sportsbooks may offer different (or alternate) point spreads that pay different odds for the same game. These provide bettors more options to wager on certain games.
Spread Gambling Term Losses
ATS: Against the spread
Arbitrage: Savvy bettors who try to scalp the market by playing both sides of a particular matchup, with hopes of cashing a middle. The hope is to guarantee getting money back regardless of the outcome.
Bankroll: The total amount of money a bettor can spend on a betting app.
Beard: Messenger bettor, used at brick and mortar casinos and sportsbooks if the real bettor wishes to remain anonymous.
Beef: Dispute
Betting Trends: Stats that show the total amount of money wagered on a game
Buck: $100
Buying Points: Paying additional money to move the point-spread in a direction of your preference. Often used in football, bettors will buy 'on' or 'off' key numbers to avoid losing by a point or two.
Chalk: Favorite in a game by a large margin
Chalk Eater:Bettor who is known for betting on the favorites consistently
Churn: The effect of betting and rebetting money, similar to Arbitrage
Circle Game: Game where action is limited due to uncertainties about weather, injuries, etc
Cover: Win by more than the point-spread
Dime: $1,000
Dollar: $100
Dog: Abbreviation for Underdog, team expected to lose the game
Draw: A tie, used often in Soccer and sometimes in Boxing or Mixed Martial Arts
Earn: Practical hold percentage
Edge: Advantage
Even Money: When a selection has no juice or vig involved. A $100 wager will win $100, while normal wagers would make bettors lay $110 to win $100.
Exotic Bet: Action other than a straight bet or parlay, often unusual bets you won't see in many places. Can be listed under prop bets in sportsbooks.
Exposure: The amount of money the house actually stands to lose on a game or a race.
Extension: The amount of money the house theoretically will risk losing on a game or a race.
Favorite: The team in a sports betting matchup that is expected to win. In football and basketball, the favorite gives points while in moneyline sports, the favorite has to lay a higher price in order to cash a ticket.
Figure: Amount owed by or to a bookmaker
Firing: Betting a lot. A player who is 'firing' is wagering large sums
Fractional Odds: Not used commonly in the United States. These are odds used mainly in Europe. Odds are listed in fraction form (1/10) instead of as a moneyline (-100).
Futures: Wagers where bettors can invest in the future outcome of a team to win a particular event, even if it isn't in the near future. Example – bettors often choose a team to win the World Series or Super Bowl and receive higher payouts based on the numbers from the oddsmakers depending on how far out the event is.
Grand Salami: A popular NHL wager where bettors handicap the total number of goals scored in all games for one day. Some sportsbooks may offer alternate versions for home, away, or periods of games during the day. Some sportsbooks may offer a similar bet for runs in Major League Baseball but this is mostly used in hockey.
Gross Win: Win before expenses
Handicapper: One who studies sports and predicts outcomes of teams and players.
Handle: Total amount of bets taken
Hedge: Bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of action you have on a game
Spread Gambling Term Capital Gains
Hold: The percentage the house wins
Hook: Half point in point-spreads, as in 'lost by the hook'
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
In-Game Wagering: The ability to bet on a sporting event after the game has already started and until it concludes.Also known as live betting.
juice: Bookmaker's commission, most often refers to the 11 to 10 football bettors lay on straight wagers; vigorish
Key Numbers: Most often heard in pro football, the key numbers are the most common margins of the final outcome. The key numbers in the NFL are 3, 7 and 10 points.
Layoff Bet: A wager made by one bookmaker with another to help balance his action and reduce his potential risk or losses
Limit: Bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of action you have on a game
Line: The betting proposition on a game and/or payoff odds on the bet
Live Betting: See In-Game Wagering. Becoming more popular as most betting apps seem to have this feature now.
Lock: An easy betting win.
Long Shot: Large underdog
L3, L5, L10: Last Three, Last Five, Last 10
Marker: Credit offered at Casinos.
Moneyline: Used often in sports like baseball, hockey and soccer -- these odds are set on the straight up winner of the matchup. There is no point-spread with moneylines. Just pick the winner!
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.
Neutral Site: Arena, court or field where neither side has a home field advantage. For example the Super Bowl most years.
Nickel: $500
Odds: Numbers used to determine the favorite and underdog of a sporting match. Unless the game is a pick 'em, there is always a favorite or underdog.
O/U: Over/Under
Off the Board: Game where bets are no longer being accepted. This often happens when there is unknown about a key player's injury status.
Overlay: When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house
Parlay: A bet with two or more teams where all the teams must win for the bettor to be successful. The more events in a parlay, the more money there is to cash in on but the harder it becomes to win the wager.
Past Post: To make a bet after an event has started
Pick or Pick'em: A game where neither team is favored
Point-Spread: A number or line set by oddsmakers to provide an advantage or disadvantage based on the margin of victory or defeat for the teams in the matchup. There is always a favorite (-) and an underdog (+). The most popular type of betting in the United States, mainly used in both football and basketball.
Practical Hold Percentage: The amount won by a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked
Press: To bet a larger amount than usual
Public Dog: When betting trends lean heavily to an underdog
Public Trends: Betting Percentages showing money and ticket count for games
Puppy: Underdog
Push: Tie. The bettor doesn't win or lose money, almost as if the bet didn't happen (Parlays not included).
(ROI): Return on Investment.The amount of money you win on a wager, or your return on your investment or stake.
Reverse-Line Movement: When a line (point-spread) moves in the opposite direction of the betting percentages. Some pundits believe you can follow sharp money with reverse-line movement, especially when the trends and lines differ drastically.
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
Run-Line: A popular pro baseball wager where the favorite (-1.5) must win by two plus runs to win or the underdog (+1.5) must win or lose by less than two runs to win.
Runner: See Beard
Score: To win a lot of money
Scratch: Withdraw or cancel
Sharp bettors: Money wagered by bettors be that a sportsbook operator respects. Sharp money often comes from large wagers placed by professional bettors. It should be noted that not all large wagers are considered Sharp.
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
Steam: When the odds change because of the money wagered on a game or participant is primarily one-sided for a team. Some bettors will chase the steam thinking the other bettors know something they may not but instead they are just mostly all following the trend.
Straight Bet: A bet on just one team
Sucker Bet: Bet with a large house edge
system: When bettors and handicappers develop angles based on historical or seasonal stats.
Take a Price: Bet the underdog, take the points
Tapped Out: Broke, busted, common result of pressing
Spread Gambling Term Crossword
Teaser: A wager used in football and basketball that allows bettors to combine two or more selections together while adjusting the points on those selections.
Tissue Price: The initial odds offered by the sportsbook. This price is usually considered a much fairer deal for the bettor.
Toke: A tip or gratuity
Toss Up: Game where the line is close to a pick-em and either side is expected to win.
Tout Service: A business that sells opinions on sporting events
Trend: Daily, Weekly and Seasonal angles that bettors and handicappers often follow or fade in their wagers.
Triple Sharp: The sharpest of the sharp, (Note: There is no such term as 'Double Sharp')
Unit/s:Amount bet on a game.
Wager: A bet
Win Totals: A future wager that allows bettors to handicap the number of victories and losses of a team during the course of a regular season.
Underdog: The team in a sports betting matchup that is not expected to win. In football and basketball, the underdog receives points while in moneyline sports, the 'dog can net a positive return if it wins.
Underlay: When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house
Value: An overlay
Wire-to-Wire Commonly seen in the NBA, a bet where a team will lead after every quarter for the entire game.